Pattern Puzzle Online
Pattern is one of the classic one-player logic games in Simon Tatham's Portable Puzzle Collection. Fill in the pattern in the grid, given only the lengths of runs of black squares.
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Preparing the game board and controls.
What This Game Is
Pattern 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.
Fill in the pattern in the grid, given only the lengths of runs of black squares.
How to Play
This game is played with the mouse. Left-click in a square to colour it black. Right-click to colour it white. If you make a mistake, you can middle-click, or hold down Shift while clicking with any button, to colour the square in the default grey (meaning ‘undecided’) again.
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 manualFrequently Asked Questions
More Logic Collection Games
Pearl
Draw a single closed loop, given clues about corner and straight squares.
Pegs
Jump pegs over each other to remove all but one.
Range
Place black squares to limit the visible distance from each numbered cell.
Rectangles
Divide the grid into rectangles with areas equal to the numbers.
Same Game
Clear the grid by removing touching groups of the same colour squares.
Signpost
Connect the squares into a path following the arrows.
Singles
Black out the right set of duplicate numbers.
Sixteen
Slide a row at a time to arrange the tiles into order.