How to Create Your First Shikaku Puzzle
Summary:
Shikaku puzzles are logic puzzles where solvers divide a grid into rectangles that match the numbered clues. This tutorial shows how to create your first Shikaku puzzle in Puzzle Maker Pro, adjust puzzle difficulty, preview the results, and generate printable puzzle files.
Overview
Creating a Shikaku puzzle is one of the quickest ways to start producing printable logic puzzles with Puzzle Maker Pro. By adjusting the grid size and Larger Areas settings, you can create puzzles that range from beginner-friendly challenges to more complex logic experiences.
This workflow is useful for:
- Puzzle book creators building logic puzzle collections
- KDP publishers creating printable puzzle books
- Educators looking for logic activities
- Anyone creating standalone Shikaku puzzles
By the end of this tutorial, you will have created and previewed your first Shikaku puzzle and generated puzzle files ready for use in books or worksheets.
Required Modules
Preparation
Before starting:
- Open Puzzle Maker Pro.
- Select Shikaku from the puzzle type list.
- Leave all settings at their defaults if this is your first puzzle.
- Make sure the Preview panel is visible.
Step-by-Step
1. Select the Shikaku Module
Choose Shikaku from the puzzle type selector.
The Shikaku settings panel will appear, allowing you to control the puzzle size, difficulty, display options, and styling.
2. Choose a Grid Size
In the Difficulty section, locate:
- Rows
- Columns
- Lock to square
By default, Shikaku starts with a 7×7 grid and Lock to square enabled.
For a first puzzle:
- Leave Rows set to 7
- Leave Columns set to 7
- Keep Lock to square enabled
Larger grids generally create more challenging puzzles because they contain more cells and more possible rectangle combinations.
3. Adjust the Larger Areas Setting
Locate the Larger Areas setting.
This option controls how strongly the generator favors larger rectangles.
Typical values:
- 0.0 = balanced default
- 1.0–2.0 = more large rectangles
- 3.0+ = noticeably larger regions
For your first puzzle, leave this at 0.0.
Later, you can experiment with larger values to create different puzzle styles and solving experiences.
4. Keep Unique Solutions Enabled
Ensure Ensure unique solution remains checked.
When enabled, Puzzle Maker Pro generates puzzles that have a single valid solution.
This is the recommended setting for:
- Puzzle books
- Educational materials
- Most printable puzzle collections
5. Generate a Preview
Click Next Preview.
Puzzle Maker Pro creates a sample puzzle using your current settings.
Use the preview options to view:
- Puzzle
- Solution
- Both
Viewing both is often the easiest way to understand how the generated puzzle relates to its solution.
6. Generate Additional Previews
Click Next Preview several times.
Each preview creates a different Shikaku puzzle while keeping your settings unchanged.
This is a useful way to:
- Evaluate difficulty
- Compare puzzle layouts
- Decide whether you want a larger grid or different Larger Areas value
7. Create the Puzzle Files
When you are satisfied with the preview:
- Select your output folder.
- Configure any desired output settings.
- Click Create.
Puzzle Maker Pro generates and saves your Shikaku puzzle files.
You can later use these files individually or assemble them into puzzle books.
Outcome
You have now created your first Shikaku puzzle.
You can:
- Generate unlimited Shikaku variations
- Adjust grid size to change puzzle complexity
- Use Larger Areas to create different puzzle structures
- Preview puzzles before saving them
- Generate printable puzzle files for books, worksheets, or collections
As you become more familiar with the module, you can customize the appearance of your puzzles, experiment with Patches mode, and build larger puzzle collections using Time Saver and Puzzle Book Studio.