Hybrid Week is a free daily logic puzzle of the kind known as a binary puzzle. The plan is a grid, and every square is either an office day or a home day. Two rules decide everything: every row and every column is half office and half home, and there are never three alike next to each other in a line. From Wednesday on, small signs between two squares say whether they are the same or different. Every puzzle has one answer, and you can reach it by reasoning alone. Monday is 4 by 4. Friday is 8 by 8.
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.
- Tap to fill. One tap makes an office day, a second tap a home day, a third tap clears the square.
- Mistakes show at once. Three alike in a line, or too many of one kind, turn red. The checklist beside the plan shows which rule is broken.
- Signs help. = between two squares means the same kind, ≠ means different kinds.
- Stuck? The lightbulb fills one square and tells you the reason, so you learn the step for next time.
How to play Hybrid Week
- Look for two alike next to each other. The squares on both sides of the pair must be the other kind.
- Look for a gap between two alike. The square in the gap must be the other kind.
- Count each line. When a row or column has half of one kind, fill the rest with the other.
- Use the signs, then repeat. You win when the plan is full and no rule is broken.
What you see in the plan
| Part | What it means |
|---|---|
| Blue square with a building | An office day. |
| Orange square with a house | A home day. |
| Dark square | Fixed from the start. It cannot be changed. |
| = sign | The two squares it touches are the same kind. |
| ≠ sign | The two squares it touches are different kinds. |
| Red frame | This square breaks a rule. |
| Checklist | Shows how many rows and columns are complete, and which rule is broken. |
Tips for solving without guessing
- Pairs first. Every pair of two alike gives you up to two new squares for free.
- Then gaps. Office, empty, office: the empty square is a home day.
- Count before you place. In a row of six with three office days, the other three are home days, wherever they are.
- Read the = sign as a pair. Two squares joined by = are alike. If the square next to them already has a kind, the two must be the other kind.
- Think one step ahead on Friday. If an office day in a square would soon force three alike somewhere else, the square is a home day.
How the week gets harder
| Day | Plan | Fixed squares | Signs | What it takes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 4 by 4 | 5 or 6 of 16 | None | Pairs and counting |
| Tuesday | 6 by 6 | 12 to 15 of 36 | None | Pairs and counting |
| Wednesday | 6 by 6 | 9 of 36 | 4 to 6 | The signs do part of the work |
| Thursday | 8 by 8 | 16 of 64 | 6 to 9 | The same steps on a bigger plan |
| Friday | 8 by 8 | 13 to 17 of 64 | 6 to 9 | Thinking a few squares ahead |
Saturday plays like a Wednesday and Sunday like a Tuesday. On every day the plan has exactly one answer.
Frequently asked questions
Is Hybrid Week free?
Yes. There is no account, no download and no paywall.
Is this the same as a binary puzzle or Takuzu?
It belongs to that family: two symbols, half and half in each line, never three in a row. Hybrid Week uses office days and home days as the two symbols, adds = and ≠ signs on harder days, and does not ask for all rows to be different.
Do I ever have to guess?
No. Every puzzle was built by a program that solves it with the steps described above and nothing else.
Is there more than one answer?
No. Each plan has exactly one answer.
Why are some squares dark?
They are given at the start and cannot be changed. Everything else follows from them.
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 square to change it. On Thursday and Friday the plan is 8 by 8, which makes the squares small but still easy to tap.
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.