How to use the Shikaku iPhone Application
The Shikaku Player is for doing puzzles.
Tap the screen and drag your finger across the board, to make a rectangle. When dragging, the selected cells become light blue. The size will be displayed in the rectangle (box) when the area is larger than 4.
When you release the mouse button after dragging, your selected rectangle (box) will change color. If the area and hint (the number) are different the color becomes light gray. If the selected rectangle (box) violates the rules the rectangle also becomes light gray. No rectangle can have two or more, or zero numbers. A rectangle can contain only one number!!
If the area and hint are the same the color becomes dark gray.
You can enlarge a rectangle (box) you have selected. Try dragging from different points in the rectangle (box). The final shape will depend on where you start, where you finish, and also on the original shape.
Tapping on a rectangle (box) will deselect it (remove the coloring).
Also, when you drag across existing rectangles (boxes) they will be deselected (the color goes) and only the newly dragged rectangle (the one you are creating now) will remain.
This is the problem number.
These icons show the difficulty level. From the left: easy, medium, hard, and extra hard.
Tap on this icon to see the name of the author.
These numbers show time passed from starting the puzzle, here 1 minute and 3 seconds.
When you want to start a puzzle anew, tap the "Retry" button and a dialog box appears, then if you choose "Yes" all markings in the puzzle will be deleted.
When you want to redo a step, tap the "Undo" button. Repeated tapping on the "Undo" button will return you to the start.
After finishing a problem, tap the "Check" button and the screen will say "Congratulations" - if your solution is correct. If your solution is not correct the puzzle will show one point where it is not correct, then tap the "Check" button to continue to solve the puzzle.
If you wish to quit a problem, tap the "Quit" button, and a dialogue box will ask if you wish to "Save" the puzzle, to go back and solve it later; or "Quit," to abandon the puzzle. Next you will be returned to the problem list.
This is the list of problems you can play.
(The left image is for "#1 Problem List".)
A light blue background shows "Unsolved" problems, light yellow is for "tried but not solved," and pink is for "Solved" problems.
Each puzzle shows, from the left: problem number, author name, difficulty level. The bottom row of solved puzzles shows how many times this puzzle was solved and the record solution time.
Right column: green check for solved and || for tried but not solved puzzles. Tap the green || buttons, when you wish to continue saved puzzles.
The puzzle you worked on most recently has its problem number in italics.
The bottom line shows your record and status. "Total time" turns white when you have solved all the problems.
Here you can go to the other screens, problem list, tutorial, rules, and preferences.
If you tap "Website", you will quit the application and go to the Nikoli website.
(The left image is for "#1 Menu".)
Here you turn the sound on or off, and lock or unlock the orientation of the Shikaku player.