Mosaic Strategy Guide

The core principle: eliminate, don't guess

Every symbol must appear exactly once in each row and each column. For any empty cell, the valid symbols are those that do not already appear in that cell's row or column. Your job is to narrow down the possibilities until only one option remains.

If you find yourself guessing, step back. There is almost always a deduction you have not seen yet.

Technique 1: Start with the most constrained areas

Look at the rows and columns that already have the most symbols placed. These are the most constrained - they have the fewest empty cells and the fewest valid symbols remaining.

A row with four out of five symbols filled in has only one cell left. You cannot miss that move. Begin there before tackling rows with many empty cells.

Technique 2: Check what is already in the row and column

For each empty cell, check two things:

1. Which symbols already appear in that cell's row?
2. Which symbols already appear in that cell's column?

Any symbol that appears in either the row or the column cannot go in that cell. If only one symbol is not ruled out, place it.

This is the single most useful thing to practise, because it works at every grid size and in every situation.

Technique 3: Look for symbols that can only go in one place

Instead of thinking about what goes in a cell, think about where a symbol can go.

Pick a symbol and a row. Look at which empty cells in that row could legally hold that symbol (i.e. the symbol is not already in the corresponding column). If only one cell in that row can take the symbol, it must go there - even if the cell still has other possibilities from the cell's perspective.

Practise this with columns too. "Where can ▲ go in this column?" is just as valid a question as "What can go in this cell?"

Technique 4: Work from certainty outward

Place what you are certain about first. Each placement removes a symbol from consideration in that row and column, which often reveals new certain moves elsewhere.

Think of it as a chain: placing one symbol creates constraints that unlock the next move, which unlocks the next, and so on. Experienced players find that starting correctly creates momentum through most of the puzzle.

Technique 5: Keep a mental count

As a puzzle nears completion, it helps to track how many of each symbol you have placed so far. If a symbol appears in five out of eight rows of an 8×8 grid, it must appear in exactly three more rows - and those are specific rows. This narrows down where it can go significantly.

Using hints wisely

Hints place a correct symbol in a random empty cell. They are most useful when you have worked through all the techniques above and still cannot find a move.

If you are playing for score, each hint costs 50 points. It is usually more efficient to keep working through the grid than to use a hint when you are not truly stuck - a hint placed in an obvious cell wastes that opportunity.

In 8×8 puzzles, hints are valuable. In 4×4 puzzles, you may find you rarely need them once you are comfortable with the two core techniques above.

Playing for score in timed modes

In Daily Challenge and Infinite Timed modes, your score drops by 5 points every second, 100 points for each wrong guess, and 50 points for each hint. The practical implications:

• Never guess. A wrong guess costs 100 points - equivalent to 20 seconds of play time. If you are uncertain, keep looking for a logical deduction.
• Work steadily, not frantically. Rushing causes mistakes. A calm systematic scan of each row and column is faster overall than impulsive placements followed by corrections.
• Hints are worth the cost when you are stuck. Ten seconds of spinning on a move you cannot find is worse than the 50-point hit. Use a hint and keep momentum.

Building up to larger grids

If you are new to Mosaic, start with 4×4. The same techniques apply but with fewer symbols to track. Once 4×4 feels straightforward, move to 5×5. Do not jump straight to 8×8 - larger grids require holding more information in mind simultaneously and benefit from the techniques above being already automatic.

What if you are completely stuck?

If you have checked every row and column and still cannot see a move:

1. Go back to Technique 3 (where can this symbol go?) and apply it systematically to every symbol and every row and column - not just the obvious ones.
2. Re-examine rows and columns you passed over because they seemed complex. The situation may have changed since you last checked them.
3. Use a hint. The symbol it places will add a new constraint and often unblock several moves at once.