How to play
- Goal
- Join every printed circle into one group connected along cell edges, without four consecutive circles in any row or column.
- How it ends
- The chart finishes when your circles obey both rules; corrections remain available.
- Record
- Your first unassisted finish keeps your time for that chart; later plays are practice.
- Add circles to connect every printed circle into one group through shared cell edges. Diagonal touches alone do not connect. Printed brass-ringed circles stay fixed.
- Never create four consecutive circles horizontally or vertically. Three in a line is allowed. Diagonal lines, filled two-by-two blocks and loops are allowed.
- Choose Circle, Empty or Clear, then tap or paint a stroke. Crosses are optional empty notes; unmarked cells count as empty when checking completion. Empty cells need not form a connected region.
- Undo withdraws one committed stroke. A cancelled or interrupted stroke restores your earlier marks. Restart clears your additions after confirmation and keeps the original first clock running.
Controls
| Mouse / touch | Choose Circle, Empty or Clear, then tap or paint cells |
|---|---|
| Arrows + Enter / Space | Move the cursor and mark with the selected tool |
| 1 / 2 / 3 | Select Circle / Empty / Clear |
| Delete | Clear the cell under the cursor |
| Z / Y | Undo / Redo |
| Escape | Cancel a held stroke, close a dialog or return to the atlas |
| Controller | D-pad moves; A marks; X clears; Y undoes; shoulders choose the tool; B returns; Start settings; Back rules |
Tips for Fobidoshi
- Cap the fourth If three cells in a four-cell horizontal or vertical span already contain circles, the remaining cell must stay empty.
- Find the only exit When a circle group has only one available route to the rest, its exit must contain a circle.
- Use empty notes A cross records a deduction. Empty notes can expose a forced bridge without changing the canonical circle answer.
Questions about this game
Must every cell contain a circle?
No. Add only the circles needed to connect the constellation. Blank cells count as empty; crosses are optional notes.
Can I remove a printed circle?
No. Brass-ringed printed circles stay fixed.
Are diagonal lines, loops or two-by-two blocks forbidden?
No. Only four consecutive circles in a row or column are forbidden, and all circles must connect along cell edges.
Do the empty cells need to connect?
No. Only the circle group must be connected.
Can replay improve my first time?
No. Your first completed time is retained; replay is practice.
All 141 charts are open. Progress and the original clock survive reload; resumed solves complete locally. Replays preserve your first time.
Watch how to play
About Fobidoshi
Join a moonlit constellation by adding circles between its printed stars. Every circle must belong to one group connected along cell edges, and no row or column may contain four consecutive circles.
All 141 original charts are open: seven introductory four-by-four constellations, 46 five-by-five charts and 88 six-by-six charts. Each has one independently verified answer and a deduction proof from its printed circles.
Your first finish keeps its time for that chart. An uninterrupted verified first solve under twenty-four hours can claim the named fastest time; a replay is practice.
