Quads daily puzzle
Every day there's one new Quads position to solve, and it's the same for everyone. You'll either place pieces to finish a winning shape or pick which piece is safe to hand your opponent. Every puzzle has a verified solution in one or two moves. Play today's below. You can also go back up to two days.
Loading today's puzzle…
How the daily puzzle works
Quads is played on a 4×4 board with 16 pieces. Each piece is tall or short, dark or light, round or square, and solid or hollow. You win by completing a row, column, diagonal or 2×2 square where all four pieces share at least one of those traits. The full rules take about two minutes to read.
Every puzzle is a snapshot from the middle of a game. There are three kinds:
- One-move puzzles. You're handed a piece, and exactly one empty cell on the board wins with it. Busy boards with several near-miss lines make it harder to spot than it sounds.
- Two-move puzzles. You get two pieces in a row. The first can't win anywhere, so you have to place it to set up a winning spot for the second.
- Hand-off puzzles. This is the decision that makes the game unusual. You have to choose which piece to give your opponent. Every choice but one lets them win on the spot. Choose the safe one and they hand a piece back, and you still have to find where it wins.
Tips for solving
- List the threats first. Look for every row, column, diagonal and 2×2 square that already has three pieces sharing a trait. Each one is a cell where a matching piece wins.
- Check squares, not just lines. The 2×2 rule adds nine more winning shapes, and puzzles often hide the win in one.
- For hand-offs, rule pieces out. A piece is unsafe if it matches the shared trait of any open threat. The safe piece is the one that breaks all of them.
For the deeper version of these ideas, read the Quads strategy guide.
Frequently asked questions
When does the puzzle change?
At midnight on your own device's calendar. Everyone sees the same puzzle for the same date, and the website and the app show the same puzzle.
Can I play older puzzles?
On the website you can play today's puzzle and the two before it. The Quads app keeps the full archive of past puzzles.
Is it free?
Yes. Today's puzzle and the two previous days are free in the browser and in the app, with no account.
Is there a penalty for a wrong move?
No. A wrong move just resets the board so you can try again.