How to play Nurikabe
Decide which cells are sea (shaded) and which are island (white).
- Every island contains exactly one number, and that number is the island's size in cells.
- Islands never touch each other side by side.
- All sea cells form one connected body of water (connected side by side).
- The sea may never contain a 2×2 pool of shaded cells.
Controls
- Tap a cell to cycle: empty → sea → • dot (island) → empty.
- Right-click or long-press toggles a dot. Drag to paint sea (or dots) across many cells.
- Keyboard: arrows move, Space cycles, X toggles a dot, Ctrl+Z undoes.
2×2 pools, islands with too many cells or two numbers, and closed-in islands that are too small are shown in red. Check highlights mistakes and Hint fixes one cell. Every puzzle has a unique solution.
Tips
Cells between two numbers must be sea. Islands of 1 are surrounded by sea. Any cell no island can reach is sea, and a sea region that has only one way out must flow through it.
About this nurikabe
Shade the sea so each numbered island has the right size. Play Nurikabe free in your browser on desktop, tablet or phone. It works offline once loaded — perfect for travel. Your progress and best scores are saved on your device.
Nurikabe FAQ
Is Nurikabe free to play?
Yes. Nurikabe is completely free on GamesVora. There is nothing to download or install and you don't need an account.
Can I play Nurikabe offline?
Yes. Once you have opened GamesVora while online, Nurikabe is saved on your device and you can keep playing without an internet connection.
Does Nurikabe work on mobile phones and tablets?
Yes. Nurikabe works in any modern browser on Android phones, iPhones, iPads, tablets, laptops and desktop computers, with touch, mouse and keyboard controls.
Is my progress saved?
Your settings, best scores and statistics are saved in your browser on this device. Clearing your browser data will reset them.
What other games are like Nurikabe?
If you enjoy Nurikabe, try the other games in our Logic Puzzles collection — they are all free and work offline too.