Binairo, Takuzu & Binary Puzzle: Why One Puzzle Has So Many Names

If you've gone looking for this little grid of 0s and 1s, you've probably bumped into a confusing pile of names. Binairo. Takuzu. Binary Puzzle. Tic-Tac-Logic. 0h h1. Unruly. They sound like six different games — but here's the secret: they're all the exact same puzzle. Same grid, same three rules, same satisfying logic. The only thing that changes is the label on the box. This guide untangles why one puzzle ended up with so many aliases, which name is used where, and how to recognise it no matter what it's called. Whatever name brought you here, you can play it now.

They really are all one puzzle

Before the names, the puzzle itself. Whatever you call it, the game is identical: you fill a grid with two symbols — usually 0 and 1 — following three simple rules. Each row and column gets an equal number of each symbol, you can never have three of the same symbol in a row, and no two rows (or two columns) may be identical. That's it. Every name below points to that one puzzle. (If the rules are new to you, our how to play guide walks through them.)

So why the naming chaos? Because this puzzle was independently named and popularised by different people, in different countries, on different platforms — and none of them agreed on a single label.

The main names, decoded

Binairo is probably the most widely used name in English-language puzzle circles, and the one we use here. It's a coined word that simply evokes "binary" — fitting for a puzzle built on two symbols. It's the lowest-competition, most distinctive name for the game.

Binary Puzzle is the plain descriptive name, popular precisely because it says what the puzzle is: a puzzle made of binary (two-state) cells. It's the name you'll see on many of the older dedicated puzzle sites.

Takuzu is the name with the largest international following — especially across Europe, and notably in France. By global search volume, "takuzu" is actually the most-searched name of all, even though it's barely used in the United States. If you're solving in French or browsing European puzzle apps, this is the name you'll meet.

Binaire Puzzel is simply the Dutch for "binary puzzle," and it has a strong following in the Netherlands and Belgium, where some of the puzzle's most popular early websites were based.

The app and brand names

Beyond the generic names, several specific apps and publishers gave the puzzle their own branding:

• Tic-Tac-Logic is the name used by Conceptis Puzzles, a major puzzle publisher. It leans on the puzzle's resemblance to a grid of noughts and crosses, and you'll see it in newspapers and magazines that license Conceptis content.
• 0h h1 is a beloved, minimalist mobile app version of the puzzle. Many people first met the game through this app and know it by no other name. It even plays with coloured tiles instead of 0s and 1s — which works perfectly, because the symbols are arbitrary.
• Unruly is the name given to the puzzle in Simon Tatham's Portable Puzzle Collection, a well-known free set of logic puzzles. Same rules, another name.

Why the symbols don't matter

Here's a detail that explains a lot of the confusion: the 0 and 1 are completely interchangeable with any two symbols. Some versions use 0s and 1s, others use two colours, X's and O's, or red and blue tiles. That flexibility is part of why the puzzle picked up so many identities — every designer styled it their own way, from "binary" digits to coloured squares, and named it to match. None of it changes the underlying logic one bit. (And no, despite the digits, it has nothing to do with computer code — we bust that myth in is Binairo actually binary code.)

How to recognise it, whatever it's called

Spotting this puzzle in the wild is easy once you know the tell. Look for:

• A square grid filled with two symbols (digits, colours, or letters),
• A rule against three of the same symbol in a row, and
• A requirement that each line has an equal split of the two symbols.

If a puzzle has those features, it's this one — whether the title says Binairo, Takuzu, Binary Puzzle, Tic-Tac-Logic, 0h h1, or Unruly. You already know how to play it.

The tangle of names is really just a sign of how widely loved this puzzle has become — reinvented and rebranded around the world because it's so satisfying. Now that you can see through the aliases, there's only one thing left to do: solve one. Play Binairo now, or learn the three rules first.

Frequently asked questions

Are Binairo and Takuzu the same puzzle?

Yes. Binairo and Takuzu are two names for the exact same puzzle, with identical rules: fill a grid with two symbols so each row and column has an equal number of each, never three of the same symbol in a row, and no two rows or columns identical. "Takuzu" is more common internationally (especially in France), while "Binairo" is widely used in English.

Why does the binary puzzle have so many names?

The puzzle was independently named and popularised by different publishers, countries, and apps, none of which agreed on a single label. Descriptive names like "Binary Puzzle," coined names like "Binairo" and "Takuzu," and brand names like "Tic-Tac-Logic" (Conceptis), "0h h1" (a mobile app), and "Unruly" (Simon Tatham's collection) all refer to the same game.

What is Tic-Tac-Logic?

Tic-Tac-Logic is the name puzzle publisher Conceptis uses for the binary puzzle (Binairo / Takuzu). The rules are identical; the name references the puzzle's resemblance to a grid of noughts and crosses. You'll see it in newspapers and magazines that carry Conceptis puzzles.

Is 0h h1 the same as Binairo?

Yes. 0h h1 is a popular minimalist mobile app version of Binairo (the binary puzzle). It uses coloured tiles instead of 0s and 1s, but the rules are exactly the same, because the two symbols in the puzzle are interchangeable with any pair of colours or marks.