description Fillomino Overview
Published by the Japanese puzzle company Nikoli, Fillomino requires a grid to be divided into connected numbered regions called polyominoes. Every cell in a region carries the same number, and that number equals the region's total cell count. Starting clues provide some values, while the remaining numbers and region boundaries must be deduced together. Separate regions of the same size cannot share an edge, although they may meet diagonally.
Regions can contain several matching clues or no original clue at all, which distinguishes Fillomino from puzzles that assign exactly one clue to every area. Solving involves deciding whether matching numbers belong together and whether a proposed shape leaves enough space for its neighbors. It suits readers who enjoy interlocking spatial constraints, with numbers acting as region labels and sizes rather than a demand for substantial arithmetic.
help Fillomino FAQ
What are the rules of Fillomino?
Fillomino is a grid-based logic puzzle published by the Japanese company Nikoli where the objective is to divide the grid into regions called polyominoes. The main rule is that each cell within a given region must contain a number equal to the total number of cells in that region. Additionally, regions of the same size cannot touch orthogonally (share a side).
How is Fillomino different from Sudoku?
While both are grid-based logic puzzles published by Nikoli, Sudoku requires placing digits 1-9 into a rigid 9x9 grid based on rows and columns. Fillomino, however, has no set grid size or pre-existing sub-grids; instead, solvers must draw boundaries to create distinct, numbered polyomino shapes. The focus in Fillomino is on geometric division rather than arithmetic logic.
Do you have to use every number in a Fillomino puzzle?
Not necessarily as starting clues, but the final solution requires every single cell in the grid to belong to a numbered region. While some numbers are given at the start, solvers must deduce the values of all unlabeled cells. Unlabeled cells must eventually be assigned a number matching the size of their surrounding polyomino.
What is a polyomino in the context of this puzzle?
A polyomino is a geometric shape formed by joining squares edge-to-edge; in Fillomino, it represents a connected group of cells on the grid. For example, a '3' polyomino (a triomino) is made up of exactly three orthogonally connected squares. The goal of the puzzle is to completely fill the grid with these distinct polyomino shapes.
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