★ Free Online Logic Puzzle • Verified Unique Solutions
Two Not Touch
No app. No download. Play right here.
If you searched for Two Not Touch because the app store wanted a download — this page puts the logic puzzle in front of you. Pick an 8×8 (one star per row) or 10×10 (two stars per row) grid and start solving free online instantly.
What Is Two Not Touch?
Two Not Touch is the name many North American puzzle fans use for the game officially called Star Battle. The goal is simple: place stars on a square grid so that every row, every column, and every outlined region contains the same required number of stars. The catch is in the name — no two stars may touch, not even diagonally.
A standard Two Not Touch puzzle gives you an 8×8 or 10×10 grid divided into bold-outlined regions. In a 10×10 puzzle you place 2 stars in every row, column, and region; in an 8×8 starter puzzle you place just 1. Every puzzle on this site is computer-verified to have exactly one logical solution — guessing is never required.
How to Play Two Not Touch
The rules fit in three concise principles:
- Row quota — every row must contain exactly the target number of stars.
- Column quota — every column must contain exactly the same number of stars.
- Region quota — every boldly outlined region must contain that number too.
Then the rule that gives the puzzle its name: stars may not touch each other in any direction — not horizontally, not vertically, and not diagonally. When you place a star, every one of the eight cells around it can be marked with an ✕ immediately. You solve by alternating between placing stars and crossing out impossible cells until the grid is full.
Why Is It Called Two Not Touch?
The puzzle was invented in 2003 by Dutch puzzle designer Hans Eendebak for the World Puzzle Championship. He called it Star Battle, and that name is still the headline title at the WPC.
American puzzle books and apps, however, adopted a more descriptive title: Two Not Touch — because the single most important constraint is that no two stars touch. If you learned it as Star Battle, you already know exactly how to play Two Not Touch. It is the same grid, the same regions, the same non-touching rule — the relationship is worth knowing because many online searchers will use the two names interchangeably.
Wait — there is one more sibling worth knowing: Queens (including LinkedIn Queens). Queens is a simpler 1-star cousin of this game: place one queen/crown per row, column, and colored region, with the same no-touching restriction. Two Not Touch with one star per row on an 8×8 board is effectively the same logic with geometric shapes instead of colors.
Play Today's Two Not Touch Puzzle Online
Prefer paper? The printable generator exports clean A4 worksheets (8×8 and 10×10) with the solution grid on a separate page — great for road trips and classrooms. There is no Two Not Touch puzzle PDF sticker sheet here — you make your own, and you can print as many as you like, free.
Just solved it and want another? Visit the Daily Archive for every past challenge, or drop to a gentler 8×8 (1★) grid to warm up before tackling the 10×10 Classic (2★). For stuck moments, open the built-in Interactive Solver in a separate tab and feed it the current grid — it shows the next logical step, not just the answer.
Two Not Touch Printables
Prefer solving on paper? Our printable generator exports clean, ad-free A4 worksheets in 8×8 and 10×10 — perfect for road trips, classroom warm-ups, or tournament practice. Each sheet prints with or without the solution on the back page.
Two Not Touch vs. Queens vs. Star Battle
| Puzzle | Grid size | Stars per row | Key difference |
|---|
| Two Not Touch (this game) | 8×8, 10×10 | 1 or 2 | Shape regions, no-touch rule |
| Star Battle | 8×8, 10×10, bigger | 1–3 | Same puzzle — different regional branding |
| Queens | Depends (often 8x8) | 1 | Colored regions instead of outlined shapes |
That comparison is deliberately short — the full technique library (pigeonhole counting, 1-cell barriers, corner traps) lives on our Rules & Strategies page. This page is for players who want to play, not study.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can stars touch diagonally in Two Not Touch?▼
No. The no-touch rule applies to all eight surrounding cells — orthogonally and diagonally. Placing a star immediately invalidates all eight neighbours: the four cells above, below, left and right, plus the four corner cells.
When you place a star on this site the five strikes are placed for you — but when you solve on paper, get into the habit of crossing out those eight cells yourself. It is the difference between solving a Two Not Touch puzzle in ten minutes and fighting the same 8×8 grid for an hour.
Is Two Not Touch the same as Star Battle?▼
Yes — same puzzle, two names. “Star Battle” is the name Hans Eendebak gave the puzzle when it debuted at the 2003 World Puzzle Championship. “Two Not Touch” is the descriptive North American title that emphasises the rule that gives the puzzle its character: no two stars may touch. If a book, app, or website offers a grid of shaped regions where you place one or two stars per row, column and region with no adjacent stars, you are looking at the same Two Not Touch puzzle regardless of the title on the cover.
How many stars per row in a 10x10 Two Not Touch puzzle?▼
A classic 10×10 board uses two stars per row, column and region — the format used at the World Puzzle Championship. The gentler 8×8 format uses one star per row and is the standard entry point for new solvers. On this site you will find both: the 🟢 Easy 8×8 (1★) sets are labelled clearly, and the 👑 Classic 10×10 (2★) challenges publish fresh every day in the Daily Archive.
Can I play Two Not Touch for free without an app?▼
Yes — that is exactly what this page is for. You can play Two Not Touch online right here in your browser: no app store, no account, no download, no ad breaks. The 8×8 and 10×10 boards above are fully interactive, the daily puzzle resets every midnight, and the archive lets you replay any past date. If you came here from an app store listing, you have already found the faster option.
Where can I print Two Not Touch puzzles?▼
This site has a dedicated printable generator that exports clean A4 worksheets at 8×8 and 10×10, with an optional solution page — the closest thing to a free Two Not Touch puzzles PDF collection. You choose the grid size, the number of puzzles per sheet, and whether solutions print on the back. Perfect for classrooms, road trips, and puzzle clubs that still believe in paper. There is a preview button on the print page, so you can check the sheet before you commit ink.
Is Two Not Touch in the New York Times?▼
The New York Times does not currently publish a game called Two Not Touch. The puzzle you will find in NYT games is Queens, a simplified 1-star cousin released in 2024, in which you place one queen per row, column and coloured region, with the same no-touching rule. If you enjoy Queens, Two Not Touch is a natural next step — the same logic with fewer hints, because the regions on a Two Not Touch board are uncoloured shapes and the quota can be two stars per line, which makes the deductions deeper.