Looking for games to play while waiting? Try one small Catdoku deduction on your current normal level. Pick a colored region, look for a square you can rule out, and stop when your wait ends. A few thoughtful moves can be the whole session; you do not need to finish the board.
You're early for class. Your friend is on the way. There's a little time before your appointment, but no clear answer to how much. A colorful puzzle gives that spare moment a small question: where could the next cat go?
Here's a way to enjoy the gap, whether you're on your own or waiting with someone else.
Choose something that fits this particular wait
The useful question is what you would enjoy doing until it's time to move on. You might want a quiet puzzle, a conversation, or a small game that uses nothing at all.
| Your situation | Something to try | A simple stopping point |
|---|---|---|
| On your own, with your phone | Open your current Catdoku normal level and inspect one region | One deduction, or the moment your wait ends |
| With a friend who likes puzzles | Look at one Catdoku board together and explain your next move | Each person gives one reason for a placement or exclusion |
| Want to leave your phone in your pocket | Pick a category and take turns naming things in it, using the last letter to begin the next word | One round of the category |
| Not in the mood for a game | Notice three details around you or have a conversation | No task to complete |
Pick the option that matches your mood. If a little logic sounds good, Catdoku is our pick for the next spare moment.
Put it down, then come back to your normal level
Catdoku saves the current normal board's progress on your device. When you're ready to play again, reopen the same normal level to continue. Use Restart when you want to clear that attempt and begin again.
A useful way to leave yourself a mental bookmark is to name the next question before closing the game: “I was checking the green region,” or “I need to compare these two squares.” It's a suggestion for remembering your place, not another task you have to finish.
For a wait that might end suddenly, we recommend your normal level. Catdoku's Daily Challenge does not save an unfinished board when you leave it or close the app, so give that mode a time when you can stay with your attempt. Our Daily Challenge guide explains its conditions and reset time.
The sample board on this website is a way to try the rules. The saved normal-board progress described here belongs to the mobile game.
Make your Catdoku break about one clue
Catdoku is a cat-themed logic puzzle for iPhone and Android. Its three rules give you a clear place to start:
- Each colored region contains exactly one cat.
- Each row and each column contains exactly one cat.
- Cats cannot touch, including diagonally.
Rather than setting a goal of clearing a whole level before your friend arrives, try this smaller sequence.
1. Look at one region
Continue your current normal level and choose a colored region to inspect. Ask which squares could still hold its cat. A region with fewer remaining possibilities can be a useful place to begin.
You don't need to make a placement immediately. Reading the board is part of playing.
2. Give one move a reason
Check the region against the rows, columns, and neighboring squares. If a cat already occupies a row, another square in that row cannot contain a cat. If a square would touch an existing cat, it cannot hold the next one either.
For a concrete beginner example, our Catdoku deduction guide shows an illustrated Level 2 board. Its rose region at row 4, column 4 contains only one square, so that square must contain a cat. That placement then gives you more squares to rule out.
The satisfying part is being able to say why a move works. One clear reason is plenty for a short visit to the board.
3. Let the wait decide when you stop
If your friend arrives after you've ruled out one square, that's your stopping point. If you have more time and want to continue, follow the next clue.
Board size, your current level, and the clues you've noticed will change how long a puzzle takes. Stop after a few moves when your wait ends, and leave the next clue for later.
Waiting together? Compare ideas over one board
You can turn a Catdoku board into a little conversation without racing each other. One person suggests a square; the other asks which rule supports it. Then switch roles.
Try questions such as:
- Which region has the fewest possibilities left?
- Does this square share a row or column with a cat?
- Would placing a cat here touch another one diagonally?
Share ideas over one board and take turns explaining a move. If you'd prefer to keep phones away, the category-and-letter game above is an easy alternative: choose “foods,” begin with “apple,” and let the next person find a food beginning with E.
A few cats for the in-between
A spare moment doesn't have to become a whole new activity. Open your normal board, notice one useful clue, and leave the next cat for later if it's time to go.
Catdoku is free to download on iPhone and Android, with ads and optional in-app purchases. You can find it in the stores as Find the Cats - Cat Sudoku!