How to play Purrplex

The goal

Every board is a square grid split into coloured regions. Fill it with cats so that:

• Every row has exactly one cat.
• Every column has exactly one cat.
• Every coloured region has exactly one cat.
• No two cats touch, not even diagonally.

A board with N rows has N regions and N cats, and every puzzle has exactly one solution. Some puzzles begin with a starter cat already in place: it is part of the puzzle and cannot be removed.

Controls

Purrplex works with touch, mouse and keyboard.

• Tap or click a cell to place a cat. Tap it again to take the cat away.
• Switch the Cat | X toggle to X to mark cells where no cat can go. An X is only a note to yourself.
• Right-click or Shift-click a cell to mark an X without switching tools. On a touchscreen, press and hold the cell.
• Drag across cells to mark several at once: with the X tool, with the right mouse button or Shift held, or after pressing and holding.
• Undo and Redo step through your moves. Reset starts the puzzle over, and starter cats stay where they are.

← ↑ → ↓

Move around the board

Space or Enter

Place or remove a cat (or an X, when the X tool is selected)

X

Mark or clear an X

Backspace or Delete

Clear the cell

Ctrl+Z or ⌘+Z

Undo

Ctrl+Shift+Z or Ctrl+Y or ⌘+Shift+Z

Redo

H

Ask for a hint

Home or End

Jump to the start or the end of the row

Tips

• Look at the smallest regions first: a region with only one or two open cells settles quickly.
• A cat rules out the rest of its row, its column and the cells around it. Mark those cells with X so you can see what is left.
• If every open cell of a region lies in one row or column, no other cell of that row or column can hold a cat.
• Every puzzle has exactly one answer, so a deduction you are sure about is always safe. Prefer reasoning to trial and error.
• Stuck? Press H or tap Hint to be shown the next logical step.
• Automatic X marks and conflict highlighting can be turned on or off in Settings.

Good to know

• 100 levels ease you in, from 4×4 boards with a starter cat to tricky 8×8 puzzles. Every level is verified to have exactly one solution.
• After level 100 the puzzles never run out: Purrplex generates new boards from 4×4 up to 11×11, and each one is verified to have exactly one solution before you see it.
• Play offline: install Purrplex as an app from your browser, or download the single-file offline version.
• Your progress is saved on this device. There is no account to create.
• No ads and no tracking.
• Colour-blind friendly region patterns, reduced motion, high contrast and playing by keyboard are all available.