Ionic Squares

Published Aug09 2022.

Update (Aug10 2022): check out Pedro's fancy implementation!

Update (Dec02 2022): added puzzles Goldfishies, Decadent, Polycoria, and Grouses. Updated rules accordingly.

Update (Dec11 2022): added puzzles Gulls and Bulls.

Rules

Using orthogonal lines, draw squares around all dots such that:

• Every square contains exactly X dots.
• Exactly Y squares surround each dot.
• Squares never share lines or vertices, but may otherwise overlap.
• Lines never intersect dots or filled cells.
• No square contains a dot at its center.

By default, X and Y both equal 1.

Puzzles

1 Dot

1. Goldfish
2. Mecha
3. Racketeer
4. Discus
5. Démodé

2 Dots

6. Goldfishies
7. Decadent
8. Polycoria

? Dots

9. Grouses

2 Squares

10. Gulls
11. Bulls