Catdoku – play online for free
Catdoku places exactly one cat in every row, column and coloured region. Cats may not touch, even diagonally.
The relaxed campaign validates the rules themselves, so any logically valid board is accepted rather than one hidden solution.
▶ Play for free nowHow to play
Give every cat its own space
- Place exactly one cat in every colored region.
- Every row and every column needs exactly one cat.
- Cats cannot touch — not even diagonally.
- Tap cycles empty → X → cat. Mark impossible cells first, then place cats.
Practical strategy tips
- Mark every cell excluded by a placed cat.
- Find regions with only one possible row or column.
- Use diagonal exclusions immediately.
- Check rows, columns and regions separately before the final cat.
Strategy
Turn every placement into visible exclusions. Once a row contains its cat, mark all other cells in that row with X; do the same for its column and coloured region. Also exclude all eight neighbouring cells because cats may not touch, even diagonally. Apply those marks immediately. Whenever a row, column or region is left with one possible cell, that position is forced. One secure cat can therefore trigger a useful chain of deductions across the board.
Cross-reference regions with rows and columns instead of solving each rule in isolation. If every remaining cell of a region lies in one row, that row's cat must sit inside the region, so its other cells can be excluded. Before placing anything, check all four conditions: one cat per row, column and region, plus no contact with another cat. Undo and reset support corrections, and Cozy mode has no failure state or time pressure.
Common mistakes
- Trusting mental arithmetic and skipping the X marks. One overlooked cell can make the finish unsolvable.
- Placing a cat because a region looks empty, although its row or column is already taken. Check all three conditions before every placement.
- Basing wide strikes on guesswork. Mark only cells that follow necessarily, or you will lock solutions away from yourself.
Game modes
Cozy Campaign
Relaxed play with no fail state — earn up to three stars
Where the game comes from
The underlying object is the Latin square: a grid in which every symbol appears exactly once per row and column. Leonhard Euler described such squares in 1782 and posed a question about them that was not settled until 1959.
This version adds a third condition — coloured regions in which each figure may also appear only once. That produces deductions no single row can give you: progress comes from where row, column and region overlap.
Frequently asked questions
How do I operate a cell?
Each tap cycles through the states: first the X as an exclusion mark, then the cat, then empty again. You mark impossible cells before placing cats, and a wrong mark comes off simply by tapping on.
How many hints do I get?
A hint identifies a suitable next placement when your own exclusions no longer produce a forced move. The number of free and additional hints depends on central settings and available unlocks, so treat them as a way through genuine dead ends rather than a fixed allowance.
Can I remove cats afterwards?
Yes, tapping an occupied cell cycles it back to empty. You can also reset the board when you want to sort your marks from scratch; the campaign forgives such detours.
Why play Catdoku on FunPort?
- Pure logic without language: one sentence explains every rule.
- Cat motifs turn strict deduction into a charming task.
- Every placed cat shrinks the board and speeds up the finish.