How to Play Star Battle (Two Not Touch)
Whether you call it Star Battle, Two Not Touch, or know it from games like LinkedIn Queens, this classic Japanese-style logic grid puzzle tests spatial deduction and elimination. Here is the definitive guide to mastering it from day one.
1. The Basic Rules
Every Star Battle puzzle consists of a square grid of size $N \times N$ (typically 8x8 or 10x10) divided into $N$ distinct contiguous regions surrounded by thick borders.
Every row and every column must contain exactly $K$ stars (1 star for 8x8, 2 stars for 10x10).
Every bold outlined region must contain exactly $K$ stars.
Stars cannot touch each other, even diagonally. Once a star is placed, all 8 neighboring cells are instantly eliminated and can be marked with a cross (✕).
2. Essential Solving Strategies
Strategy 1: Corner and Edge Shrinkage
In 10x10 (2-star) puzzles, look closely at 2x2 corner blocks. A 2x2 block can contain at most 1 star because placing two stars in any 2x2 area would force them to touch horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.
Strategy 2: Row/Column Pigeonhole Counting
Consider two adjacent rows or columns. In a 2-star puzzle, those two rows require a combined total of exactly 4 stars.
Now examine the regions that overlap these two rows: if 2 full regions lie completely inside these two rows, those 2 regions will account for $2 \times 2 = 4$ stars. That means every other cell in those two rows outside those regions cannot have any stars! You can immediately mark them with crosses (✕).
Strategy 3: 1-Cell and Narrow Regions
If a region consists of only 2 or 3 cells, its placements are heavily restricted. For instance, in a 1-star puzzle, if a region has only 2 cells in the same row, any cells in neighboring rows that touch both cells must be crosses!
3. Ready to Practice?
The best way to develop logic intuition is by solving daily puzzles. Start with an 8x8 (1-star) grid to warm up, then tackle the classic 10x10 daily challenge!