Can a patch contain two numbers?

No. Every rectangle holds exactly one clue, and its area equals that clue's number. This is the rule that does most of the solving: every other number on the board is a wall your rectangle cannot cross.

Can patches overlap, or leave cells empty?

No to both. The finished board is covered completely, and every cell belongs to exactly one patch. The game refuses a rectangle drawn over an existing patch, and a board with empty cells is not solved yet.

Does the plus-shaped Any badge mean the patch must be a square?

No. Any means every rectangle of that area is allowed: a 6 can be 1×6, 6×1, 2×3 or 3×2. The number still fixes the area, and the neighbouring clues usually leave only one of those shapes room to fit.

Why did my patch turn red?

It breaks its clue. The area does not match the number, the proportions do not match the badge, or the rectangle holds no clue or more than one. It counts as a mistake. Tap the patch to remove it, or use Undo.

The game accepted my patch, but now another clue has no room. Why?

Patches checks a rectangle against its own clue only, so a patch can satisfy its number and badge and still sit in the wrong place. When a later clue cannot fit, an earlier patch is in its space. The Hint button points at the patch to remove.

Does every Patches puzzle have exactly one solution?

Yes. Every board is checked by a solver before it ships and is only kept if exactly one arrangement of rectangles satisfies every clue. You never need to guess.

What is the small number that appears while I drag?

It counts the cells your rectangle covers so far. Stop when it matches the clue's number, then check the shape against the badge before you let go.

How to Play Patches

The rules, the shape badges, and one board solved step by step

The Goal

Divide the whole grid into rectangles. Every rectangle holds exactly one number, and covers exactly that many cells. No gaps, no overlaps.

Play this board

A 5×5 Patches board before the first move, with five numbered clues: 3, 3 and 9 along the top row, and 2 and 8 in the fourth row. — Start

The same Patches board solved: a 3×3 square, two tall strips of three, a tall strip of two and a 4×2 rectangle cover every cell. — Solved

Shape Badges

The number is the area. The shape of the chip it sits on is the second clue: it tells you the proportions of the rectangle.

Square

Width and height are equal. A Square 9 can only be 3×3.

3×3

Tall

Height is greater than width. A Tall 3 is one cell wide and three high.

1×3

Wide

Width is greater than height. A Wide 8 can be 8×1 or 4×2, never taller than it is wide.

8×1

4×2

Any

The plus shape means no limit on proportions. A 6 can be any rectangle of six cells.

6×1

3×2

2×3

1×6

Controls

Drawing a patch in Patches: a 3×3 block around the 9 is outlined in amber and a small counter in the middle shows 9.

Drag, then release

Press on a cell and drag to the opposite corner. The small counter shows how many cells you have covered. Let go to place the patch.

A 2×2 patch drawn on the 9 clue in Patches: its cells are outlined in red and the message 'That patch doesn't fit' appears under the board.

A patch that breaks its clue

This 2×2 holds the 9 but covers only four cells, so it gets a red outline, the status line says why, and it counts as a mistake. Draw over it to replace it, or tap it to remove it.

Hint

Outlines the next rectangle and gives its size, width first; press Hint again and it places the patch for you. If a patch on the board is wrong, the hint points at that one instead.

Undo takes back your last move. A rectangle drawn over an existing patch replaces it, so a wrong patch is fixed by drawing the right one.

When the last cell is covered

The board is solved when every cell is covered and every patch fits its clue. You get your time, the number of patches you placed, and how many mistakes you made, then the next level unlocks.

The Patches win dialog: Congratulations, Level 1 Complete, with the time, the number of moves and the number of mistakes, and a Next Level button.

A Worked Example

Here is a real board, Easy level 1, solved from start to finish. Five clues, five rectangles, and every step is forced: a well-made Patches board never asks you to guess.

The Patches board with the 9 placed as a green 3×3 square in the top-right corner.

1The 9 has one home

A Square 9 is 3×3. It hangs from the top row and could sit in three places, but two of them would swallow a 3. That leaves the top-right corner.

The Patches board with four patches placed and a white block, four cells wide and two high, left around the 8 clue.

2The small clues follow

Each Tall 3 is a strip running down from the top row. The Tall 2 could reach up or down, but the cell above it is taken, so it goes down.

3The leftovers finish it

Eight white cells were left in one block, four wide and two high, with the Wide 8 inside. The last patch is never a decision.

Play this exact board →

Getting Better

TipA placed patch is a claim, not a proof

The game accepts any rectangle that fits its own clue, even in the wrong place. Start with the clues that have the fewest shapes: squares, prime numbers, and anything pinned in a corner. When a later clue has no room, look back at what you placed earlier.

Want the full playbook? Read the Patches strategy guide, follow this board solved in full, trap included, or see how Patches differs from Shikaku.