Sudoku
iPhone · iPad · Android
Pandoku
Pandoku is a Star Battle logic puzzle: place one panda in every row, column and colored region, with no two pandas touching. Play it offline in Cerebrum, the puzzle games app by Synapgeek, on iPhone, iPad and Android.
How to play Pandoku
The grid is a square split into colored regions of any shape, with exactly as many regions as there are rows. Your job is to place pandas on it, following three rules.
One panda per row and per column. Each row and each column holds exactly one.
One panda per colored region, whatever its shape. Each region holds exactly one too.
Pandas never touch, not even diagonally. Keep every panda clear of the eight cells around it.
In Cerebrum, tap a cell to cross it out and double-tap it to place a panda. Crosses are only a reminder: they do not count towards winning, and a tap erases them.
A misplaced panda is removed and costs one of your three hearts, while a correct panda stays put. You win once every panda is in place.
What Cerebrum adds to Pandoku
In Cerebrum you climb a path of levels in the difficulty you choose. On Easy the grids grow along the way, from 4×4 up to 8×8. Clear the last level of a difficulty and Endless Mode takes over, one new grid after another.
Pandoku opens with a short how-to-play sheet. The first Easy level is guided: the board lights up the cells to play and you make every move yourself, with no heart lost and no timer. A Skip button appears after the first step, and the last pandas are yours. Every Easy grid also begins with one panda already placed. It cannot be removed and counts neither as a mistake nor as a hint.
There is no Undo button. A quick second tap places a panda, a later tap on a cross erases it without any penalty, and a correct panda is locked for good. Drag a finger from an empty cell to cross out several cells at once, or from a cross to erase a trail of crosses.
A panda placed in the wrong spot is removed and costs a heart. Lose the third and the game is over, though a second chance is offered.
The hint shows its reasoning before it plays the move. It names the deduction on offer (a forced cell, a confined unit or shared neighbors), highlights it, then places the panda or crosses out the cells for you. If your board holds a wrong mark, the hint flags and removes it first. When nothing simple stands out, it hands you a panda to get going again.
Stars depend on mistakes alone: none earns three, one earns two, more earns one. Hints never cost you a star.
Daily challenge: pick Pandoku and the app sets the day's grid on Easy or Medium, the same for every player.
| Difficulty | What changes |
|---|---|
| Easy | Grids start at 4×4 and grow up to 8×8. One panda is given to you. Open from your first launch. |
| Medium | 8×8 grids. Open from your first launch. |
| Hard | 9×9 grids, then 10×10 further along the path. Opens as you progress through Medium. |
| Elite | 10×10 grids. Opens as you progress through Hard. |
Tips to play Pandoku better
- Start with the smallest regions. If every cell still possible in a region sits in one row or one column, that region's panda is there: cross out the rest of that row or column, even outside the region.
- The moment you place a panda, cross out the eight cells around it, then the rest of its row, its column and its region. The other regions tighten without any effort.
- Count regions. If two regions fit entirely inside the same two rows, those rows belong to them: every other cell in those two rows is empty. The same goes for three regions inside three rows, and for columns.
- Look for shared neighbors. A cell that touches every cell still possible in a region is ruled out, because wherever that region's panda lands, it would sit right next to it. Cross it out.
- Cross out freely. Crosses cost nothing and do not count towards winning, and the more excluded cells you mark, the more forced cells appear. Place a panda only when you can say why it belongs there: a mistake costs a heart.
Pandoku in Cerebrum: frequently asked questions
Is Pandoku a Star Battle?
Yes. Pandoku is Cerebrum's name for this Star Battle logic puzzle: you place pandas where Star Battle places stars, one per row, column and region.
How do I place a panda or a cross?
Tap a cell to cross it out, double-tap it to place a panda, and tap a cross to erase it. Crosses do not count towards winning, and there is no Undo button.
What happens when I make a mistake?
A misplaced panda is removed and costs you one of three hearts. The third ends the game, though a second chance is offered.
What does the Pandoku hint do?
It shows its reasoning before it plays the move: it names the deduction on offer, then places the panda or crosses out the cells for you. A hint never costs you a star.
Is there a tutorial for Pandoku?
Yes. Pandoku opens with a short how-to-play sheet, then the first Easy level is guided: the board lights up where to play and you place each panda yourself, with no heart to lose. You can skip the guide from its second step.
Why does an Easy grid start with a panda already placed?
It is a head start. That panda is locked in place and never counts as a mistake or as a hint.
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