Mosaic
Does the clue cell count in Mosaic?
Yes. A clue counts black cells in its surrounding 3 × 3 area, including itself. Near the boundary, count only cells inside the board. Do not apply Mines rules, where the numbered cell itself is excluded.
Worked example
A corner clue 4 forces all four cells in that corner’s available neighbourhood black, including the clue cell.
What to check on your board
Apply the rule above to your current board, then verify the remaining puzzle constraints. The example explains a local deduction; it is not a solution to every randomly generated board.
Checking your next move
Draw the clue’s 3 × 3 neighbourhood mentally, clipping it at the board edge. Include the clue square in that count. Compare overlapping neighbourhoods only after marking which cells belong to both; otherwise a shared black cell may be counted as two separate deductions.
Using this reference
For Mosaic, read the rule and the worked example together before opening the game. Separate what the rule explicitly requires from what only seems likely on the current board. A useful next move is one you can explain from the visible constraints, not merely a pattern that looks familiar.
If you get stuck, isolate a smaller part of the position and list what is still possible there. After a move, check the affected rows, regions or connections again. The reference explains the documented rules; progress, controls and save behavior belong to the linked game.
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Manual inspected: · Simon Tatham & contributors · MIT