Tango

Tango is played on a 6×6 grid that you fill entirely with suns and moons while obeying three rules at once: never three of the same symbol in a line, an equal number of suns and moons in every row and column, and every = and × sign between two cells satisfied. A few cells and signs are given to start you off, and there is always exactly one solution.

What are the rules of Tango?

The first rule is the no-three-in-a-row rule: you may never place three suns, or three moons, consecutively in any row or column — two in a row is the most you are allowed. The second is the balance rule: each row and each column must contain an equal number of suns and moons, which on a 6×6 grid means exactly three of each. The third is the clue rule: an = sign between two neighbouring cells means they hold the same symbol, and a × sign means they hold different symbols.

To solve a Tango puzzle, play forced moves first: two equal symbols side by side force the opposite symbol on each side, a × sign forces opposite symbols, an = sign copies a known cell, and a line that already holds all three of one symbol must be completed with the other.

Which Tango techniques should you learn first?

A handful of reliable moves crack almost any board. These are the core Tango tips worth learning first:

• The pair. Whenever two of the same symbol sit side by side — ☀☀ — the cell on each side must be the opposite, a 🌙, or you would make three in a row.
• The gap. When the same symbol sits two apart with one empty cell between, like ☀_☀, the middle must be a 🌙.
• Read the signs. A × between cells means they differ, so the moment you know one you know the other; an = means they match and copy across.
• Finish the count. Once a row or column already holds its three suns, every remaining cell in that line must be a moon — and the same the other way round.

What is the winning habit in Tango?

The winning habit is to play every forced move first and let each new symbol reveal the next. Sweep for pairs, gaps and signs, top up any line that is nearly balanced, and never guess — a proper Tango always has a provable next cell.

The signs between cells are the heart of Tango: an = sign means the two touching cells hold the same symbol, and a × sign means they hold opposite symbols — and both turn a single known cell into two. They are what set Tango apart from a plain balance puzzle.

How do you use an = clue?

An = sign locks two neighbours together: whatever one becomes, the other copies. That also chains with the no-three rule — if an = pair is itself next to a matching symbol, you instantly risk three in a row, which often forces the pair the other way.

How do you use a × clue?

A × sign guarantees the two cells differ, so the instant you place one, the other is settled as its opposite. A × is especially powerful near the edge of a line, because pairing one forced symbol with its opposite can finish a row or column’s balance in a single step.

A short run shows the rhythm: a ☀☀ pair forces a 🌙 beside it, a × sign splits a pair into one sun and one moon, and the balance rule then pins the last cell — never a guess.

How does the pair force the next cell?

Suppose a six-cell row opens ☀ ☀ _ _ _ _ , with a × sign drawn between the fourth and fifth cells. The leading pair forces a moon into the third cell to avoid three suns in a row: ☀ ☀ 🌙 _ _ _ .

How do the sign and balance finish the row?

The row now holds two suns and one moon, so the last three cells must supply one sun and two moons to reach three of each. The × between the fourth and fifth cells means those two differ, so together they are exactly one sun and one moon. That leaves only one moon unaccounted for, which must fall in the sixth cell: ☀ ☀ 🌙 _ _ 🌙 . The fourth and fifth cells settle into sun and moon once a crossing column or another sign fixes their order. Each rule trims the choices around it, and the solution grows outward from the certainties — never a guess required.

This page offers Tango on the classic 6×6 grid at two difficulties — Easy, which starts you with more given cells and signs, and Hard, which gives the bare minimum so you reason further before the grid locks in. Both have exactly one solution reachable without guessing.

• Easy reveals extra suns, moons and clues, so there is almost always an obvious forced move to find. It is the place to learn the pair, gap, sign and balance techniques.
• Hard strips the board back to a minimal set of clues. The deductions chain further and you lean more on the = and × signs, making for a longer, more satisfying solve.

Tap New for a fresh board at either difficulty, or play the shared Daily to solve the same Tango as everyone else that day and keep a streak. Want more than one a day? This is effectively Tango unlimited — every New button is a brand-new puzzle.

Tango is the sun-and-moon logic puzzle that LinkedIn publishes as one of its daily games; this page lets you play the same style of puzzle for free, as often as you like, with no account and no app. It is an independent version and is not affiliated with or endorsed by LinkedIn — we simply love the puzzle.

At heart Tango is a two-symbol grid puzzle, which makes it a close cousin of Binary Puzzle (Takuzu / Binairo): swap suns and moons for 0s and 1s and the balance and no-three rules are identical — Tango just adds the = and × signs on top. If you enjoy filling a grid by pure reasoning, try Binary Puzzle or step up to Sudoku; the forced-move, never-guess discipline carries straight across.

A few words come up whenever Tango is discussed — cell, given, sun, moon, pair, gap, balance and the = / × signs — and knowing them makes any guide easier to follow.

• Sun / Moon — the two symbols you place; exactly one goes in every cell.
• Given — a cell already filled at the start as a clue; you cannot change it.
• = sign — joins two neighbouring cells that must hold the same symbol.
• × sign — joins two neighbouring cells that must hold different symbols.
• Pair — two equal symbols side by side, which force the opposite symbol on each side.
• Balance — the rule that each row and column holds equally many suns and moons.

Most Tango tangles trace back to a few habits: guessing a symbol, ignoring a = or × sign, losing track of each line’s balance, forgetting the rules apply to columns too, and overlooking the ☀_☀ gap.

• Guessing. An unjustified sun or moon can sit happily before clashing far across the grid. Find the forced cell instead.
• Skipping a sign. The = and × clues are the fastest deductions on the board — scan them every time you place a symbol.
• Losing the count. It is easy to overshoot a line’s three suns or three moons; keep a running tally per row and column.
• Ignoring columns. Every rule applies vertically as well as horizontally; a move that is fine in its row may still break its column.
• Missing the gap. The ☀_☀ pattern forces a moon in the middle — train your eye to spot symbols two cells apart, not just adjacent ones.

Tango has a clean, modern appeal — only two symbols and a few rules, no arithmetic and no luck — yet enough depth to keep you thinking as you read the signs, spot the pairs and watch the grid resolve. A single board is a tidy few-minute solve, perfect for a coffee break.

Like the rest of this collection it is fair by design: every board has one answer you can reach by reasoning, so progress always feels earned. Play the shared Daily for the same puzzle as everyone else, or tap New for unlimited fresh boards. And because Tango trains pattern-spotting and step-by-step deduction, it pairs naturally with Binary Puzzle and Sudoku — once you enjoy filling cells by logic, the whole collection opens up.