Tango game › Guide
Tango vs Takuzu: Rules and Key Differences
Tango and Takuzu both require balanced rows and columns with no three identical symbols in a row. Tango adds = and × clues; classic Takuzu requires distinct rows and distinct columns. That difference changes which deductions you can use.
Takuzu is also called Binairo or a binary puzzle. Numbers, black and white circles, and suns and moons can represent the same two values. On Solvedle, both games use suns and moons, so the symbols alone do not identify the rules.
Tango and Takuzu rules compared
| Rule | Tango | Classic Takuzu / Binairo |
|---|---|---|
| Symbols per line | Half suns, half moons | Half of each value |
| Three identical in a row | Forbidden horizontally and vertically | Forbidden horizontally and vertically |
| Relationship clues | = means same; × means opposite | No = or × clues |
| Duplicate rows or columns | Allowed if all other rules and clues hold | No duplicate rows; no duplicate columns |
| Solvedle practice | 6×6 and 8×8, easy to hard | 6×6, easy and medium |
On 6×6 boards, every row and column needs three of each symbol. On 8×8 boards it needs four of each. Balance applies separately to every line, not just to the board as a whole.
Three small examples that explain the difference
1. A shared deduction: fill a sandwich
☀ · ☀ must become ☀ ☾ ☀. Another sun in the gap would make three consecutive suns. This deduction works in both games, horizontally or vertically. Two adjacent moons similarly force suns immediately before and after them, where those cells exist.
2. A Tango deduction: follow a sign
☀ = · forces a sun in the empty cell; ☀ × · forces a moon. The sign connects only the two neighbouring cells it separates. After filling one, check its entire row and column for a new pair, sandwich or completed count.
3. A Takuzu deduction: avoid copying a row
Write suns as 0 and moons as 1. Suppose a completed row is 010101 and another row is 0101··. The second row already has two of each value, so the last two cells must be one 0 and one 1.
In classic Takuzu, finishing it with 01 would duplicate the completed row. Therefore its ending must be 10, making 010110. In Tango, both endings survive these row checks; use the column counts and relationship clues to decide. Do not force the Takuzu ending merely because another row is identical.
This is a local example, not a complete puzzle. Never use Takuzu's distinct-lines rule to eliminate a valid Tango possibility. In Takuzu, a row may match a column: compare rows with rows and columns with columns.
Does a unique solution mean all rows are different?
No. A unique solution means only one complete board satisfies the starting clues and the game's rules. Distinct rows means no two finished rows have the same sequence. These are separate conditions. Solvedle verifies a unique solution for both games, while only classic Takuzu requires distinct lines.
Which should you play?
Choose Tango if you enjoy following connections between neighbouring cells. Choose Takuzu if you want to solve using counts, runs and comparisons between lines. Neither rule set guarantees a harder puzzle: the starting clues and deductions required matter too.
Try Tango →Try classic Takuzu →
For a complete solved example, follow the 6×6 Tango walkthrough. Prefer placing pieces instead of filling cells? Compare Queens, Star Battle and N-Queens.
Rule references
Compare the official LinkedIn Tango rules with the Binairo publisher's classic rules. Examples here are original illustrations. Solvedle is independent of LinkedIn.