Sprig

Sprig guide

How to play Sprig

Every puzzle is a grid split into coloured regions. Your job is to find the one arrangement of Sprigs that follows all four rules.

The four rules

  1. Put exactly one Sprig in each row.
  2. Put exactly one Sprig in each column.
  3. Put exactly one Sprig in each coloured region.
  4. No two Sprigs can touch, including diagonally at a corner.

A coloured region can cross several rows and columns. It still needs just one Sprig in total. A 6 × 6 puzzle needs six Sprigs altogether.

Start with the Sprigs you can prove

If the board already has a Sprig, use it to cross out squares. Its row, column and coloured region cannot contain another. The squares immediately around it are also ruled out, including the diagonal neighbours.

A 6 by 6 Sprig board with a Sprig at row 5, column 2. X marks show the rest of its row, column, coloured region and all touching squares ruled out.
This placed Sprig rules out every square marked X. Region letters identify the colours; the marks follow directly from the four rules.

Next, scan each unfinished row, column and region. If just one square remains possible, that is where its Sprig must go. Place it and repeat the same checks.

What does an X mean?

An X means “I know a Sprig cannot go here”. It is a note, not a placement. Marking exclusions makes the remaining choices much easier to see. If you spot an incorrect note, tap it again to clear it.

Try your first puzzle

On the free browser puzzle, start with Easy. Tap once to mark X and double-tap to place a Sprig. On a keyboard, use the arrow keys, X to mark and Enter to place.

The browser gives you three hearts. A wrong Sprig placement costs one heart; a slow solve does not. You can restart the same board if you run out.

Is Sprig the same as Star Battle?

Sprig uses the one-star form of Star Battle, with Sprig characters in place of stars. Some Star Battle puzzles require two stars in every row, column and region, so always check the target count before you start. Read the Star Battle rules and variants for the difference.

What if I get stuck?

Check for unmarked squares beside a Sprig, then look again for a row, column or region with one remaining choice. Our beginner solving guide shows the next techniques with a worked example.

In the iPhone and Android apps, Wisp can explain a deduction and why it works. The app also has five new puzzles a day and an offline Journey.

Play a free puzzleGet Sprig for iPhoneGet the Android app