The three rules that hold on every board
A Tiny Woods board is a square grid from 4x4 to 8x8, split into coloured regions. There are always as many regions as there are rows. Your job is to place the critters so that:
- Each row holds exactly one critter.
- Each column holds exactly one critter.
- Each coloured region holds exactly one critter.
- No two critters touch, by edge or by corner.
Every board in Tiny Woods is verified before it ships. It has exactly one solution, and that solution is always reachable by deduction alone - you never have to guess.
Gestures: crossing out and placing
The controls are deliberately simple, because most of the work is ruling cells out rather than placing critters.
- Tap a cell to lay a twig on it - your mark that the cell is ruled out.
- Hold or double tap to place a critter.
- The same gesture on an occupied cell takes back what was there.
Cross out generously. Twigs cost nothing, they do not count against your result, and they are what leads you to the next certain move.
You can change these controls in the game settings. Tool selection mode replaces the gestures with a bar: you pick the twig, the critter or the note first, then tap cells - easier if holding does not suit you. Notes are a third mark, for when you want to record a candidate rather than a decision.
There is also Auto X: the game crosses out the cells a placed critter rules out, so you do not have to. Mistake checking is set separately - off, showing broken rules, or comparing the board against the full solution.
Four techniques that solve any board
You need no memory for numbers and no pencil marks. These four moves of thought are enough even on an 8x8 board.
- Smallest region first. A region of one or two free cells almost tells you where its critter goes. Start where the choice is narrowest.
- Clear the neighbourhood. The moment you place a critter, cross out its whole row, its whole column and the eight cells around it. That step alone often exposes the next certain move.
- A region trapped in one row. If every free cell of a region lies in a single row, that row's critter must belong to that region, so the rest of the row can be crossed out. The same works for columns.
- Count from the other side. If a row has free cells in only two regions and one of those regions already has its critter elsewhere, one candidate is left.
If you cannot see a move, it usually means a cell somewhere is still unmarked - not that the board needs a guess.
Hints that teach rather than solve
A hint in Tiny Woods comes in three stages and you choose how far to go. Nudge points at the cell worth starting from. Explain says why the next move is certain. Solve step places one critter for you.
The first two stages are free and leave you with a technique rather than an answer. The third costs 25 leaves, or watching a short video instead, because it solves part of the board for you. Every stage counts as a hint used, so the board no longer counts as solved unaided and the pure-logic bonus is gone.
What is actually in the game
- 600 verified puzzles across ten chapters, from the meadow to the night sky.
- Board sizes from 4x4 to 8x8, growing gently as the chapters go on.
- A daily puzzle: one fresh board every day, with a streak and an archive.
- Quick play: endless fresh boards at a difficulty you pick, for when one trail and one puzzle a day is not enough.
- Woodland friends: companions you unlock with leaves earned from solved boards.
- Full offline play, with no account and no sign-in.
Accessibility
The board is fully usable with VoiceOver: each cell carries its position, its region number and its state, and both gestures are exposed as actions. Rule messages, hints and the finish are announced aloud.
There is a bolder contrast mode too, switched on by the system Increase Contrast setting or by its own switch in the game's settings. Animation follows the system Reduce Motion setting.
Questions about play
Where should I start on an 8x8 board?
With the smallest region. The fewer free cells a region has, the sooner it turns into a certain move. Rows and columns come after that.
Is there a timer in Tiny Woods?
Time is measured, but nothing forces you to hurry. There is no limit, no penalty for solving slowly, and no way to lose a board.
What happens if I place a critter in the wrong cell?
That depends on Mistake checking in the game settings. On Broken rules the game says at once which rule you broke; Full solution also flags a critter that simply does not match the solution; Off says nothing and leaves the catch to you. You can always take a move back, and clearing the whole board is one command that undoes with a single tap.
Do boards repeat?
No. All 600 boards are different, and each is checked for a single solution before it ships.
Do hints spoil my result?
You can always finish the board, but leaves are affected. Every stage, including the free Nudge and Explain, counts as help used, so the bonus for solving a board unaided is gone. Solve step costs 25 leaves on top, or a video instead. To learn without paying for it, stop at the clue and try to finish the reasoning yourself on the next board.