How to play
- Goal
- Make rectangular pale islands with the numbered areas, joined through their corners, without a dark two-by-two block.
- How it ends
- A chart finishes when every cell is decided and all island and dark-cell rules hold; mistakes can always be undone.
- Record
- The fastest first unaided solve of each chart is recorded.
- Choose Dark or Pale, then tap or drag to color cells. Numbered cells always stay pale.
- Each orthogonally connected pale island must be a filled rectangle. It contains at most one number, which gives its area in cells. Unnumbered rectangles are allowed.
- Separate islands meet only at corners. All pale islands must form one connected network through these corner contacts.
- Four dark cells may not form a two-by-two square. The dark cells do not have to connect.
- Every cell must be decided to finish. Clear removes an editable entry; Undo and Redo reverse one action. Restart keeps the original clock running; replay after completion is Practice.
Controls
| Tap / drag | Apply Dark, Pale or Clear; a stroke is one Undo action |
|---|---|
| Arrows + Enter / Space | Move and apply the selected tool |
| D / 1, W / 2 | Select Dark or Pale |
| Clear / Delete / Backspace | Clear the selected editable cell |
| Z / Y / R | Undo / Redo / open Restart confirmation |
| Pan / P | Move a large chart without coloring cells |
| Whole chart | Open a read-only overview from the chart menu |
| Escape | Cancel a drag, close a dialog or return to the atlas |
| Controller | D-pad move; A apply; X clear; Y Undo; shoulders cycle tools; B back; Start settings |
Tips for Mochikoro
- Start with ones A numbered one is complete already: its side neighbours must be dark.
- Compare factor shapes A numbered island must fit a rectangle with exactly that area.
- Leave a connection An unnumbered island may be essential to connect the numbered ones.
Questions about this game
Must every island have a number?
No. Each island contains zero or one number. Unnumbered islands can be any rectangular area.
Can islands touch along a side?
Cells joined along sides belong to the same island. Separate islands touch at corners.
Must the dark cells connect?
No. Only the pale islands must form one network; dark cells must avoid two-by-two squares.
Must every cell be colored?
Yes. Undecided cells must become Dark or Pale before the chart finishes.
Does Restart reset the clock?
No. The first clock keeps running. Practice preserves the first finish.
Colors and Undo save in this browser. The first clock starts when a chart is selected and never pauses. Reloaded attempts stay local; Practice preserves the first finish.
Watch how to play
About Mochikoro
Shade cells to leave rectangular pale islands with the numbered areas. Join the islands at their corners and prevent dark two-by-two squares.
All 96 charts and worked diagrams are original. Four open shelves offer 24 charts each at 4×4, 5×5, 6×6 and 7×7.
