Star Battle vs Queens: How LinkedIn's Hit Puzzle Compares to the Original
Star Battle guide · 5 min read
If you got hooked on LinkedIn's Queens puzzle and found yourself wanting more, you've already stumbled onto one of the best-kept secrets in logic puzzles: Queens is basically a streamlined version of a puzzle that's been around for years, called Star Battle. They share the same core idea — place markers on a grid divided into coloured regions so none of them touch — and if you can solve one, you can almost certainly solve the other. This guide compares Star Battle vs Queens, shows exactly how they overlap, and explains why Star Battle is the deeper, more varied game to graduate to. Curious to try the original? Play a Star Battle puzzle and see how familiar it feels.
They're the same puzzle at heart
Let's start with the punchline: LinkedIn's Queens is, mechanically, a 1-star Star Battle. Both puzzles ask you to do the same thing:
- Place markers on a grid that's divided into irregular coloured regions.
- Put exactly one marker in every row, every column, and every region.
- Make sure no two markers touch — not horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.
In Queens those markers are crowns; in Star Battle they're stars. The colours-into-regions idea, the one-per-line rule, and the all-important no-touching rule are identical. The skills transfer perfectly, which is exactly why so many Queens players take to Star Battle instantly.
The small differences
If they're the same at heart, what actually differs? A few things, mostly about presentation and depth:
Queens shows you colours; Star Battle shows you borders. LinkedIn's Queens fills each region with a distinct colour, which makes the regions pop. Classic Star Battle marks regions with bold borders instead. Same regions, different styling — and many Star Battle apps (including ours) also use shading to make them clear.
Queens is one-a-day; Star Battle is a whole library. Queens serves a single fresh puzzle each day. Star Battle, as a long-established puzzle type, comes in endless supply across many sizes and difficulties — so when you finish today's Queens, there's a near-bottomless well of Star Battle waiting.
Queens stays at one marker per region; Star Battle goes further. This is the big one, and it's why Star Battle has more room to grow.
Where Star Battle pulls ahead: the 2-star game
Queens always uses exactly one queen per row, column, and region. Star Battle keeps that "1-star" format for its easier puzzles, but then it levels up into 2-star puzzles, where each row, column, and region needs two stars (still none touching).
That sounds like a small change, but it transforms the puzzle. With two stars per region, your stars start interfering with each other — placing the first star in a region blocks cells the second one might have wanted — and the deductions get noticeably deeper. If Queens has started to feel routine, the 2-star Star Battle is the genuine step up you're looking for. Our 2-star techniques guide walks through the new strategies it demands.
Side by side
| LinkedIn Queens | Star Battle | |
|---|---|---|
| Markers | One crown per row, column, region | One or two stars per row, column, region |
| Regions shown as | Coloured areas | Bold borders (often shaded too) |
| No-touching rule | Yes, including diagonally | Yes, including diagonally |
| Supply | One puzzle per day | Huge library, many sizes |
| Difficulty range | Fixed format | 1-star to 2-star, small grids to large |
| Solving feel | Quick daily logic hit | Same logic, scalable depth |
If you love Queens, here's how to start Star Battle
Because the rules carry over, your transition is easy. Start with a small 1-star Star Battle — it'll feel almost exactly like Queens, just with bordered regions instead of colours. Use the same instincts: find the most cramped regions, place the forced markers, and remember that every star blocks all eight neighbours. Once the 1-star grids feel comfortable, jump to 2-star for the deeper challenge Queens never offers. Our full Star Battle strategy guide covers every technique you'll need.
The truth is that the LinkedIn Queens craze reintroduced millions of people to a brilliant puzzle idea that logic-puzzle fans have loved for years. Queens is the perfect on-ramp; Star Battle is the open road. Play a Star Battle puzzle now, and if you've conquered Queens, you'll be solving these in no time.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Queens puzzle the same as Star Battle?
Mechanically, yes — LinkedIn's Queens is essentially a 1-star Star Battle. Both ask you to place one marker per row, column, and region with no two markers touching, even diagonally. The main differences are presentation (Queens uses colours, Star Battle uses bold-bordered regions) and depth (Star Battle also offers 2-star puzzles).
What is the difference between Star Battle and Queens?
Queens always places exactly one crown per row, column, and region, served as one puzzle a day. Star Battle uses the same rules but spans a large library of sizes and difficulties and extends into 2-star puzzles, where each row, column, and region needs two non-touching stars. That 2-star format makes Star Battle the deeper, more varied game.
If I like LinkedIn Queens, what should I play next?
Star Battle is the natural next puzzle. Start with 1-star Star Battle, which plays almost identically to Queens, then move to 2-star puzzles for a tougher challenge Queens doesn't offer. The rules and skills carry over directly, so the transition is smooth.
Why is Star Battle harder than Queens?
Star Battle can be harder because of its 2-star puzzles. When each row, column, and region needs two stars instead of one, the stars constrain each other — placing one blocks cells the second might need — which creates longer, deeper deduction chains than the single-marker Queens format ever requires.