Some people know Star Battle as Queens. LinkedIn's daily Queens puzzle is a small Star Battle with one queen per row, column and coloured region. The version with 2 stars in each is also called Two Not Touch.
The rules
- The board is a square grid split into coloured regions. There are as many regions as rows.
- Put 1 star in every row, every column and every coloured region.
- Harder boards need 2 stars in each. The line above the board tells you how many.
- Stars may never touch, not even at a corner.
- Big and small regions need the same number of stars.
- Boxes without a star are empty. You do not have to mark them.
Quirk uses the classic rules. Many printed puzzles use a 10 by 10 board with 2 stars in each, like the biggest boards in Quirk.
A worked example
This small board has 4 rows, 4 columns and 4 regions. Each one needs 1 star. We name the regions A, B, C and D, and list each row from left to right.
- Row 1: A, A, A, A.
- Row 2: B, A, A, A.
- Row 3: D, D, C, C.
- Row 4: D, D, D, C.
- Region B is a single box, in row 2, column 1. Its star must go there.
- Stars cannot touch, so the boxes around that star stay empty. That empties columns 1 and 2 in rows 1 and 3.
- Row 2 and column 1 now have their star. Every other box in them stays empty.
- Row 3 has only columns 3 and 4 left. Both are in region C. So region C gets its star in row 3, and row 4, column 4 stays empty.
- Row 4 has only columns 2 and 3 left. A star in column 3 would touch both open boxes in row 3. Row 3 would have no place left for its star. So row 4, column 3 stays empty.
- The star in row 4 goes in column 2.
- That star touches row 3, column 3. So row 3 takes its star in column 4.
- Column 4 is now done, so row 1, column 4 stays empty. Row 1 takes its star in column 3.
- Now check the board. Each row, column and region has 1 star, and no two stars touch.
Beginner techniques
Clear around every star
Each star rules out the 8 boxes around it. Mark them empty straight away. This one habit opens up a lot of the board.
Full lines and the last box
When a row, column or region has all its stars, the rest of it stays empty. When it needs 1 more star and only 1 box is left, the star goes there.
A region inside one row
Look for a small region that sits in a single row. Its star must be in that row. On a board with 1 star each, the rest of that row stays empty. The same works for columns.
A box that touches every spot
Look at the open spots left in a row, column or region. Sometimes one box outside it touches all of those spots.
A star in that box would rule out every one of those spots. Then there would be no room for the missing star. So that box stays empty.
Count groups
Sometimes 3 regions sit completely inside the same 3 columns. The regions need 3 stars, and those columns need 3 stars too. So every other box in those columns stays empty.
Common mistakes
- Forgetting that corners count as touching.
- Thinking a big region needs more stars. It needs the same number as a small one.
- Placing a star without checking its column and region too.
- Missing the line above the board that says 1 or 2 stars.
- Leaving a row with no room for its stars. Check the rows you have not filled yet.
Questions
Is Star Battle the same as LinkedIn's Queens?
LinkedIn's daily Queens puzzle is a small Star Battle with one queen per row, column and coloured region. Queens may not touch each other, just like stars. Quirk also has bigger boards with 2 stars in each.
What is Two Not Touch?
Two Not Touch is another name for Star Battle with 2 stars in each row, column and region. The rules are the same as the 2-star boards in Quirk.
How do boards with 2 stars work?
The rules stay the same, but each row, column and region needs 2 stars. Here is a handy trick. Say a row needs 2 stars and has 3 open boxes. If 2 of those boxes touch, only 1 of them can hold a star. So the third box must hold the other star.
What sizes are there in Quirk?
Boards go from 6 by 6 up to 10 by 10. Boards with 2 stars are 8 by 8 or bigger. Short lessons use smaller boards to show each idea.
Do I have to mark empty boxes?
No. Boxes without a star count as empty when your board is checked. Marking them still helps you see where stars can go.
Does every board have one answer?
Yes. Each board in Quirk has just one answer. If you get stuck, a hint shows the next step and says why. You can also undo a move or reset the board.
Related puzzles
Playing it in Quirk
Tap a box for a star. Tap again to mark it empty, and once more to clear it.
Drag over boxes to give them all the mark the first box gets. You can leave boxes without stars unmarked; they count as empty when your board is checked.
