Beginner's Guide to Star Queen Battle

Star Queen Battle has just three rules but the combinations are endlessly varied. Here is everything you need to solve your first puzzle with confidence.

The Three Rules

1

One queen per colored region

The grid is divided into color-coded territories. Each color must contain exactly one queen — placed anywhere within that color's cells.

2

One queen per row and column

No two queens can share the same row or the same column. This is the classic N-Queens constraint — every row and every column gets exactly one queen.

3

No diagonal touching

Queens cannot be diagonally adjacent to each other. Every queen must be completely isolated — not touching any other queen on any side, including corner-to-corner.

Interactive Tutorial

Interactive Tutorial
Regions with only one cell give you one option. A Queen must be placed in the highlighted cell.
Place the Queen
Place the Queen. Before we place another queen let’s see if we can exclude cells.
Mark Non-Queen Cells
The remaining cells in the row and column, and all around the Queen must be marked with “X”s.
Column Only
A Region with free cells that only exist in one column must mean that no other Queens can be placed in the column outside the highlighted cells.
Region Block
If a Queen were placed in either cell to the right of the highlighted region then the region would be blocked from having a Queen placed.
Row Only
Regions with free cells that only exist in one row must mean that no other Queens can be placed outside the highlighted regions’ rows. And Region Blocking is accounted for.
Mark Non-Queen Cells
Two Regions only have one cell left in each. Queens must be placed in those cells. Mark the cells that cannot contain a Queen.
Place a Queen
With only one cell left in the region, place the Queen and mark your “X”s.
Win the Game
Place a Queen in the last remaining space and you win!
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How to Approach Your First Puzzle

Use marks to eliminate cells

Tap a cell once to place a mark (✕). Use marks to flag cells you know cannot hold a queen. This visual process of elimination is the fastest way to narrow down valid placements.

Start with the smallest region

Find the colored region with the fewest cells. Fewer options means fewer possibilities — you may be able to immediately rule out all but one cell for that queen.

Think in rows and columns

Every queen you place eliminates its entire row and entire column for all other queens. Mark those cells immediately so you can see the remaining options clearly.

Watch for diagonal conflicts

After placing a queen, check which cells are diagonally adjacent to it and mark them too. Queens cannot touch diagonally — this constraint often reveals forced placements.

Common Beginner Mistakes

Forgetting diagonal exclusion

Row and column conflicts are obvious, but diagonal conflicts trip up most new players. Always check all four diagonal neighbors after placing a queen.

Guessing without marking

Placing queens without first eliminating impossible cells leads to backtracking confusion. Build up your marks first — then place queens only in confirmed spots.

Ignoring the region constraint

Remember that the queen must be inside the correct color region. A cell may be valid from a row/column standpoint but wrong because it's the wrong color.

Strategy Guide →Game Controls →
Ready to try it?
Apply the rules and solve your first puzzle.
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