Your first Sukto session does not need to be a race. The aim is to recognize how a number, a rectangle and the space around it work together. Once that connection feels natural, a busy grid becomes a sequence of smaller questions.
Sukto is a Shikaku-inspired puzzle for iPhone and iPad. It is designed around drawing regions directly on the board, with no account required for core play.
Begin with the introduction
The first-use guide introduces the relationship between numbers and rectangles. Pay attention to both drawing and correction. Being able to undo a region matters as much as making your first one.
A useful practice example uses a 3 × 3 board with clues 4, 2 and 3. The 4 forms a square, the 2 a two-cell strip and the 3 a three-cell strip. Our step-by-step rules guide includes the full arrangement and solution.
The main idea is simple: count the clue’s own cell as part of the region. A 4 means four cells altogether.
Choose one question for the first board
Instead of trying to see the entire solution immediately, ask which number has the fewest possible shapes. Near a boundary, some rectangles will not fit. Near another clue, some placements would take two numbers.
Try to explain your first region in a sentence: “This 4 must be a square because a four-cell strip will not fit here.” A reason you can explain is more useful than a rectangle that merely looks plausible.
For clues with several dimensions, our factor pairs guide gives a compact method for listing the possibilities.
Learn the correction gesture early
Drag between cells to draw a rectangle. To remove an existing region, tap any cell inside it. You do not need to restart the board because one boundary was wrong.
If a draw is rejected, check the selected area, the number of clues inside it and any overlap with established regions. If it is accepted but later causes a dead end, reconsider the placement rather than assuming acceptance proved the entire solution.
Those two cases are different: an illegal rectangle breaks an immediate rule; an unhelpful legal rectangle can make other regions impossible.
Understand progress without pressure
Regular play starts with a small board. Completing the introductory difficulty three times unlocks the next normal difficulty. Later sizes use their own completion requirements, and the available board dimensions differ between iPhone and iPad.
There is no ordinary-puzzle deadline. Time and move statistics are personal information, not a requirement to finish quickly. Progress is stored locally, and a paused puzzle waits for an explicit continuation.
Optional Challenges have separate objectives and records. Read their conditions before starting; an optional timed challenge should not be confused with the pace of an ordinary board.
Finish with a useful observation
After a puzzle, notice one thing you learned. Perhaps you spotted a forced strip, corrected a region without restarting or checked an isolated empty cell. That observation gives the next session a clear starting point.
You can save or share the result image from a completed ordinary game, or simply leave and come back later. Read about offline play and local saves if you expect to play while travelling. For your next solving step, try our Shikaku strategies.
