How to play
- Goal
- Divide every cell into connected three-cell pieces, each with one black circle, without edge-neighbouring pieces whose shape and circle position match under rotation or reflection.
- How it ends
- The chart ends when every cell belongs to a valid piece and all neighbouring pieces differ. Before completion, pieces can be lifted or undone.
- Record
- Your first unaided solve time is recorded for each chart.
- Cover every cell with connected pieces of exactly three cells. Each piece contains exactly one black circle.
- Two pieces may not share an edge if their outline and circle position match after any rotation or reflection. Corner contact is allowed.
- Select three blank cells to place a piece. Invalid selections preserve your existing pieces. Tapping a placed piece lifts all three cells.
- Matching-neighbour conflicts remain editable and visible. The chart completes only when every piece and every neighbour obey the rules.
Controls
| Mouse / touch | Select three connected blank cells with one circle; tap a placed piece to lift it |
|---|---|
| Arrows / Space or Enter | Move the cursor / select a cell or lift its piece |
| Delete / Escape | Clear the selection or lift the focused piece / clear selection or return |
| Z / Y / R | Undo / Redo / Restart confirmation |
| Controller | D-pad moves; A selects or lifts; X clears; Y undoes; shoulders undo/redo; B clears then returns; Start opens settings. |
Tips for TriZones
- Start at constrained circles Look for a circle whose connected triples are blocked by other circles or the grid edge.
- Compare the marker role Straight-centre, straight-end, bend-corner and bend-end are four different marked types.
- Use placed neighbours A candidate triple is forbidden if its marked shape matches a piece touching it along an edge.
- Repair whole pieces Lift a piece or use Undo and Redo. Clear removes a pending selection or the focused piece.
Questions about this game
Do diagonal cells connect?
No. A piece is joined through shared edges.
May matching pieces touch at corners?
Yes. Only sharing an edge is forbidden.
Does the circle position matter?
Yes. Matching compares both the outline and which cell holds the circle.
Do rotations and reflections count as matching?
Yes.
Are circles erased when a piece is lifted?
No. The printed circles always stay in place.
Can Replay replace my first time?
No. Replay is Practice and saves its own marks and Undo.
TriZones is a puzzle by Naoki Inaba. These original charts were generated for this edition; no published puzzles were copied. Practice marks and Undo survive reload while your first time stays unchanged.
Watch how to play
About TriZones
Partition a dotted mosaic into straight or bent pieces of three cells. Shape and circle position together determine which neighbouring pieces are forbidden.
All 96 original charts are open: twelve 3×4, twenty-four 4×6 and sixty 6×6. Each chart has one independently verified complete ending.
