Ready for a deceptively simple brain‐teaser? At first glance, it looks like a 4×4 grid—but hidden inside are extra, overlapping squares waiting to be discovered. You might spot the 16 small blocks right away, but what about the 2×2, 3×3, the giant 4×4, and that off-center square formed by bold lines? Take your time, trace every possible combination, and see if you can count all 31 distinct squares before scrolling down for the breakdown. Challenge yourself, share your total in the comments, and test your friends to see who can beat your score!

How Many Squares Are Here?

Stare at the picture for a few seconds—how many distinct squares can you find? The answer isn’t as obvious as simply counting each little cell. Ready to test your eye for detail?

Video

Want to unwind? Spend a few minutes enjoying these cheerful puzzles!

Common Pitfalls

Counting Only the Smallest Squares

• A lot of solvers stop at the 16 one‐by‐one squares and never look for larger ones.

Forgetting Larger Combinations

• Two‐by‐two, three‐by‐three, and the full four‐by‐four grid all form additional squares.

Missing Overlapping Shapes

• The off‐center inner square creates extra medium‐sized squares you might overlook if you stick strictly to the main grid lines.

Step-by-Step Count

1×1 squares

• There are 16 tiny cells—each a 1×1 square.

2×2 squares

• You can form a 2×2 square in three horizontal and three vertical positions: 9 total.

3×3 squares

• There are two by two ways to place a 3×3 square: 4 total.

4×4 square

The entire outer border is one big 4×4 square: 1.

Inner offset square

• The off-center square formed by the darker lines adds another square of size 2×2 that doesn’t align with the main grid, giving 1 more distinct square.

Adding them up:

• 16 (1×1) + 9 (2×2) + 4 (3×3) + 1 (4×4) + 1 (inner 2×2 offset) = 31 squares in all.

Conclusion

Think you spotted them all? Leave your count below, and challenge your friends to see if they can match your total! If you enjoyed this one, dive into more puzzles to sharpen your observation skills and have fun challenging your brain.