About Pencil Grids

Pencil Grids is a small site for people who like a good logic puzzle: the kind you'd once solve in pencil at the back of a newspaper.

How the puzzles are made

Every puzzle is generated by our own software, then checked by a solver that works the way a person does. A puzzle is published only if it has exactly one solution and that solution can be reached step by step without guessing. The solver also sets the difficulty: a puzzle counts as harder when it needs more advanced techniques, not just when it's bigger.

The same solver powers the hint button, which is why hints explain the reasoning instead of just filling in a cell.

Daily puzzles

Each puzzle type gets a new daily at midnight in your time zone. Daily puzzles follow a weekly rhythm: easy at the start of the week, hardest on the weekend. Everyone in the world gets the same daily puzzle on the same date, so you can compare times with friends.

Your data

Your progress, streaks and times are stored only in your browser. There are no accounts. See the privacy page for details.

Not affiliated

Queens, Tango and Zip use classic puzzle rules that LinkedIn also uses in its games. Pencil Grids is independent and not affiliated with LinkedIn, Microsoft or The New York Times.