Printable Nurikabe puzzles
At PuzzleAndBrains.com we have 60 printable Nurikabe logic puzzles for you. We offer printable puzzles in many formats that will boost your IQ skills. The rules of Nurikabe are at the bottom of this page.
These are our printable 6 by 6 Big Islands Nurikabe puzzles, to train your basic IQ and logic skills.
Like our logic puzzles for kids? Here are our other printable Nurikabe logic puzzles categories.
The Basic Rules of Nurikabe
1. Cells are either white or colored (shaded or black)
The cells in the squared Nurikabe grids are either white (with a number in them) or black/shaded. Groups of white cells are called islands and groups of dark cells are called 'the wall'. The objective of the game is to determine which cells stay white and which cells need to be colored/shaded.
2. Each island contains exactly one clue
The number of white squares in each individual island must equal the value of the clue. In this example we have 2 islands with 2 white cells 2 islands with 5 white cells and 1 island with 4 white cells. The clue numbers match the number of white cells.
3. The white islands are isolated
All white islands must be isolated from each other. They may not touch each other horizontally or vertically. Diagonal connectivity is allowed though. As you can see, all islands are isolated except the island with 4 cells and the one with 2 white cells. They are diagonally connected, which is allowed.
4. The wall may not contain 2 by 2 areas of shaded cells
The wall, the shaded cells, may not contain 2 by 2 blocks. In our example we even have a 3 by 2 block, which is not allowed. We have circled this block to accentuate it. Make sure that there are no 2 by 2 areas in your solution, or the puzzle solution is invalid!
5. The wall must form a continuous path
The wall, the shaded cells, must form a continuous path. No shaded cell, or group of shaded cells, may be isolated from the wall. In other words: there must be 1 continuous wall! In our example we have isolated the shaded cell in the right top corner, which is not allowed.
Some Easy Solving Strategies for Nurikabe Puzzles
Many Nurikabe puzzle players find the easiest clues to start with. Here we have summed the most common starting techniques.
Start with the '1' islands
The 1 clue is the easiest to start with, as all the horizontal and vertical adjacent cells must be part of the wall. In our example we have shaded these adjacent cells blue!
Numbers separated by only 1 square
Nurikabe rule number 3 indicates that islands may not be horizontally and vertically adjacent. If there is just 1 cell between numbers, this cell must be a shaded cell. We have shade the cell between the 5 and the 2 blue and the cell between the 2 twos red. If these cells were not shaded, the islands would touch each other horizontally or vertically.
Numbers that are diagonally adjacent
This is pretty much similar as the previous suggestions. When 2 clue numbers are diagonally adjacent then each of the squares touching the clue number must be shaded. If you don't shade them, you would break rule 3. And we don't want to break the rules, now do we?
Why do you offer printable Nurikabe puzzles and not online versions?
First of all, there are already some great online Nurikabe puzzles available and why would we reinvent the wheel? We like our puzzles in pdf form so they can be printed out, it's better for our eyes, more relaxed and you can put them away for a while to think over your sins (or solutions). Also, it saves a lot of battery life of your tablets or laptops.
Why are Nurikabe Puzzles a stimulation for our brain functions?
Solving puzzles can be quite addictive and great fun. But did you know that solving Nurikabe puzzles can also be a great workout for our brain functions? Keeping the brains active and in problem solving mode is a fantastic mental workout.
Nurikabe Puzzles increase your spatial skills and logic intelligence
People who like to solve puzzles develop better spatial and logic intelligence according to a study by researchers at the University of Chicago. Print out our puzzles and train your intelligence! It will work a lot better for your IQ than watching tv and eating pringles!
Reducing age-related decline in cognition.
Keeping your brain active by solving problems and finding solutions to problems can reduce the effects of aging on our cognition levels. Puzzles like Nurikabe, Sudoku and other number and word puzzles literally keep our spirits young.
Possible positve effects on Alzheimer’s disease
Let we be clear that we have to be very careful to make statements like this. There is no clinical evidence that solving printable puzzles reduces the change of Alzheimer's. But activities that need mental energy, such as reading, or number puzzles , chess can prevent brain cells from degenerating.
Stimulate brain cell connections
The more we think, solve problems and keep our brains active, the more brain cell connections we make that might counter damaged brain cells.
Why these boring brain facts?
You are right, Nurikabe puzzles are just fun and challenging and it's of secondary importance whether it's good for our brains. We just like to sound more interesting stating cognitive and educational purposes of our puzzles.
The cells in the squared Nurikabe grids are either white (with a number in them) or black/shaded. Groups of white cells are called islands and groups of dark cells are called 'the wall'. The objective of the game is to determine which cells stay white and which cells need to be colored/shaded.
2. Each island contains exactly one clue
The number of white squares in each individual island must equal the value of the clue. In this example we have 2 islands with 2 white cells 2 islands with 5 white cells and 1 island with 4 white cells. The clue numbers match the number of white cells.
3. The white islands are isolated
All white islands must be isolated from each other. They may not touch each other horizontally or vertically. Diagonal connectivity is allowed though. As you can see, all islands are isolated except the island with 4 cells and the one with 2 white cells. They are diagonally connected, which is allowed.
4. The wall may not contain 2 by 2 areas of shaded cells
The wall, the shaded cells, may not contain 2 by 2 blocks. In our example we even have a 3 by 2 block, which is not allowed. We have circled this block to accentuate it. Make sure that there are no 2 by 2 areas in your solution, or the puzzle solution is invalid!
5. The wall must form a continuous path
The wall, the shaded cells, must form a continuous path. No shaded cell, or group of shaded cells, may be isolated from the wall. In other words: there must be 1 continuous wall! In our example we have isolated the shaded cell in the right top corner, which is not allowed.
Some Easy Solving Strategies for Nurikabe Puzzles
Many Nurikabe puzzle players find the easiest clues to start with. Here we have summed the most common starting techniques.
Start with the '1' islands
The 1 clue is the easiest to start with, as all the horizontal and vertical adjacent cells must be part of the wall. In our example we have shaded these adjacent cells blue!
Numbers separated by only 1 square
Nurikabe rule number 3 indicates that islands may not be horizontally and vertically adjacent. If there is just 1 cell between numbers, this cell must be a shaded cell. We have shade the cell between the 5 and the 2 blue and the cell between the 2 twos red. If these cells were not shaded, the islands would touch each other horizontally or vertically.
Numbers that are diagonally adjacent
This is pretty much similar as the previous suggestions. When 2 clue numbers are diagonally adjacent then each of the squares touching the clue number must be shaded. If you don't shade them, you would break rule 3. And we don't want to break the rules, now do we?
Why do you offer printable Nurikabe puzzles and not online versions?
First of all, there are already some great online Nurikabe puzzles available and why would we reinvent the wheel? We like our puzzles in pdf form so they can be printed out, it's better for our eyes, more relaxed and you can put them away for a while to think over your sins (or solutions). Also, it saves a lot of battery life of your tablets or laptops.
Why are Nurikabe Puzzles a stimulation for our brain functions?
Solving puzzles can be quite addictive and great fun. But did you know that solving Nurikabe puzzles can also be a great workout for our brain functions? Keeping the brains active and in problem solving mode is a fantastic mental workout.
Nurikabe Puzzles increase your spatial skills and logic intelligence
People who like to solve puzzles develop better spatial and logic intelligence according to a study by researchers at the University of Chicago. Print out our puzzles and train your intelligence! It will work a lot better for your IQ than watching tv and eating pringles!
Reducing age-related decline in cognition.
Keeping your brain active by solving problems and finding solutions to problems can reduce the effects of aging on our cognition levels. Puzzles like Nurikabe, Sudoku and other number and word puzzles literally keep our spirits young.
Possible positve effects on Alzheimer’s disease
Let we be clear that we have to be very careful to make statements like this. There is no clinical evidence that solving printable puzzles reduces the change of Alzheimer's. But activities that need mental energy, such as reading, or number puzzles , chess can prevent brain cells from degenerating.
Stimulate brain cell connections
The more we think, solve problems and keep our brains active, the more brain cell connections we make that might counter damaged brain cells.
Why these boring brain facts?
You are right, Nurikabe puzzles are just fun and challenging and it's of secondary importance whether it's good for our brains. We just like to sound more interesting stating cognitive and educational purposes of our puzzles.
Contact us at: contact@puzzlesandbrains.com