How to play
- Goal
- Make every white region a square and connect all dark cells.
- How it ends
- The chart is won when white regions are squares, all shade connects, fixed circles are obeyed, and no dark 2×2 remains; there is no loss, and Undo lets you repair the garden.
- Record
- Your first unassisted solve of each chart earns a fastest-time record; replays are practice.
- Choose shade, clear dot or erase, then tap or paint a stroke. Fixed dark circles stay shaded; white circles stay clear. Clear dots are optional: unmarked cells count as white at completion.
- Every white region connected through shared edges must form a filled square, including 1×1. A square may contain several white circles or none. All shaded cells must connect through shared edges; diagonal contact does not connect.
- Never shade a solid 2×2. Undo or Redo a tap or whole stroke; cancelled strokes are withdrawn. Finish all colour constraints to win. Restart clears your ink while the first clock keeps running.
Controls
| Tap / click / paint | Use the selected shade, clear dot or erase ink |
|---|---|
| Arrows; Enter / Space | Move the cursor and paint |
| 1 / 2; Delete / Backspace | Select shade / clear dot; erase current cell |
| Z / Y; Undo / Redo | Withdraw or restore a tap or whole stroke |
| Escape | Close a dialog or return to the atlas |
| Restart | Clear your ink after confirmation; retain fixed circles and first clock |
| Gamepad | D-pad moves,A paints,X erases,Y undoes,shoulders cycle ink,B returns and Start opens Settings |
Tips for Circles and Squares
- Square the white regions Adjacent white circles belong to the same region: consider which filled squares can contain them.
- Avoid dark blocks Three shaded cells in a 2×2 force its fourth cell white.
- Connect through edges A dark strip needs an edge-connected route to the rest of the garden; corners alone do not connect.
Questions about this game
Must each white square contain one circle?
No. A square may contain several white circles or none. Circles fix colours, not region counts.
Must the shaded cells form an unbranched path?
No. Shade may branch or form cycles; it must be connected and avoid solid 2×2blocks.
Do I need to dot every white cell?
No. Dots are optional notes; unmarked cells count as white at completion.
Can replay improve my first time?
No. Your first completed time remains saved; replay is untimed practice.
All charts are open. Progress saves in this browser; a reloaded attempt finishes locally on its original clock.
Watch how to play
About Circles and Squares
Restore square ivory courtyards inside a moonlit garden. Shade one connected region while keeping every white region a filled square, with no solid dark 2×2.
All 160original charts are open. Each has one independently verified shading and a replayable logical deduction path. Fixed dark and white circles keep their printed colours.
Your first completed time stays with each chart. An uninterrupted first solve on the game page can claim the named best; replay is untimed practice.
