How to Play Cat Queens
Cat Queens is an independent browser logic puzzle from the Queens / Star Battle family — re-themed with cats. Your goal: fill the colored grid with cats so that every row, column and color region has exactly one, and no two cats ever touch. No guessing required.
The 4 rules
Each horizontal row holds exactly one cat.
Each vertical column holds exactly one cat.
Each colored region holds exactly one cat.
No two cats may be adjacent — horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.
Rule boundary, checked July 17, 2026: “No touching” blocks immediately adjacent cells only. A cat may be farther away on the same diagonal; this is not the long-range attack used by chess queens. That boundary matches the official Queens rule description and addresses a recent player discussion about the same first-time confusion. Cat Queens uses the format independently.
Controls
Each cell cycles as you tap it: empty → 🐾 paw → 🐱 cat → empty. Use the paw to mark cells you've ruled out, and place a cat when you're sure. Conflicting cats turn red so mistakes are easy to spot. Undo, Reset and a Hint button are always one tap away (hints are counted, so a clean solve ranks higher).
Beginner tips
- 🐾 Start with the smallest color regions — they have the fewest legal spots, so they're easiest to pin down.
- 🐾 When a single cell is the only legal option left for a row, column, or color, place the cat there with confidence.
- 🐾 Use 🐾 paws generously. Ruling cells out is how you turn a fuzzy board into a forced solution.
- 🐾 After placing a cat, paw out its whole row, column, and the 8 cells around it — nothing else can go there.
- 🐾 Every board has exactly one solution, so you never have to guess. If you're stuck, look for a line or color with only one option left.