Logic puzzle strategy · 60 levels

Paw Territory Logic guide: solve rows, columns and regions

How Paw Territory Logic works

Paw Territory Logic is a region-based deduction puzzle. Each board is split into irregular coloured territories. Your job is to place a set of paw markers that satisfies four constraints at the same time: one paw per row, one per column, one per territory and no touching paws.

1. Tap an empty cell once to place an X note when you believe a paw cannot go there.
2. Tap the same cell again to place a paw. A third tap clears the cell.
3. Keep eliminating candidates until every row, column and territory contains exactly one non-touching paw.

Best first moves

Start with the tightest constraints instead of scanning the whole board evenly. A thin territory with only two or three useful cells is usually more informative than a large open area. Starting clue paws are locked, so immediately cross out every other cell in that clue's row, column and territory, plus the diagonal neighbours touching it.

• Look for a row whose available cells all fall inside just one or two territories.
• Look for a territory that occupies very few columns; it can quickly force one column to be reserved.
• Use the no-touching rule aggressively. A single paw removes up to eight nearby cells from consideration before row and column rules are even applied.

How to use X notes

X notes are not required for the game engine, but they make larger boards much easier to read. Treat them as your working memory. When a paw is fixed, mark the rest of its row and column first, then its region, then its touching diagonal cells. On 6×6 and 7×7 boards this prevents you from repeatedly re-checking the same impossible positions.

Use pairs and territory interactions

Suppose two rows can place their paws only in the same two columns. Those columns are effectively reserved for those two rows, so other rows cannot use them. The same idea works between territories: if two territories together can use only two columns, those columns belong to those territories. These pair patterns are often the step that unlocks later puzzles.

Hint, Undo and mistakes

Hint highlights one correct paw cell for a short time without changing the board. It costs two star-penalty points, so it is best saved for a genuine deadlock. Undo restores your previous cell state and is safe to use after an accidental tap. If you place a paw that makes every valid completion impossible, the game warns you and counts that attempt as a mistake.

How three-star scoring works

A clean solve with no contradiction and no hint earns three stars. Small mistakes can still earn two stars, while repeated guessing or hint use reduces the result to one star. Because Undo itself is free, careful players can review a move without sacrificing the rating.

How the 60 levels progress

The first 20 levels use 5×5 boards, the next 20 use 6×6 boards and the final 20 use 7×7 boards. Every level is stored as a deterministic region map and is checked against a solver so the published puzzle has one valid completion under its starting clues.

Quick solving checklist

• Process every starting clue before making a new paw placement.
• Prioritise the smallest or narrowest territory.
• After each paw, eliminate row, column, territory and touching cells.
• Watch for two-row/two-column and two-territory/two-column pairs.
• Use X notes to keep later 7×7 boards readable.
• Use Hint only after every obvious elimination has been applied.