Skyscraper Puzzle: Place Heights to Match the View
A taller building hides every shorter building behind it. Use the clues around the grid to work out where each height belongs.
Read Each Row and Column From Both Ends
Choose a 3×3 or 4×4 grid. Place heights 1 to the grid size, with each height appearing once in every row and column. A clue on an edge tells you how many buildings are visible from that direction: in the line 1, 3, 2, you see two buildings from the left because 3 hides 2. The generated puzzle has one solution; some cells may be fixed to make the solution unique. A side view helps explain why some buildings are hidden.
A Logic Challenge With Small Whole Numbers
The puzzle uses small whole numbers and constraint reasoning. Begin with 3×3 and explain the sightline rule before trying 4×4. It can support persistence and looking for structure; it is not a test of a specific grade’s arithmetic curriculum.
Combine Constraints Instead of Guessing
- Track which heights are missing from each row and column.
- Read a visibility clue from its own edge of the grid.
- Check a placement against both the crossing line and the sightline clues.
How to Solve a Skyscraper Grid
- Select 3×3 or 4×4. Read the clues outside the grid and leave fixed cells unchanged.
- Select an empty cell and enter a height with the on-screen keypad or keyboard. Each row and column must contain every height once.
- Use Check to find a conflict and the side view to understand visibility. Undo or clear a placement when needed.
- Complete the grid so all clues match. Hints help with a forced placement and mark the attempt as assisted; start a new puzzle to practice again.
Explain One Sightline Before Filling the Grid
Use 1, 3, 2 as a quick example: two buildings can be seen from the left, but two can also be seen from the right for a different reason. Ask students to say which building hides which. On the puzzle, compare a clue of 1 with a clue equal to the grid size, then explain any placement before checking it.
Skyscraper Puzzle Questions
Q: What does a number outside the grid mean?
A: It is the number of buildings visible when looking into that row or column from that edge. A taller building hides smaller buildings behind it.
Q: Which grid sizes are available?
A: You can play 3×3 with heights 1–3 or 4×4 with heights 1–4.
Q: Does each puzzle have one solution?
A: Yes. The generator checks the possible grids and fixes cells where needed so exactly one solution fits the clues and fixed cells.
Q: How do hints affect the result?
A: A hint assists with a forced placement. The game records hint use so an assisted completion is distinguished from solving without hints.
Q: Is this an online multiplayer game?
A: No. It is a single-player browser puzzle with touch and keyboard controls.