TOTEM is a calm logic puzzle set in a moonlit grove of carved totems. Raise a totem of every height from 1 to 5 in each row and column — no repeats. No timer. No guessing. No fail state. Just you, the grove, and three clue systems that lock every puzzle to a single solution.
THE RULES (you'll know them in 20 seconds):
• Every row and column holds one totem of each height, 1 to 5.
• A gold arrow points to the totem that is taller by exactly one.
• A sky number counts the totems you can see looking down its line — a taller totem hides every shorter one behind it.
Ancient stone totems are already standing; you carve the fresh cedar ones. When the grove is complete, every arrow and every sky number agrees.
A QUIET BOARD
There is no red buzzer, no per-tap "wrong". The board stays quiet while you think. Tap CHECK when you want it and it flags rule clashes in what you've carved so far — it never reveals the answer. Truly stuck? A hint walks you through one real deduction and names the rule that forces it ("Column 4 already holds 1, 3, 4 and 5 — so this plot must be a 2"). It teaches the rule; it doesn't just spoil the answer.
A GROVE TO CLIMB
300+ solver-verified poles across 15 named groves — from The Clearing to The Elder Grove — each with its own character and a difficulty that rises only by construction. Every board is provably solvable by logic alone; guessing is never required. Pencil marks, unlimited undo, and a difficulty selector let you play at your own pace.
A POLE A DAY
One Daily Pole for everyone, every day. Keep your streak alive, and earn streak-freezes just by showing up (never bought, never randomized) so a single missed day doesn't end the run. Solve it, raise the pole, and share your moonlit skyline.
FEATURES
★ Pure-deduction 5×5 with three compounding clue systems — Latin rows, gold arrows, and skyscraper sightlines.
★ No timer and no fail state — a calm, meditative register, not an anxiety-scored brain trainer.
★ Teaching hints that explain the rule, not just hand you the answer.
★ 300+ poles across 15 named groves, plus a fresh Daily Pole and streaks.
★ Warm carved wood under a cold night sky — a look that's yours at a glance.
★ Light mode (Dawn Grove) and colorblind-safe by design: height, segment count, carving and numeral all encode a totem's rank.
★ Plays offline. No account required. Local progress.
★ Free to play, no subscription. Optional hint packs, Remove Ads, and premium grove themes — never pay-to-win; every pole is solvable free.
WHO IT'S FOR
If you love Sudoku, Skyscrapers, or the daily logic games from NYT and LinkedIn — but want something warmer and calmer — this grove is for you. A short, hands-on tutorial teaches all three clue types before your first real pole; by your second grove you'll be reading sightlines at a glance.
Raise the grove.