How to Use Patches and Color Hints in Shikaku

Summary:
Shikaku Patches replace traditional number clues with visual shape clues, creating a different solving experience while preserving the core Shikaku rules. This tutorial explains how to use Patches mode, Mixed Hints, custom patch images, and color-based solutions in Puzzle Maker Pro.

Overview

Most Shikaku puzzles use numbers to indicate the size of each rectangle.

Puzzle Maker Pro also includes a unique Patches mode that replaces those numbers with visual clues. Instead of seeing a number, solvers see symbols that provide information about the shape of the hidden rectangle.

This creates a visually distinctive puzzle style that can help differentiate puzzle books and logic puzzle collections.

You can also combine Patches with:

Mixed Hints
Region Colors
Custom Patch Images

to create puzzle variations that look very different from traditional Shikaku puzzles.

Required Modules

Puzzle Maker Pro – Shikaku

Preparation

Before starting:

Open the Shikaku module.
Generate a preview in standard Numbers mode.
Switch the preview to Both so you can compare puzzle and solution output.

Step-by-Step

1. Understand the Two Puzzle Modes

Shikaku provides two clue systems:

Numbers

Traditional Shikaku format
Each clue shows the rectangle area

Patches

Replaces numbers with visual shape clues
Provides information about rectangle orientation

The puzzle-solving process remains based on dividing the grid into valid rectangles.

2. Switch to Patches Mode

In the Puzzle Display section, select:

Patches

The preview will update and replace numeric clues with patch symbols.

These symbols represent different rectangle types.

3. Understand the Patch Types

Patches use three primary clue shapes:

Square
Horizontal
Vertical

These indicate the general shape of the rectangle associated with that clue.

For example:

Square patches represent square regions.
Horizontal patches represent wider rectangles.
Vertical patches represent taller rectangles.

This creates a different solving experience from traditional number-based Shikaku puzzles.

4. Enable Mixed Hints

Enable:

Mix “Either” Hints

When enabled, some clues become neutral “either” hints rather than revealing a specific rectangle orientation.

This increases puzzle difficulty because the solver receives less information.

Mixed Hints are useful when creating:

Advanced puzzle books
Challenge collections
Higher difficulty puzzle sets

5. Use Region Colors for Solutions

In the Solution Style section, choose:

Colors

Instead of displaying solution borders, the solution page displays colored regions.

This often creates a cleaner and more visually appealing answer page.

Region Colors work especially well with Patches mode because the colored regions clearly reveal the final rectangle layout.

6. Add Custom Patch Images

You can replace the built-in patch symbols with your own images.

In the Patches Images section, assign images for:

Square
Horizontal
Vertical
Mixed

This allows you to create:

Themed puzzle books
Branded puzzle collections
Custom educational materials

If an image is not supplied, Puzzle Maker Pro automatically uses the built-in patch symbols.

7. Combine Patches with Color Solutions

One of the most distinctive Shikaku styles combines:

Patches puzzle display
Region Colors solution style

This creates puzzle and solution pages that look significantly different from traditional Shikaku puzzles while maintaining the same underlying puzzle mechanics.

8. Generate Puzzle Variations

Create several previews using different combinations:

Numbers + Borders
Numbers + Colors
Patches + Borders
Patches + Colors
Patches + Mixed Hints

This makes it easy to compare styles and determine which format best fits your puzzle book or worksheet project.

Outcome

You can now create Shikaku puzzles using both traditional number clues and visual patch clues.

You also know how to:

Enable Patches mode
Use Mixed Hints
Display colored solution regions
Add custom patch images
Create visually distinctive puzzle collections

These options allow you to create puzzle books that stand out from standard Shikaku publications while preserving the familiar logic puzzle experience.

Related Resources

Shikaku Product Page:
https://www.bookpublishertools.com/product/puzzle-maker-pro-shikaku/
Shikaku Tutorials:
https://www.bookpublishertools.com/shikaku-tutorials/
What Is Shikaku?
https://www.bookpublishertools.com/what-is-shikaku/