Magnets Puzzle Online

Magnets is one of the classic one-player logic games in Simon Tatham's Portable Puzzle Collection. Place magnets to satisfy the clues and avoid like poles touching.

Loading puzzle...

Preparing the game board and controls.

What This Game Is

Magnets is a self-contained logic puzzle built around one clear objective. Each new board gives you a fresh problem to solve, so it works well for quick sessions and repeated play.

Place magnets to satisfy the clues and avoid like poles touching.

How to Play

Left-clicking on an empty square places a magnet at that position with the positive pole on the square and the negative pole on the other half of the magnet; left-clicking again reverses the polarity, and a third click removes the magnet. Right-clicking on an empty square places a blank domino there. Right-clicking again places two question marks on the domino, signifying ‘this cannot be blank’ (which can be useful to note deductions while solving), and right-clicking again empties the domino.

Most puzzles in this collection reward deduction more than speed. Focus on the most limited choices first, use the clues to narrow the board, and avoid guesses unless the puzzle mode clearly expects them.

Beginner Tips

  • Start with the area that has the strongest clue or the fewest legal options.
  • Use marks, notes, or temporary indicators if the puzzle supports them.
  • Try to preserve flexibility instead of committing too early when multiple moves look possible.
  • If the board gets messy, restart a fresh puzzle and apply what you learned from the first run.

Official Reference

If you want the full original rule explanation, examples, and advanced options, the official manual is the best reference.

Read the official manual

Frequently Asked Questions