ABC View Help

Rules / Objectives Summary

• Each row and column requires exactly one A, B and C (and two blank squares).
• The clues around the edge tell you which letter appears first in that direction in that row or column.

See the Starting Ideas and Walkthrough below for extra tips and tricks.

What are the letters around the edge for? These tell you which letter appears first in that row or column. Move your mouse over the puzzle to see the answer.

Starting Ideas

• This square cannot be B or C.
  
• This square must be blank.
  
• These squares cannot be A (because B or C would have to be in the way).
  
• X can be used to indicate a blank square (as could any other letter).
  
• When there are pencil marks in the grid you can highlight, for example, all squares with an A. Either using SHIFT + 1, or selecting the option from below the puzzle.
  

Walkthrough

	Step 1 This is the start of the puzzle. There are a number of different approaches to solving ABC View puzzles, this is just the one we used to solve this particular puzzle. Solve this puzzle for yourself at the same time.
	Step 2 The C cannot go in any of these squares in Row 5 because the clues across the bottom would not be satisfied.
	Step 3 Therefore this square has to be A to satisfy the left clue.
	Step 4 Similarly these squares cannot be B (because of the bottom clues), which allows us to complete Row 5.
	Step 5 Note: we've marked the two squares in Row 5 with an X to distinguish them from the other empty squares (but this isn't required to solve the puzzle). The A in Row 1 cannot go in either of these two squares because of the top clues.
	Step 6 In addition, the A in Row 1 cannot go in these squares either, because the bottom clues could not be satisfied (since there would be a B or a C in the way). Therefore the A goes in Column 4.
	Step 7 Which means that this square is X (because of the right clue).
	Step 8 Column 5 now has exactly three spaces for the A, B and C, so this square can only be A (to satisfy the bottom clue).
	Step 9 Which means that the B and C in Column 5 can only go one way around (because of the right clue).
	Step 10 The A in Column 3 cannot go in these squares as there is already an A in Row 1 and Row 4.
	Step 11 Nor can the A in Column 2 go in this square because the bottom clue could not be satisfied (as there would be a B or a C in the way). Therefore the A goes in Row 3, and Row 4 is X (because of the bottom clue).
	Step 12 The B and C in Column 3 can go one way around as Row 2 already has its C.
	Step 13 The B in Row 1 can only go in one place to satisfy the top clues.
	Step 14 The A in Row 2 can only go in one place (because of the A's in Column 1 and Column 4).
	Step 15 The B and C in Column 1 can only go one way around to satisfy the left clue. Column 2 is also complete.
	Step 16 The puzzle will now complete as there is only one place for the C in Row 4.
	Step 17 The completed puzzle.