How to play
- Goal
- Ink the hidden emblem so every number equals the inked tiles in its surrounding 3×3 patch, including its own tile.
- How it ends
- A chart clears when its unique dark pattern is complete; there is no loss state, and pale marks are optional.
- Record
- The fastest first clear of each chart is kept with its holder's name; later clears are practice.
- Choose a chart and decide which tiles hold ink. Every number counts dark tiles in its surrounding 3×3 patch, including the numbered tile itself. A corner sees four tiles, an edge six and an interior nine. The worked picture shows why a centre 9 forces all nine tiles dark.
- Tap a tile to cycle undecided → inked → pale → undecided. Compare overlapping number patches: a 0 makes its entire patch pale, while a full patch forces every tile dark. A red number has too much ink or too many pale marks to reach its count. Pale X marks help deduction but are optional; the chart clears as soon as its one dark pattern is complete.
- Undo restores one edit and Restart clears marks while the first-open clock keeps running. A first clear can rank for time once; replays are untimed practice. There is no loss state, and all four shelves remain open.
Controls
| Tap / click a tile | Cycle undecided, inked and pale |
|---|---|
| Right click | Cycle backward |
| Long press | Place or remove a pale mark |
| Arrow keys | Move focus through the grid |
| Space / Enter | Cycle the focused tile |
| 1 / 0 / X | Ink, clear or mark the focused tile pale |
| Backspace / Delete | Clear the focused tile |
| Z | Undo the previous mark |
| Escape | Close a panel or return to the folios |
| Gamepad | D-pad moves focus; A cycles, X marks pale, LB undoes, Y opens Rules |
Tips for Mosaic
- Start at the edges A corner number sees only four tiles. A 0 clears all four; a 4 fills all four.
- Compare two patches If two nearby numbers need the same ink but one patch contains extra tiles, those extras may be forced pale.
- Use pale marks as notes The dark pattern alone finishes a chart, so you can leave obvious pale tiles blank if you prefer.
All 160 stable charts have distinct clue layouts, one exact answer and an independently checked no-guess deduction path. Private answer witnesses never ship. Progress uses morass.mosaic.v1. First-clear times rank only once; replays are practice. Sound follows the shared arcade settings. No ads or analytics run inside the game.
Watch how to play
About Mosaic
In the Moonlit Atelier, pale stone squares hide one named seal in each chart. Indigo ink and brass numbers turn a quiet page of the folio into a woodland, sky, forge or vault sigil.
All 160 original charts are open from the start. Each 6×6, 7×7 or 8×8 clue set has one independently proved answer and a deduction path that needs no guess. The completed seal is revealed and named after the final dark tile.
Your first clear time stays with the chart. An uninterrupted first clear on the game page can claim the verified best time shown beside the clock and on the chart card.
