What is Star Battle?
Star Battle is a bright region logic puzzle where you place stars so every row, column and coloured region contains the required number of stars.
This online Star Battle game includes classic one-star puzzles and larger two-star and three-star variants. The aim is pure deduction: combine row limits, column limits, coloured regions and the no-touching rule until every star has only one possible place.
- Every row must contain the selected number of stars.
- Every column must contain the selected number of stars.
- Every coloured region must contain the selected number of stars.
- Stars may not touch, including diagonally.
- Click once to mark a square with X, click again to place a star, and click a third time to clear the square.
- Starter stars, when shown, are fixed clues and cannot be removed.
- A Star Battle puzzle is complete only when all row, column and region counts are correct.
How to play Star Battle online
Click or tap a square once to mark it with X, which means the square cannot contain a star. Click the same square again to turn the X into a star, and click a third time to return it to blank. The counters above the board show how many stars are placed compared with the target.
The grid is divided into friendly coloured regions. A region can twist through several rows and columns, so the strongest Star Battle deductions often come from comparing a nearly full region with the rows and columns that cross it.
- Start with small or narrow regions because they have fewer possible star cells.
- Track which rows and columns already have enough stars.
- After placing a star, eliminate every touching square around it.
- Use Check when you want feedback without revealing the answer.
- Use Hint if you want one correct star without giving up the whole puzzle.
Grid sizes, stars and difficulty
You can switch between grid sizes that suit the selected star count. One-star Star Battle works well on 5x5 to 9x9 boards, two-star Star Battle uses 8x8 to 10x10 boards, and three-star Star Battle uses 12x12 and 13x13 boards so generation stays reliable.
The one-star mode is the cleanest introduction. Two-star and three-star modes ask for multiple stars in every row, column and region, which makes uniqueness harder for the generator and richer for the solver.
- 1 star: the classic rule set on 5x5, 6x6, 7x7, 8x8 or 9x9 grids.
- 2 stars: each row, column and region needs two stars on 8x8, 9x9 or 10x10 grids.
- 3 stars: a larger strategy puzzle on 12x12 or 13x13 grids.
- Easy: more compact region shapes and friendlier openings.
- Hard: more winding regions and fewer starter stars.
Star Battle strategy tips
The no-touching rule is the fastest way to shrink the board. Once a star is fixed, every neighbouring square, including diagonals, is impossible. That single move can finish a row, block a column and split a region.
Look for rows, columns or regions that have exactly enough remaining legal spaces. If a region needs two stars and has only two non-touching positions left, both positions are forced.
- Compare each region with the rows and columns crossing it.
- Watch for pairs of possible cells that reserve two rows or two columns.
- Use edge and corner cells carefully because they touch fewer squares.
- In multi-star puzzles, count remaining stars before guessing.
- When stuck, switch from region logic to row and column logic.
Are Star Battle puzzles unique?
A good Star Battle puzzle is expected to have one solution. This page follows that standard: the generator creates a hidden star layout, grows coloured regions around it, and checks the visible puzzle against the Star Battle rules before it is shown.
If a generated board does not pass the uniqueness check, it is discarded and the game tries again. That means the playable puzzle is designed for deduction rather than guessing.