TOTEM — a Skyscrapers logic puzzle for Android

Raise the grove. Pure deduction, no guessing.

What is TOTEM?

TOTEM is a Skyscrapers logic puzzle set in a moonlit grove of carved totems. Skyscrapers (also known as Towers) is a classic Latin-square puzzle where clues around the grid tell you how many buildings are visible along each line — a taller building hides every shorter one behind it. TOTEM keeps those rules exactly, and swaps glass towers for carved cedar.

Every row and column holds one totem of each height from 1 to 5, with no repeats. Three clue systems compound to lock every board to a single solution, and every one of them can be reasoned out — guessing is never required.

Screenshots

TOTEM gameplay — a 5×5 grove being carved, with totems of different heights, gold arrow clues between plots and sky numbers along the edges — Every height from 1 to 5, once per line

TOTEM grove select — the ladder of 15 named groves from The Clearing to The Elder Grove, showing pole counts and progress — 300+ poles across 15 named groves

How to play

Every row and column must hold one totem of each height, 1 to 5 — no repeats. That's the Latin-square base.
A gold arrow between two plots points at the totem that is taller by exactly one.
A sky number at the end of a line counts the totems you can see looking down it — a taller totem hides every shorter one behind it.
Ancient stone totems are already standing; you carve the fresh cedar ones.
The board stays quiet while you think — no per-tap buzzer. Tap CHECK when you want it and it flags clashes in what you've carved, without revealing the answer.
Truly stuck? A hint walks you through one real deduction and names the rule that forces it.

Features

Pure-deduction 5×5 boards with three compounding clue systems — Latin rows, gold arrows, and skyscraper sightlines
300+ solver-verified poles across 15 named groves, from The Clearing to The Elder Grove
A Daily Pole for everyone, with streaks and earned streak-freezes — never bought, never randomized
No timer and no fail state — a calm, meditative register rather than an anxiety-scored brain trainer
Teaching hints that explain the rule instead of handing over the answer
Light mode (Dawn Grove) and colorblind-safe by design — height, segment count, carving and numeral all encode a totem's rank
Plays fully offline — no account required, progress stays on your device

FAQ

What is a Skyscrapers puzzle?: Skyscrapers is a Latin-square logic puzzle: fill the grid so every row and column contains each height exactly once, and satisfy edge clues counting how many buildings are visible from that direction — taller buildings hide shorter ones behind them. TOTEM follows these rules with carved totems, and adds gold arrow clues between neighbouring plots.
Does TOTEM ever require guessing?: No. Every pole is solver-verified with exactly one solution, reachable by logic alone. Difficulty rises by construction, never by making you gamble.
Is there a timer?: No timer and no fail state. You can sit with a board as long as you like — a pole is carved, or not yet.
Is TOTEM colorblind-friendly?: Yes. A totem's rank is encoded four ways — its height, its number of carved segments, its carving pattern, and its numeral — so color is never the only signal.
Is TOTEM free?: Yes — TOTEM is free to download and play on Android. Optional one-time purchases include hint packs, Remove Ads and premium grove themes; there is no subscription and every pole is solvable free.
Is TOTEM on iPhone?: An iOS version is coming to the App Store. It's available now on Android via Google Play.