About Sudoku
Sudoku is one of the most popular puzzles on the planet. It's a great way to exercise your brain, look after your mental health, and time during work breaks or at home.
Sudoku is a great way to improve your memory and cognitive skills - it's one of the most popular games that require planning, thought, and concentration. Here at Arkadium, we have a collection of games that help improve your memory!
You can play Sudoku online and we offer a great selection of free Sudoku games. These range from beginner-level up to more advanced puzzles that are perfect for experienced players.
We've got so many free Sudoku puzzles that your sure to sharpen your skills while having fun! Pick your puzzle now and start playing one of the world's best strategy games!
What is Sudoku?
Sudoku is a number puzzle that requires you to use logical thinking to fill in blank squares.
The game features a 9x9 grid and 3x3 squares. The aim is for these squares and grids to all contain a number from 1 to 9 using logic to determine which number fits into a specific cell.
How to Play Sudoku Online
Sudoku is one of the most popular puzzles on the planet. One of the main reasons for this is that you can learn how to play Sudoku in no time at all.
Here are some tips and strategies to get any beginner started:
Here are four top tips and strategies that will help get any beginner started when they're playing Sudoku.
Tip 1: Don’t repeat numbers
Sudoku is usually played on a 9x9 grid. Each space needs to be filled with the numbers 1-9. The challenge lies in not repeating any numbers in a row, column or square.
Tip 2: More starting numbers = simpler puzzle
Easier Sudoku puzzles have more numbers added to the grid before you start, making it simpler to solve the challenge.
Tip 3: Think logically when making moves
Sudoku is based on logic, so guessing won't get you very far. In fact, each Sudoku puzzle has only a single solution. For more complex puzzles, advanced solvers often scribble in possible solutions with small numbers so they can refine their solution in less time than a non-documented approach.
Tip 4: Be patient
Patience is key to Sudoku! If you get stuck or need to take a break, our puzzles will automatically save so you can return right where you left off.
We’ve given you some top tips to help improve your grasp of Sudoku. The next step is to take these lessons and use them when you're playing free Sudoku games.
Where Did Sudoku Come From?
The origin of Sudoku comes from puzzles printed in French newspapers during the 19th century. These puzzles asked game players to remove numbers from squares, creating the foundations of the game that is played today.
On 19 November 1892, a Paris newspaper included a puzzle featuring a uniform 9x9 grid containing 3x3 box clusters. However, while it shared important characteristics with Sudoku, it differed from Sudoku in a few key ways:
- It included double-digit numbers
- It was solved using arithmetic skills (not logic)
These puzzles remained popular in until the end of the first World War.
Fast-forward to 1979 and these French puzzles were adapted by a retired American architect, Howard Garns, and published in Dell Magazines as Number Place.
This was then adopted by Japanese company Nikoli in 1984 and published under the name Sūji wa dokushin ni kagiru, before being shortened to Sudoku.
What Does Sudoku Mean?
Sudoku is an abbreviation of the Japanese term 数字は独身に限る(Sūji wa dokushin ni kagiru). This means "numbers are single". Single comes from dokushin, which, essentially means an "unmarried person" in Japanese.
The abbreviation Sudoku was created by Maki Kaji, the president of Japanese puzzle company Nikoli. The name was trademarked by Nikoli and remains ed to this day.
What is the Goal of Sudoku?
Whether you play Sudoku online or in a written publication, the game has a simple aim: to fill all the cells in the 9x9 grid and 3x3 squares with numbers from 1 to 9, with a single occurrence included in the rows, columns, and blocks.
The rules to sudoku are few, but the one rule that cannot be broken is:
"Numbers cannot repeat in any line or column"
The puzzle starts with some boxes pre-filled with a number and others entirely blank. The player's goal is to use logic to slot the correct digits into the blank boxes. Online sudoku is played by selecting boxes with a mouse and then filling numbers using the keyboard. Some players use their iPad and Android tablets for a larger view with added ease of use. They simply tap the box on their screen and select the number they want to use.
Can Sudoku Have Two Answers?
If a Sudoku puzzle has been published correctly then it will have one answer, a fully unique solution.
However, that's not to say that Sudoku can't have two answers, or even multiple solutions. This may happen if you're playing Sudoku online and the puzzle has been left intentionally incomplete (no pre-filled numbers).
Indeed, in the most acute example of an incomplete puzzle, there could be 6,670,903,752,021,072,936,960 answers to the Sudoku game you're playing.
Our free online Sudoku games are all published correctly (with pre-filled numbers).
This means that each puzzle has a logical solution and a single answer.
Interesting Sudoku Facts
Playing free Sudoku is one of the most popular online pastimes for people who want to exercise their brains.
It's a game that requires mental agility, the ability to think logically, and a keen sense of prediction.
But the cognitive benefits of free Sudoku games aren't the only interesting things about the game, as You'll see from these insightful Sudoku facts:
- The name "Sudoku" is not arbitrary. Rather, it's rooted in two Japanese words:
- " su " means " number "
- " doku " means " single "
- The Japanese do not call the game "Sudoku". Rather, they call it by the name the creator gave it: "Number Place".
- There's an annual World Sudoku Championship. The first one was held in 2006 in Italy, and it's since been held in different locations.
- Studies have shown that Sudoku can have a positive impact on one's health, and can even help prevent or ease depression while sharpening focus.
- The year following Sudoku's rapid growth in popularity (2005) saw a whopping 700% increase in pencil sales!
Play Our Free Online Sudoku Puzzles
You've surely played this newspaper staple. Our free online Sudoku puzzles follow the same traditions, enabling you to play Sudoku 24/7!
We host different difficulty levels, including easy, medium, and hard puzzles. Our comprehensive collection of best-in-class free online Sudoku puzzles is sure to entertain and enthrall you.
Perhaps best of all, our free Sudoku puzzles are updated on a daily basis, so you can come back for a new brain-teasing challenge everyday!
Sudoku has evolved from a puzzle featured in 19th-century French newspapers to become one of the most popular online games on the planet. Playing it can make your mind sharper and help to combat mental illnesses.
So, try our free online Sudoku games now and see how quickly you can solve our puzzles.