New to Star Battle? Learn the two rules on a one-star 6×6, then get used to three habits: cross out around every star, finish rows, columns and regions as soon as they have their star, and look at the smallest regions first. This page puts the guides in that order, with five small warm-up puzzles to check yourself before you move up a size.
Your path, in order
- Learn the rules. The Star Battle rules page solves the game’s first level step by step. The one idea to take away: the same number of stars in every row, column and region, and no two stars touching, even at a corner.
- Solve your first 6×6 from the small regions. A region of one square is a free star; a region inside one row or column fixes that line’s star.
- Cross out as you go. Around every star, and the rest of its row, column and region.
- Learn the techniques one at a time. How to solve Star Battle covers all seven; the first three or four finish most one-star levels.
- Do the warm-up below. Five small puzzles, each needing one idea from the guides above.
- Pick up speed. The Star Battle tips page adds where to look after every move.
- When a puzzle goes wrong, read the six common mistakes. The big one is placing a star before it’s certain.
- Move up a size when you’re ready (see below).
Warm-up: five small puzzles
Each is a one-star puzzle: one star in each row, column and region. Solve it, then open the answer to check, with the idea that unlocks it. Apart from that idea, each one needs only crossing out around stars and finishing rows, columns and regions.
1. A region of one square
Show the answer
Region b is a single square, row 2, column 1, so its star goes there. Cross out around it and along its row and column, and the rest follows one square at a time.
2. A region inside a row
Show the answer
Region c is two squares, both in row 3. Row 3’s star has to be in region c, so the other three squares of row 3 are empty. That leaves region b one square.
3. No room in a row
Show the answer
After a few moves, row 2 is down to two open squares, columns 3 and 4. A star in row 1, column 3 would touch both of them, leaving row 2 nowhere for its star. So that square is empty.
4. No room in a column
Show the answer
After the top three rows are done, column 3 is down to rows 4, 5 and 6. A star in row 5, column 2 would touch all three, leaving column 3 no room. So that square is empty.
5. A row inside a region
Show the answer
Partway through, row 4’s open squares all belong to region d. Row 4’s star must be in region d, so region d’s star is in row 4, and its squares in rows 3 and 6 of column 1 are empty.
When to move up a size
You’re ready for Medium (8×8) when you can finish Easy levels without guessing, you cross out around every star without thinking, and you check the small regions first.
The bigger grid asks for a little more: 42 of the 50 Medium levels need no room, and 17 need squeezed regions. Hard puts two stars in every row, column and region: every Hard level needs every arrangement, and 17 need what-if.