The Four Color Problem “dates back to 1852 when Francis Guthrie, while trying to color the map of counties of England noticed that four colors sufficed. He asked his brother Frederick if it was true that any map can be colored using four colors in such a way that adjacent regions (i.e. those sharing a common boundary segment, not just a point) receive different colors”.

Taro Ito of Gamedesign has just released a new puzzle game, The Four Color Problem, in which you have to color as much space as you can on a grid divided in many areas, while your opponent (the computer) tries to do the same. Of course, you can’t color two adjacent areas with the same color.

A new grid is randomly generated for each stage, and the goal is to last as long as possible before being defeated by the computer.

Overall, The Four Color Problem is fun and addictive: another delightful game from the talented Taro Ito recommended for a ten minute break.

Have fun!