Starting patterns
Three patterns that open almost every Hitori.
Sandwich: in a row reading 3 5 3, the middle 5 must be white. Whichever 3 you shade, the 5 sits next to it, and shaded cells can’t touch, so the 5 can’t be shaded.
Pair: two equal numbers side by side, like 6 6, means one of them is shaded. So any other 6 in the same row must be shaded too, because it can’t stay white next to a white 6.
Corner: a shaded cell in a corner with its two neighbors also needing shade would cut the corner off. Use the “stay connected” rule to keep paths open.
Practise it
The Hint button on every puzzle explains the next step in the same plain language, so you can learn as you play. Play a Hitori puzzle.