• English
      Select language
      • Azərbaycanca
      • Català
      • Dansk
      • Deutsch
      • Eesti
      • English
      • Español
      • Ελληνικά
      • Filipino
      • Français
      • Hrvatski
      • Indonesia
      • Italiano
      • Latviešu
      • Lietuvių
      • Magyar
      • Melayu
      • Nederlands
      • Norsk
      • Polski
      • Português
      • Română
      • Shqip
      • Slovenčina
      • Slovenščina
      • Srpski
      • Suomi
      • Svenska
      • Tiếng Việt
      • Türkçe
      • Čeština
      • Български
      • Македонски
      • Русский
      • Українська
      • العربية
      • فارسی
      • বাংলা
      • עברית
      • اردو
      • हिन्दी
      • ภาษาไทย
      • ქართული
      • 简体中文
      • 繁體中文
      • 日本語
      • 한국어

Shakashaka

Shakashaka puzzle

Shakashaka puzzle

The Japanese puzzle Shakashaka (シャカシャカ) demonstrates non-standard rules, in which you need to divide the cells diagonally and paint one side black.

Finding the right solution is not as easy as it might seem at first glance, especially on large playing fields. Puzzles in sizes 25x25, 30x30 will be of interest only to the most experienced players, while beginners can start with more accessible options - 10x10, or even with the training version - 5x5.

Game history

We have to thank the Japanese publishing house Nikoli for the appearance of the unique Shakashaka puzzle - a real treasure trove of logic puzzles. Beginning in 1980, the magazine began publishing games of both Japanese and Western origin. They were united by their logical focus and the absence of national restrictions.

So, unlike the same crossword puzzle, which only a native speaker can solve, Nikoli puzzles are solved by representatives of all ethnic groups and nationalities, since they do not contain words, letters and hieroglyphs. The same can be said about the Shakashaka puzzle, first published in the 123rd issue of Puzzle Tsushin Nikoli magazine in June 2008.

The author of the game is a Japanese designer under the pseudonym Guten. At first, his idea was received very coolly by the publishing house, but, contrary to forecasts, Shakashaka quickly gained popularity among readers, mainly female. Nikoli readers even gave it a second name - “Kawaii” (可愛い), which translates as “cute.”

Starting from the 127th issue of Puzzle Tsushin Nikoli (3 issues after the premiere), Shakashaka became a permanent game of the magazine, and is still published in it.

Start playing Shakashaka right now (for free and without registration)! We believe you will succeed!

How to solve Shakashaka puzzle

How to solve Shakashaka puzzle

The Shakashaka game field has the shape of a rectangle, divided into many square cells. Most of the cells are white and only a small part are black, which can be either empty or contain a number (from 0 to 4).

The value of the number indicates how many triangles should be adjacent to a given black square. In the case of the number 0, there should not be a single triangle adjacent to it, and in the case of the number 4, it should be surrounded by them on all sides.

Game rules

In the game Shakashaka you need to place right-angled isosceles triangles in white cells. For each cell there are four possible placement options, and which one is correct - the black squares and numbers in them help to determine.

The basic game rules that must be followed include the following:

  • The white parts of the grid (not covered by black triangles) should form rectangles or squares.
  • Black cells with numbers must be orthogonally adjacent to the specified number of black triangles.

If the black square does not contain a number, there can be any number of triangles next to it (from 0 to 4).

How to solve the puzzle

Shakashaka is a classic logic game that can only be solved by deduction, excluding obviously incorrect moves.

At first it seems that the triangles on the field can be placed in any way - in dozens and hundreds of different variations. But this illusion disappears when the first triangles are placed around the black squares. It becomes clear that all moves are strictly limited and the puzzle has only one correct solution.

For new players dealing with Shakashaka for the first time, the following tips will be useful:

  • You should always start the game with black squares with a four inside (if there are any on the field). For them, only 8 options for the arrangement of triangles are possible.
  • Second in line are the black cells located at the borders of the field. For them, the number of possible moves is reduced to 6 (or to 4 if the square is in the corner of the field), which significantly reduces the likelihood of error.
  • During the game, it is worth noting obviously incorrect/impossible moves. For example, in the printed version of the puzzle, pencil marks were used for this.

The rules of mathematics say that Shakashaka's solution is NP-complete, which means it can be solved in any case. The main thing is to use all your attentiveness and logic to the game, and not make rash moves.