Rota is a free daily logic puzzle. You are planning the shifts for a small team. Every shift needs one person, nobody may work two nights in a row, Carla wants exactly three shifts, and Dan is off on Sunday. Fill the week so that every rule is kept. Only one rota works. Monday is a team of 3 with one person on duty each day. Friday is a team of 5 with a day shift and a night shift for seven days.
No sign-up and nothing to install. It runs in your browser on a computer or a phone, and your progress is saved on your device.
- Drag or tap. Drag a person into a shift, or tap the person and then one shift after another.
- Rules turn green. Each rule shows a green tick when it is kept and a red cross when it is broken.
- Counters on every person. You always see how many shifts each person has so far.
- Stuck? The lightbulb fills one shift with the right person. Hints and undo are free.
How to play Rota
- Look at the week. Shifts with a small lock are already filled and cannot be changed.
- Read the rules next to the week. The first ones are house rules and apply to everyone.
- Drag a person into a shift, or tap the person and then the shifts. Tap a filled shift to empty it.
- Change people until every shift is filled and every rule is green.
The rules you will meet
| Rule | What it means | First appears |
|---|---|---|
| Nobody is on duty two days in a row | House rule on Monday, when there is one shift a day. | Monday |
| Nobody works both shifts on the same day | House rule as soon as there is a day shift and a night shift. | Tuesday |
| Nobody works the night shift two days in a row | House rule whenever there is a night shift. | Tuesday |
| After a night shift, nobody works the day shift of the next day | House rule on the two hardest days. | Thursday |
| works exactly N shifts | Counts all shifts of that person in the week. | Monday |
| works exactly N night shifts, does not work nights | Counts only the night row. | Tuesday |
| is off on a day | That person has no shift on that day. | Monday |
| never work on the same day | The two people are never together on one day. | Wednesday |
Tips for filling the rota
- Start with what is fixed. Locked shifts and “is off” rules tell you at once who cannot go where.
- Count the shifts. If the week has 10 shifts and you know how many three of the four people work, the fourth person takes the rest.
- Think in night chains. Nobody works two nights in a row, so each night rules out one person for the next night.
- Watch the morning after. On Thursday and Friday the person on the night shift cannot take the day shift of the next day.
- Use the counters. A counter such as 2/3 shows that the person still needs one more shift.
How the week gets harder
| Day | Team | Days | Shifts to fill | What is new |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 3 people | Monday to Friday | 5 | One person on duty a day. |
| Tuesday | 3 people | Monday to Friday | 10 | A day shift and a night shift. Rules about nights. |
| Wednesday | 4 people | Monday to Friday | 10 | A fourth person, and people who never work on the same day. |
| Thursday | 4 people | Monday to Saturday | 12 | Six days. No day shift after a night shift. |
| Friday | 5 people | Monday to Sunday | 14 | Five people and the whole week. |
Saturday plays like a Wednesday and Sunday like a Tuesday.
Frequently asked questions
Is Rota free?
Yes. There is no account, no download and no paywall.
Is there more than one answer?
No. Every puzzle has exactly one rota that keeps all rules, and no rule can be left out.
Can one person take several shifts?
Yes. A person can be used again and again, as long as the rules allow it.
What does the lock on a shift mean?
That shift is given. It is part of the puzzle and cannot be changed.
When does the new puzzle appear?
At midnight in your local time.
Can I play earlier puzzles?
Yes. Open the calendar button at the top of the game and pick any day from the past eight weeks.
Does it work on a phone?
Yes. Tap a person and then the shifts, or drag with your finger.
More to play on WiseChecker
- Browser Games: every WiseChecker game in one place.
- Clean Desk: remember the desk and find what is gone.
- No Blind Spots: place cameras so that no square is a blind spot.
- Cell Value: find the number behind every letter.
- File Pairs: turn over two cards and find the pairs.