How to Solve Queens: Rules and 6 Essential Techniques

Queens is a compact logic puzzle with an elegant rule set: place one crown in every row, every column and every coloured region, and never let two crowns touch. It is quick to learn, and the board is solved by careful elimination alone — you never need to guess.

The rules

The board is a square grid divided into coloured regions. On an 8×8 board there are eight regions; on a 10×10 board there are ten. Your job is to place crowns so that:

• every row contains exactly one crown,
• every column contains exactly one crown,
• every colour region contains exactly one crown, and
• no two crowns touch, not even at a corner.

Tap a cell once to mark it with a cross (×), which means “no crown can go here”. Tap again to place a crown. Drag across cells to cross out several at once. Crosses are just notes for you — the puzzle only checks the crowns.

Technique 1: Every crown clears a zone

The moment you place a crown, a large part of the board is settled. The crown rules out the rest of its row, the rest of its column, the rest of its colour region, and the eight cells that surround it.

Get into the habit of crossing out that whole zone right away. Most of the deductions below only become visible once the board is tidy.

Technique 2: Last cell standing

Count the open cells (not crossed out) in each row, each column and each region. If one of them has only a single open cell left, the crown must go there.

On a fresh board, look first at the smallest regions. A region with only one or two cells is a gift: either its crown position is forced, or it immediately tells you which row or column is about to be used.

Technique 3: A region trapped in one row or column

Sometimes all the open cells of a region sit in the same row. That region still needs a crown, and that crown will use up the row — so no other region can put its crown in that row. Cross out every other cell of the row.

The same logic works for columns. This is the single most useful technique in Queens: look for long thin regions, and for regions that have been squeezed into one line by earlier crosses.

Technique 4: Two regions, two lines

Confinement scales up. If two regions together fit inside two columns, those two columns must hold exactly those two regions’ crowns. Every cell of another region inside those columns can be crossed out.

On large weekend boards you may even find three regions sharing three rows. Count carefully: the rule needs the same number of regions and lines.

Technique 5: “What if a crown went here?”

When the simple patterns run out, test a single cell in your head. Imagine a crown on it, cross out its zone, and see whether some row, column or region is left with no open cells. If so, that cell is impossible.

This is not guessing — you are not committing to anything, just checking one consequence. Every PuzzPik puzzle can be finished with Techniques 1–5.

Technique 6: The 2×2 rule

Because crowns cannot touch, any 2×2 block of cells contains at most one crown. So if two rows must each place a crown inside the same narrow strip, they cannot both use the same 2×2 block. This is especially handy near the edges of the board and when a region is shaped like a small square.

Common mistakes

• Forgetting diagonals. Crowns may not touch at the corners either. Our board turns clashing crowns red so you notice immediately.
• Placing crowns too early. If you are not sure, cross out instead. A wrong crown can make the board look impossible.
• Ignoring columns. Most players scan rows naturally. Make a deliberate pass down the columns.

Tips for faster times

Speed comes from rhythm: place a crown, clear its zone, rescan the smallest regions. Drag to cross out whole rows in one motion. If you get stuck, use the hint button — it costs 15 seconds but shows you the next logical step, which is a great way to learn new patterns.

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