What Is Hitori?
Expert Hitori is the deepest Hitori mode on this site, built around an 8x8 number grid with more repeated-number pressure.
At this size, the puzzle is not only about removing duplicates. You also need to preserve a connected white network across the board.
Expert boards are best approached slowly: mark confirmed whites, avoid adjacent black cells, and keep checking whether future paths remain open.
How to Play Hitori
Expert Hitori rewards patient global reasoning. A local duplicate choice can reshape the whole connected white area.
- 1Scan for duplicate chains that appear in both a row and a column.
- 2Mark forced white cells early to protect important connection paths.
- 3Treat every black candidate as a possible wall before committing to it.
- 4Use contradictions: if a black cell would isolate white cells, that cell must stay white.
- 5Finish by confirming uniqueness in every row and column after the connected area is safe.
Expert Hitori Strategy
- •8x8 gives Expert Hitori the broadest search space and the most connectivity pressure.
- •Expert puzzles are best for players comfortable with multi-step deduction.
- •Use white marks actively; they are often the difference between a controlled solve and a guess.
Hitori FAQ
Is Expert Hitori the hardest mode?
Yes. Expert uses an 8x8 grid and has the most demanding balance of duplicate removal, black-cell spacing, and white-cell connectivity.
What is the best Expert Hitori strategy?
Protect connectivity first. If a black candidate would divide the white cells or close an important path, mark it white and solve around it.
What is different about 8x8 Hitori Expert?
8x8 Hitori Expert changes the grid size and the density of forced black cells, so the solve has a different balance of duplicate cleanup and connectivity logic.
Are all repeated numbers in Hitori black?
No. Repeated numbers tell you at least one copy may need to be shaded, but the adjacency and connectivity rules decide which copy is correct.
Can black cells touch diagonally?
Yes. Black cells cannot touch above, below, left, or right. Diagonal contact is allowed.
What does the white circle mark mean?
A white circle means you have confirmed the cell should remain visible. It is a note for your solve and counts as a final white decision.