Takuzu in brief
Takuzu is a grid logic puzzle published under several names. It was created in 2009 as Binairo by two Belgian authors, Peter De Schepper and Frank Coussement, and is also known as Takuzu or binary puzzle. LinkedIn's Tango is a variant of it, with suns and moons and signs between some cells.
The grid, often from 6×6 to 14×14, is filled with 0s and 1s. Three rules apply: never more than two identical digits in a row, as many 0s as 1s in every row and column, and no row or column identical to another. A good grid has only one solution.
What Takuzu fans enjoy
- Rules learned in ten seconds: three constraints, two symbols, and yet real challenges.
- The reflexes: a pair forces its neighbours, a gap between two identical symbols fills itself.
- Counting: once a symbol reaches half a row, the rest follows.
- The unique-rows rule: the subtlest one, which unlocks the end of a grid.
Binero keeps these ingredients as they are. The other three games in the selection are different puzzles, chosen for the same way of reasoning. Unlike SIWA's word games, none of these four puzzles requires any French: they are played with symbols, digits and lines.
Comparison: what each SIWA game shares with Takuzu
| SIWA game | In common with Takuzu | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Binero | The three rules, two symbols | ○ and ●, grid judged once full |
| Pixelo | A binary grid, filled or empty | Number clues and a picture to reveal |
| Sudolito | Row and column constraints | Six digits and 2×3 boxes |
| Bouclo | Pure deduction from the grid | You draw a loop instead of filling cells |
Binero: Takuzu's rules as a daily grid
Binero follows Takuzu's three rules with two symbols, ○ and ●, equivalent to 0 and 1. On weekdays the daily grid is a medium 8×8; on Sundays it stays 8×8 with fewer pre-filled cells. The cells given at the start are locked.
The difference that matters to a regular: the grid is judged only once it is full. You can cycle symbols freely, as on scrap paper, and the game never flags a wrong cell during play. If the completed grid is wrong, you know it without knowing where, and each failed check costs points. A joker reveals a cell, or a wrong cell if the grid is already full.
Takuzu reflexes apply as they are. Two identical symbols side by side force the other symbol on either side; two identical symbols with an empty cell between them force the other symbol in the middle. In 8×8, once a symbol reaches four in a row or column, the remaining cells take the other one. Allow 4 to 6 minutes.
Pixelo, Sudolito and Bouclo: three more grids
Pixelo shares Takuzu's binary side: every cell is filled or empty. The clues on each row and column describe the blocks of cells to fill, and the finished grid reveals a pixel-art picture. Our guide to games like Picross covers it in detail.
Sudolito is a 6×6 Sudoku: digits 1 to 6 appear once in every row, column and 2×3 box. Unlike Binero, each digit is checked as soon as it is placed. A wrong digit shows in red and still counts as a mistake after you undo it. Allow 3 to 7 minutes.
Bouclo changes the gesture: you draw a single closed loop between the dots of the grid, and the number in a cell tells you how many of its sides belong to the loop. The logic stays the same: every certainty leads to another. On Sundays the grid is bigger and harder, and a joker reveals a correct segment if you get stuck.
One grid a day, the same for everyone
Each grid changes at midnight, in your local time, and it is the same for everyone that day. The daily leaderboard compares everyone's score, out of 1000 points.
Everything is free, in the browser, with nothing to download and no sign-up. A free account keeps your streaks and opens the archives of past grids. A simple routine: Binero first, then Pixelo, Sudolito or Bouclo depending on your mood.