About Skyscrapers
Skyscrapers fills a grid with building heights 1 through N, one of each per row and column — the familiar Latin-square backbone. The twist is the clues sit outside the grid on each edge, and each one tells you how many buildings you'd actually see looking down that row or column, given that a taller building blocks the view of any shorter one behind it.
The Rules
Fill the grid with building heights 1–N, once per row and column, so each edge clue matches how many buildings are visible looking into that row or column.
Step by Step
- Fill every row and column with heights 1 through N, with no repeats.
- Each clue outside the grid shows how many buildings are visible looking into that row or column from that side.
- A taller building blocks the view of every shorter building behind it, so only 'new tallest' buildings count toward the visible total.
- A clue of 1 means the tallest building (N) must be first in that line; a clue of N means the buildings must be in ascending order from that side.
- The puzzle is solved when every row, column, and visibility clue is satisfied.
Tips & Strategy
- A clue of 1 is the strongest clue on the board — it instantly places the tallest building at that edge.
- A clue equal to the grid size forces the entire line into strictly ascending order from that side.
- Combine visibility clues from both ends of the same row or column — together they narrow the possible orderings fast.
- The tallest building (N) is only visible if nothing taller comes before it, which is always true — use that to test candidate placements.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a clue of '3' mean?
Looking into that row or column from that side, exactly 3 buildings are tall enough to be seen — meaning 3 'new tallest so far' buildings appear before the view is blocked by shorter ones in between.
Can two buildings be the same height in one row?
No — just like Sudoku, every height from 1 to N appears exactly once in each row and column.
Is Skyscrapers hard to learn?
The Latin-square part is familiar from Sudoku; the only new idea is 'taller blocks shorter,' which usually clicks after solving one or two edge clues.
