How we write, check and update

Who writes our guides

Articles on this site are written and edited by the Shapedoku team at SnailPixel, the studio that designs and builds the game. We are not a content farm that happens to have a game; the people who write about hidden singles and unique rectangles are the same people who wrote the generator that enforces a single solution and the solver that explains each step. That is our main qualification, and we try to earn it in every article by being specific, correct and honest about limits.

What we cover

We write about Sudoku and Shapedoku solving techniques, from the basics a first-time player needs to advanced patterns such as fish, chains and uniqueness arguments. We also cover Sudoku variants and other pencil-and-paper logic puzzles, how to build a healthy puzzle habit, accessibility in puzzle design, the mathematics behind the grid, and how to get the most out of Shapedoku itself. Everything is organized on our topics pages.

How we research and verify

• Solving techniques are checked against real grids before we publish. When a guide walks through an example, that example has been worked, usually with our own solver in step-by-step mode, so the logic holds.
• We prefer concrete worked examples to abstract advice, and we say clearly when a technique does not apply or is not needed.
• We do not invent statistics, studies, expert names or quotations. If we cannot support a claim, we do not make it.
• When we write about focus, relaxation or the benefits of a daily puzzle, we describe what a logic habit can reasonably offer. We do not make medical or therapeutic claims.
• Descriptions of the game (features, modes, hints, scoring) are checked against the current release of Shapedoku.

Tools we use

We use software throughout our process: the Shapedoku puzzle generator and solver to produce and verify examples, and writing tools, including AI assistance, to draft and edit text. A member of the team reviews every article before it is published and is responsible for its accuracy. Tools help us work faster; they do not decide what is true.

Dates and updates

Every article shows its publication date. We revise guides when we find a clearer explanation, when readers point out gaps, or when the game changes. Significant corrections are noted inside the article itself rather than silently replaced.

Independence and advertising

Shapedoku is free, and the site and game are supported by advertising served by Google. Ads are marked as such by the ad network and are never disguised as editorial content. Advertisers have no input into what we write, which techniques we recommend or which puzzles we feature. We do not publish sponsored posts, paid reviews or affiliate roundups. How ads and cookies work on this site is described in our privacy policy.

Accessibility

Shapedoku exists partly because numbers are hard for some people to scan. We carry that thinking into the site: articles use plain language, descriptive headings, and examples that do not rely on color alone. If something on the site is hard to use with a screen reader or keyboard, we want to know.

Corrections and contact

If you find an error, a broken example or a puzzle that does not follow its own rules, email [email protected] or use the contact page. Include the article link and what you think is wrong. We fix confirmed mistakes promptly.