How to play Zebra Puzzle
Stripes is the classic zebra puzzle, also called a logic grid puzzle, set in a row of burrows: the critters and the burrows are ours, the reasoning is the traditional kind.
- The burrows sit in a row, numbered from the left.
- Every burrow holds one critter, one drink and so on: one of each kind, and no value is used twice.
- Every clue is true, and together they allow exactly one answer.
- Cross out what cannot be, and place what must be. When only one value fits, it is placed for you.
Step by step
- 1 Burrows sit in a row, numbered from the left. Every burrow has one of each kind, and no value is used twice.1 🦊🍵2 🦉🧃3 🐰☕4 🐻🥛5 🐸🥤
- 2 Every clue is true, and together they allow one answer. No guessing is needed.The rabbit drinks coffee. The fox lives next to the owl.
- 3 Tap a value in a burrow to rule it out. Tap it again to bring it back.🦊🦉🐰🐻 🦉🐰🐻
- 4 Double-tap a value to place it (or long-press, or right-click). Tap a placed value to take it off. When only one value fits, it is placed for you.🦊
- 5 A clue goes grey by itself when it has nothing left to tell you, and red when what you placed breaks it.1The rabbit lives in burrow 3. 2The frog lives at one of the ends. 3The rabbit drinks coffee.
- 6 A hint points at the clue to use, then says why. Tap again to apply it.Hint 🦉🐰🐻
- 7 Every clue is one of these kinds. Each shows an example.
- The rabbit lives in burrow 3. 1 2 3 4 5 It is in exactly that burrow. Burrow 1 is the leftmost.
- The frog lives at one of the ends. 1 2 3 4 5 It is in the first burrow or the last one.
- The rabbit drinks coffee. 1 2 3 4 5 Both are in the same burrow.
- The fox lives next to the owl. 1 2 3 4 5 Their burrows touch, in either order.
- The owl lives directly left of the rabbit. or The rabbit lives directly right of the owl. 1 2 3 4 5 The first is exactly one burrow left of the second. It can also be written the other way round, as “directly right of”.
- The fox lives somewhere left of the bear. or The bear lives somewhere right of the fox. 1 2 3 4 5 The first is somewhere to the left of the second: any distance, not necessarily touching. Used from Tricky up.
- The fox does not drink coffee. 1 2 3 4 5 They are in different burrows. Used from Tricky up.
- The owl does not live in burrow 4. 1 2 3 4 5 It is not in that burrow. Used from Expert up.
- The fox does not live next to the rabbit. 1 2 3 4 5 Their burrows do not touch, and they are different burrows. Used from Expert up.
- The rabbit lives somewhere between the owl and the bear. 1 2 3 4 5 The first is strictly between the other two, in either order and at any distance. Used from Expert up.
- There is one burrow between the fox and the rabbit. 1 2 3 4 5 Exactly one burrow lies between them: they are two apart. Used from Expert up.
What you see
🦊 A value placed in a burrow.
The values that could still be there.
Red: a value placed in two burrows.
A grey clue: used, or with nothing left to tell you.
A red clue: what you placed breaks it.
Solving tips
- Begin with the clues that name a burrow, or an end of the row. They give you facts to build on.
- Cross out generously. Most of the work is ruling things out until a value has one burrow left.
- Grey a clue once you have used it, so the ones still to do stand out.
Questions
- Is this zebra puzzle free?
- Yes. It is free to play, with no account and nothing to download.
- Is there a daily zebra puzzle?
- Yes. A new Stripes puzzle every day, the same for every player, with exactly one answer that logic alone can reach.
- How many levels are there?
- The daily plus a growing library of extra puzzles in four difficulties, from four burrows up to six.