What shapes can a patch be?

Every patch must be a rectangle — this includes squares. L-shapes, T-shapes, and other non-rectangular shapes are not allowed.

What if a clue says 4?

A clue of 4 means its patch must cover exactly 4 cells. Possible shapes are 1x4, 4x1, or 2x2, depending on what fits the surrounding grid.

How do I remove a patch?

Tap or click on an existing patch to remove it. You can also use the undo button to reverse your last action.

Are there multiple difficulty levels?

The game uses level-based progression. Earlier levels have smaller grids with simpler clue arrangements, while later levels introduce larger grids and tighter constraints.

Patches

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Continue your progress, start fresh or challenge yourself.

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How to Play Patches

Objective

Divide the grid into rectangular patches so that every cell is covered, each patch contains exactly one number clue, and the clue matches the area of its patch.

Controls

Click and drag across cells to draw a rectangular patch. Tap an existing patch to remove it. Use undo to reverse your last action.

Step by Step

1Look at the numbered clues on the grid. Each number indicates the area (number of cells) of the patch it must belong to.
2Click and drag to draw a rectangle that covers the clue and exactly as many cells as the number indicates.
3Each patch must contain exactly one clue — no zero and no more than one.
4Continue drawing patches until every cell on the grid is covered.
5Tap a patch to remove it if you need to try a different arrangement.

Winning

The puzzle is complete when every cell belongs to a rectangular patch, each patch contains exactly one numbered clue, and each clue equals its patch's area.

Patches Rules

Every patch must be a rectangle (including squares).
Every cell on the grid must be part of exactly one patch.
Each patch must contain exactly one numbered clue.
The number on the clue must equal the total area (cell count) of the patch it belongs to.
Patches cannot overlap.

Tips & Strategies

1.Start with clues of value 1 — they are trivially a single-cell patch.

2.Large clues are heavily constrained. A clue of 6 can only form a 1x6, 6x1, 2x3, or 3x2 rectangle — try each orientation and see which fits.

3.Work from the corners and edges inward. Patches near borders have fewer possible shapes.

4.If two clues are close together, their patches must not overlap. This often forces specific shapes for both.

5.When stuck, look for cells that can only be reached by one adjacent clue — they must belong to that clue's patch.

About Patches

Patches is a spatial logic puzzle inspired by Shikaku. You divide a grid into rectangles where each rectangle contains exactly one numbered clue that matches its area. The game features level-based progression with increasingly complex grids, an undo system for correcting mistakes, and touch-friendly drag-to-draw controls for creating patches. Tap any patch to remove it and try a different shape.

Frequently Asked Questions

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