🧭 Pocket Cartographer
Move a 2×2 survey frame across a foggy 6×6 map and chart six landmarks in no more than nine scans.
Play: The interactive game loads on this page in a modern JavaScript-enabled browser. The complete guide remains readable before it loads.
Controls
Desktop
Use arrows to move the survey frame; Enter/Space scans, P pauses and R restarts
Mobile
Move over the map to aim, then tap any cell to survey the surrounding 2×2 area
What is distinct here
Pocket Cartographer is built around choosing where information is most valuable. A movable 2×2 survey frame reveals a limited region, and the nine-scan budget rewards planning overlapping observations instead of random tapping.
Rules
- Six landmarks are hidden on a 6×6 map. Exactly one landmark appears in every row and exactly one in every column.
- Move the highlighted 2×2 survey frame and scan to reveal all four covered cells. Newly found landmarks update the row and column markers.
- A completely charted 2×2 area cannot consume another scan, while partial overlaps still use one scan because they reveal new cells.
- Find all six landmarks within nine scans to win. A nine-block tiling covers all 36 cells, so every generated map has a guaranteed solution; faster, more efficient charts score higher locally.
Strategy tips
- For a guaranteed clear, tile the board with nine non-overlapping 2×2 surveys starting at rows A, C and E and columns 1, 3 and 5.
- After finding a landmark, its row and column markers turn green; avoid surveying their intersection again when unresolved rows can be paired elsewhere.
- Overlapping central surveys are efficient only when several unfinished row and column clues cross inside the same 2×2 frame.
What we tested
Maps are accepted only when all six landmarks are reachable within the scan rules. QA checks frame boundaries, landmark de-duplication, scan budget, keyboard movement, touch selection, restart and the full six-landmark finish.
Frequently asked questions
Is every Pocket Cartographer map solvable?
Yes. Landmarks are placed as one unique position per row and column, and nine non-overlapping 2×2 surveys can cover the entire 6×6 map.
What do the row and column check marks mean?
A green check means the single landmark assigned to that row or column has already been revealed, so the remaining hidden landmark cannot be elsewhere on that line.
Does Pocket Cartographer upload my map or score?
No. Only the best score is stored locally in this browser, and the game needs no account or personal information.
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