The complete guide to the rectangle puzzle game.
Learn the rules, understand the shapes, and start solving in under 3 minutes.
Patches is a free logic puzzle game. You get a grid where every cell contains a clue. Your job is to fill the entire grid by placing colored rectangular patches â each one must match its clue's shape type and exact cell count.
The puzzle is solved when every cell is covered exactly once. No overlaps, no gaps.
Look at the numbers and icons on the grid. Every number represents the total area (number of cells) of the rectangle you need to create. The icon next to it tells you the shape requirement: Square, Tall, Wide, or Any.
Start with clues that have very few possibilities. For example, a "Square 4" must always be a 2Ã2 block. A "Tall 3" must always be a 1Ã3 vertical column. If these clues are near the corners or edges, their placement is often "forced" because they can only fit in one specific spot.
Click and hold on the clue cell, then drag your mouse (or finger) to cover the area you want. The grid will give you real-time feedback:
â Green: Valid placement.
â Red: Invalid (wrong size, wrong shape, or overlaps another clue).
As you place patches, the available space on the grid shrinks. Look for empty "islands" of cells. Ask yourself: "Which clue is the only one that could reach these empty cells?"This logical deduction is the key to solving harder 10Ã10 or 12Ã12 puzzles.
Continue placing patches until every single cell is covered by a colored rectangle. If you realize you made a mistake earlier, simply click a placed patch to remove it. The game is won only when the grid is 100% full with no overlaps.
Imagine a 4Ã4 grid. You see a "Wide 2" clue in the top-left corner.
Every clue specifies a shape. The shape constrains which rectangles are valid.
Removes the last patch placed. Does not affect your star rating.
Shows where one patch should go. Using hints caps your stars at ââ.
Clears the entire grid so you can start fresh.
Copies your result â stars, time, and emoji grid â ready to share.
After solving a puzzle, you earn 1 to 3 stars based on your completion time. Each grid size has different time thresholds â bigger grids give you more time.
Using the Hint button caps your maximum rating at ââ, regardless of how fast you finish.
Squares with small numbers (like "Square 4" = 2Ã2) have very few valid positions. Place those first.
Corners and edges have fewer options than the center. Use boundary constraints to lock in placements early.
When most patches are placed, remaining empty cells often force the last patches into their only valid positions.
Don't be afraid to test placements. Green/red feedback tells you instantly if a selection is valid.
Undo removes only the last patch. Reset clears everything. Use Undo to preserve your progress.
Start with a 6Ã6 puzzle. Your first puzzle takes about 2 minutes.
âļ Start Playing â FreeIt means you must draw a rectangle that is a perfect square (Width = Height) and covers exactly 4 cells. In this case, it must be a 2Ã2 square.
No. Every patch must contain exactly one clue cell. If you draw a rectangle that covers two clues, it will turn red and be marked as invalid.
A selection turns red if it violates any rule: the shape doesn't match the icon, the total cell count is wrong, it contains multiple clues, or it overlaps with an existing patch.
The 'Any' icon means there are no shape constraints. For example, if the clue is 'Any 4', you can draw a 4Ã1, 1Ã4, or 2Ã2 rectangle. Any shape is valid as long as it contains exactly 4 cells.
