Monday, November 23, 2009

Samurai Sudoku: A Different Challenge

Do you want to use you leisure time but do not know how to spend it? You may be tired and used to conventional games you play. You are maybe fed up with the same old games you do during your leisure time. Maybe you are thinking about venturing to other games that is worth spending your valuable leisure time on.

If you are going to choose a game, make sure that the game you choose will not only give you enjoyment. Make sure that the game you will be choosing also exercises your brain and your logical thinking as well. Crossword puzzles may be boring as you may have always played with it every single day of your life. Why not try to indulge into more productive games available. If you do not know what to try, this article will give you the best puzzle game available today. Continue reading and learn more about sudoku and its very famous kind.

What is sudoku and how are you going to play with it?

Sudoku is a puzzle games that most of the people go crazy over. It is the newest craze when it comes to puzzles games. In sudoku, you will only have to finish the goal which is to complete the puzzle. You will use only numbers from 1 to 9 by filling it up to the blank spaces on the box provided. The game is preloaded with several numbers and your job will be to supply the missing number on the box provided. The game is composed of columns and rows. You will be matching the numbers to each other to perfect the game.

You can spend only almost 10 to 30 minutes of your time on playing the games. It sometimes depends on the intensity level and the expertise of the player. There are 6 levels available for sudoku. It is the light, easy, moderate hard, difficult and very difficult. It is better if you start over the easiest one so you will add level each time you finish one. And once you finish all it, you can try doing other kinds of sudoku.

The funny thing about it is that although it is consist of number, you do not have to be an expert in number to solve it. It does not require mathematical skills even if it is played using numbers. You will not be using methodical solutions such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. You do not need to be a mathematical wizard to be able to play with the game. All you need is a logical mind and a powerful reasoning power. You also need to have range of methods and tactics to be able to finish the games.

There are several variations of sudoku. And with these different variations, you can choose which one will be the best game puzzle to make you enjoy. There is this particular type that is difficult but enjoyable to play with. It is called Samurai sudoku.

The most famous kind is the samurai sudoku which is another variation of sudoku. Samurai sudoku is made popular by Times Newspaper. The mode of playing the games is the same as the conventional one but the only difference is that; samurai sudoku is consisting of five sudokus. They are linked to one another forming one puzzle game. You need to be an expert to sudoku if you want to perfect it.

It is based on Japanese type of crossword that requires logical thinking and only that. Aside from giving your brain a tiny twist you can exercise your logical thinking as well. You can energize your neurons to think faster by playing with samurai sudoku.
Finding it is never a difficulty, you can try logging on to some websites to find printable samurai sudoku. You only have to choose which website is the best source of samurai sudoku. Search engine can be a good help to your search. Magazines, newspapers and other reading materials are also the best source of samurai sudoku. They best part of it is that ii is free. You do not have top spend money to play with it. Enjoy playing with sudoku and have the most enjoyable time in your office break.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Web Sudoku Transcending Game Barriers

Japan is well known around the world for coming up with various types of educational games for years now. Japan has been very successful in merging fun with learning and sudoko puzzle game is just an implication of their love for knowledge.

Sudoku is actually a puzzle game that is popularized in Japan. At present its popularity is also spreading throughout the globe and this is of course was made possible through the use of the internet. Sudoku is very similar to crossword puzzle however instead of words it makes use of numbers.

Not all people love the idea of numbers since it connotes math. And as we all know math involves complicated solutions that will really cause someone to experience a migraine episode. Sudoku is a special type of number puzzle game and before you give this game the thumbs down sign it would be best to explore the game first and get to know it better.

Although some may think …”oh no not another math game”…sorry to burst your bubbles guys but sudoku believe it or not does not involved math. It simply involves correct placement of the digits starting from 1 through 9. I know you are probably smiling by now saying to yourself that is not very hard. Of course it’s not hard all you have to do is to correctly place the numbers 1 to 9 into every row, in every column and in every 3x3 square. The concept of the game is to place all nine digits in correct position or order.

The best thing about this game is that it can be played by various ages. It doesn’t matter whether you are a PhD holder or an elementary student, sudoku has the right ingredients that appeal to both the highly intellectuals and those that are not so bright.

The simplicity of the game is the very reason why it has become one of the most popular game played in the world not to mention online. Although of course you need to think since it’s a puzzle game but it’s not too complicated so you can be assured of getting every puzzle there is. But beware sudoku game can be very addictive once you started playing it you will never want to stop.

In order to accommodate a much larger number of sudoku players around the globe, web sudoku was created. The web sudoku as the name suggest can be played online. Each of the sudoku puzzle found on the web has a unique solution that can be reached logically without ever trying to guess. The instructions are also very easy. All you have to do is to enter the digits from 1 to 9 into blank spaces. Now remember every row must contain one of each digit and the same goes for each of the columns and for every 3x3 square.

There are thousands of sudoku puzzles to select so you don’t have to worry that you will run out of puzzles to solve. In fact there are web sudoku providers that provide over seven hundred thousand plus puzzles while some providers offer much more. Now that’s a lot of puzzles for one day!

There are also available options for players like printing the result of the sudoku game puzzle or you can also keep track of how well you are doing with your game. Plus you may also clear the puzzle if ever you have committed some errors. You may pause the game in case you need more time to think.

Sudoku puzzles are also ideal for teaching children to appreciate numbers. And since it is very simple kids will have truly a great time solving them. So you see sudoku puzzles are not just for killing time but also very educational. It trains children as well as adults to exercise their brain by solving various number puzzles.

There are also downloadable sudoku games that are compatible with your mobile phones and your personal computers. Likewise you may also print sudoku puzzle ebook or order newspapers with sudoku puzzles. There are also magazines that features sudoku puzzles. Whatever may be your preference there would always be a sudoku puzzle that is just right for you.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Now Available! Sudoku in USA Today

To be entertained…to be fascinated…these are emotional circumstances you wish you are in everyday. With the arising dilemmas from around you, you cannot drive yourself to not think of negative thoughts. Every little thing seems to be on television, over the radio, via the internet and even the newspaper.

Newspapers are provided for people who wish to be updated of society’s current events. People who wish to be informed read the newspaper. However, nowadays it is not just information-gathering that newspaper bring. Some individuals read the newspaper to be entertained.

USA Today is a national newspaper in America. It is one of the widely circulated newspapers catering to millions of American residents. Like any newspaper, it has a complete section from the front page until the sports page. Entertainment and Life sections of course will never be gone from the everyday circulation.

The entertainment section of USA Today consists of news regarding travel tips, movie, television programs, book, and music reviews. Life section on the other hand consists of stories involving lifestyle and living. Games, comic strips, and puzzles are also accessible in the Life Section of USA Today.

Puzzles are games not only for entertainment purposes but for sharpening one’s mind. It requires in-depth thought of approaches to solve any given puzzle game. Additionally, it entails a lot of patience to discern what’s needed to be done.

One mind-boggling puzzle is Sudoku or commonly called the Number Place. Sudoku is a number assignment game. From a nine by nine (9 x 9) grid which is composed of three by three (3 x 3) regions; the player should be able to enter a digit from numbers 1 to 9 without repetitions.

Availability of Sudoku is everywhere – from crossword puzzle books, magazines, internet, television game shows, and of course, the newspaper.

At this time, USA today has been publishing Sudoku in their crossword page to give their readers a chance to experience the beauty and mind-intensity of playing the Number Place. People can just grab a pen and a paper once a copy of USA Today has been delivered to their homes or offices.

One possible disadvantage of playing with the use of newspaper is the use of space. Since playing the game requires the use of different strategies, there will be players who will find space a problem in marking up since the grid or regions created in the newspapers are rather small cubes.

The availability of Sudoku in USA Today does not only run in its newspaper. USA Today has its own website where people who wants to play the game can do so online.

People can now play Sudoku online since USA Today has its own website that caters online puzzle games. Some advantages to playing the puzzle online are:
• Unlike playing Sudoku using pen and paper which requires you to check with a Solution paper, with online playing you will just tick the Check button and the right answers will instantly show.
• Erasures are easy to deal with whenever one is playing online since there is the Undo button which immediately makes necessary corrections.
• Flagging incorrect items are possible when you play online. This is best for starters as well as children.
• If using help, like phoning a friend or peeping in the Solution sheet is present whenever you use pen and paper, hints are all over online, though for the integrity of the game it is best to exhaust all your methods and efforts.
• With USA Today’s website you will never run out of Sudoku puzzles so you can enjoy solving more.
• Time-keeping is optional. There are players who want to be pressured by time. Others wish to let go of time. Online playing of Number Place can give you both options.
• The level of difficulty will be measured when one decides to play online. Newspaper puzzles are often jumbled – some are easy, some are not.
• An option to display number which appeared nine times can be chosen. Pen and paper Sudoku playing requires manual tracking.

There are so many ways to be entertained…to be fascinated…just make sure to choose well what will keep you busy…pick out something that will not just take off boredom but also something that will nourish your mind.

Play Sudoku in USA Today – either with a pen and paper or online!

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Sudoku tips and killer moves

Have you ever played a Sudoku game? Playing a sudoku is simple. Even if you have not yet played the game, you can learn it easily and fast. You just need the help of sudoku tips and strategies so that you can score in the game. Sudoku tips are most important especially if you have no way or no chance of winning.

You just have to put the numbers from 1 to 9 into the spaces of the blank grid. In every column and every row, there must be 3X3 boxes that contain the digits from 1 to 9.The rules are uncomplicated – you just need to fill in the squares so that all numbers are represented simply once per row.

Simple rules are not difficult to tag along. What makes Sudoku almost interesting and addicting to players is the dependable face up of finding the accurate match. The trial and error can have a match and it can match with a pre-determined line of attack which is based on the clues that you are shown and provided that make victory probable for everyone.

And of course it aims to help the user with the different game levels that are made available. With this, you can start with, or have a choice to always go back to, the lowest or simplest stage in order to expand a perceptive of how the game make use mechanism and what sudoku tips and strategies will work best for you throughout the game.

Compared to the crossword puzzles, which are well-liked in their own right, following Sudoku tips does not have need of a never-ending knowledge of language or vocabulary or a long-term obligation to form the puzzle out. And the disturbance level stays low down for the reason that one can for all times go back to the most part of the basic level and focus on an individual player’s speed slightly than mere completion.

In just a 5-30 minute time duration, one can simply play a game or a few, can be challenged mentally and academically, get the fulfillment out of finishing a puzzle, and walk away rejuvenated to go use their brain in a different level. With all the free Sudoku online games, one can perfectly master their skill and intelligence by playing it from time to time.

Since sudoku games are offered for free, one can play it at any time when they feel like playing it. Mastering your newly learned sudoku tips can be applied successfully and you can simply gain more sudoku tips as you go through the game. Sudoku tips do not only let you play the game but you get the chance to practice your skills and reasoning ability.

Having plenty of sudoku tips will help you win the game effortlessly. You may ask where you can get these sudoku tips. There are a lot of places to learn sudoku tips. One is the internet. You can bump into a lot of resources that are helpful in playing the game wisely.

These resources include articles and forums. You can get into a forum where people talk about sudoku. Mostly, members who are in that forum are enthusiasts and game lovers. You don’t necessarily have to be a pro if you want to play the game. People who have blank ideas about the game can simply learn the easiest sudoku tips that are helpful as you go along the game.

If you want to master the game, you will need to learn more sudoku tips like looking for cues, eliminating the numbers of the rows in the box and looking for the right matches of numbers. You need to understand the columns and the rows that consist the game. Learning how to eliminate the possibilities in the boxes is your starting point and after learning that, all will follow. Learning from the basics will always be a good training.

Probably the best sudoku tips that you can best benefit from is the planning strategy that a user can apply throughout the game. When you plan your moves, it is expected that you will come into the best matches for the rows and the columns.

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Sudokus: Give your Brain a Mind Twisting Puzzle Game

Games are not just for kids, adults can play games as well. With the very busy life of most of adults today, they do not have much time to go to entertainment centers to play with arcade games, fun filled and enjoyable activities. However, these activities are boring; it only requires physical activities taking for granted the importance of logical thinking.

You can use your leisure time by playing games. You do not need to go to entertainment centers to enjoy. You can just sit around your office, grab a pencil and enjoy playing with some of the puzzle games around. There are so many fun filled puzzle games that will make use of your extra time. You do not need to spend money to enjoy it. Empower your neurons and improve your logical thinking by playing with it.

One among the best sought after puzzle games is called sudoku. Have you heard of sudoku? Have you experienced the one of a kind satisfaction you can get over playing with it? If you have not yet played with it, you are missing half of your life. Do you want to know about it? Read on and learn all about sudoku.

Sudoku is the hottest most enjoyable puzzle game today. Most of the people prefer playing with it because of the unexplainable pleasure it brings. In fact, it is one among the most discussed topics on the World Wide Web. Even people who belong to highest society love playing sudoku. What is sudoku? How is it played?

Sudoku is a puzzle games that requires only 9 numbers. It only requires numbers from 1 to 9. There are nine rows and nine columns as well. The main goal of this puzzle game is to complete the box with the appropriate numbers corresponding to the numbers needed in the box. The puzzle is pre-entered with numbers and your job is to put the missing numbers on the blank. You might think it’s easy but is quite challenging than difficult.

It has different intensity that depends on the given numbers. The more numbers are given the more it becomes difficult. The different levels of intensity are identified as light, easy, moderate, heavy, difficult and very difficult. It is better if you start on the light level first before venturing to higher levels.

Sudoku has different kinds and types. You can choose from the different types according to your preference. There are many types as well. However, the directions of playing them are just the same. They have the same mode of playing the games and all are enjoyable.



Once you get hold of the pencil and start playing with it, it is really impossible for you to stop. With its grabbing way of playing it, it is hard to stop. If you are into crossword and puzzles, you will like sudoku as well. You can play with it within 10 to 30 minutes depending on your expertise. With the different types available, you can enjoy playing with it.



You can always find sudoku into almost anywhere around the world. Usually, there books loaded with different sudoku puzzle game plays. All you need is pencil and you can start thinking how you are going to complete the box.

Newspapers and magazines are also great source of sudoku. Newspapers can give you new puzzle game plays everyday. Most of the people buy newspapers because of the sudoku puzzles. Magazines also grab readers because of including sudoku on the pages of their magazines. The one who finishes the games will receive a price. This is a very effective way to gain more people ton patronize the magazine. What a clever idea.

You can also find it over the very useful internet. The World Wide Web will give you more than millions of printable sudokus. You just have to choose which website can give you the best sudoku game plays. There are many website available for you online. Search engines are very useful in terms of your search. Just type “sudoku free” and the rest will be the search engine’s job.

Start indulging yourself now to playing with sudoku puzzle games. Giving your mind an exercise, empower your brain cells and practice your logical thinking by playing with sudokus. Enjoy and have fun playing with it.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

How to make a winning sudoku strategy

Sudoku is known as a logic-based placement puzzle which aims to come into a numerical digit which is from 1 through 9 which is in a cell of 9X9 grid. The first sudoku puzzle was made available in the U.S. it did not get the kind of popularity it had until the year 2005 came.

Solving puzzles of sudoku normally involves a lot of combination of the processes. The three processes are scanning, marking up and analyzing. You can always come up with a good sudoku strategy if you are keen and observant and if you follow the strategies that will be shown top you.

Sudoku is the Japanese word meaning “placement puzzle”. It became well-known in Japan in the 1980’s. But before that, there was a puzzle maker in the United States by the name of Howard Garnes who formed the very first puzzle which is comparable to it. It was formerly called “number place” as an option of Sodoku. After that, it was made available and then featured in Logic problems and math puzzles.

The first useful sudoku strategy is scanning. Scanning usually takes place not only at the beginning but also all the way through the solution and it consists of two basic and important techniques. First is the cross-hatching which engages scanning of the different rows or columns in order to classify which among the lines in a specific region may include a certain numeral by a procedure of elimination.

The other sudoku strategy is by counting 1-9 in regions, rows and by columns in order to categorize all the missing numerals. Counting the numerals is based upon the last numeral that is revealed may help to speed up the search.

The is second is the marking-up. When the puzzle has no additional numerals that can be discovered, sudoku players over and over again find it compulsory to mark the potential numerals included in the blank cells. This can be completed by essentially writing in the numerals or dots that will represent the potential numerals.

Last is the analysis. This sudoku strategy has a lot of approaches which include “what if” and the “candidate elimination”. The game includes consecutively eliminating the candidate numerals from one or more cells to run off with just one choice. After each of the answers has been completed, an additional scan may be performed, this is done usually to check and see the effect of the possibility.

In this kind of move, the player should use his best sudoku strategy and skill to come up with a good combination that will make him win the game.

If at all possible, one wishes to find a combination of sudoku strategy which keeps away from some of the drawbacks of the above mentioned elements. The counting of the different regions, rows and columns can make a player feel bored. on the other hand, sudoku is a fun and engaging game but requires sudoku strategy that can help a player to sharpen the mind and keep one entertained for quite a long time.

Sudoku is one of the most up-to-date trends in games and leisure. The concentration in this Japanese number crossword puzzle is extremely at a fever playing field. Playing Sudoku is always a fun game and it provides the users an equal ground for everyone to play. Some of the elderly adults and even four year old kids can play the same game. It does not require proficiency in English.

The game has a variety of difficulty levels and you can get the best satisfaction from it. When played with a good Sudoku strategy, one can enjoy playing the game and one can simply experience a level of satisfaction which no other games can.

Now that you have learned the best sudoku strategies that most players apply, you can be ready to apply it on your own. Remember that you can have your own strategy. You will learn it as you play the game over and over again. You will realize that the game you have been eyeing for is not that difficult to play. You only need to be observant and you need to concentrate to make the smartest moves.

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Sudoku Strategies for a Sure Success

Sudoku is a popular puzzle game in Britain and the United States. The word Sudoku means a “single number” in Japanese. It is consists of a 9 x 9 grid with an about 81 boxes to be filled in with the numbers.

The challenge for this game is to fill all 1 to 9 numbers in the box. However, there is a basic rule that is sometimes irritating for most players who find it hard to complete the box. The rule is: the number 1 to 9 must come out only once in each row and column.

To avoid being trapped by this rule, what should a player do? The players must have strategies, which they can use to solve the puzzle correctly and effectively.

How can they start? Everybody has his or her own ways of solving the game. However, the following strategies are arranged from the easiest to the most difficult to prepare yourself unlock even the most deceptive puzzle ever made.

1. Use a pencil

Pens are for the professional players. Thought the puzzle may seem to be very easy, you will still need a little of scratch work which you can be able to erase anytime after solving the squares.

2. Guessing will not help you get the correct answer. Instead, think!

Most Sudokus have only one solution. This means that they can be answered using your logic. Never place any number if you are not sure that it should be the number to go in the square. Trial and error is not a good technique in Sudoku.

3. Begin with the common numbers

Examine the puzzle to know which of the numbers come out frequently. Choose of these numbers and know if you can put any of them. As you begin to try this, draw light lines cutting every row and column that holds the numbers. Look at each box that does not have the number yet. If you find the box with a single empty space that is crossed out, put the number on that space.

4. Then go on to the nearly filled box

As you begin putting the numbers, watch out for the rows, columns, or the 3 x 3 block that are nearly filled in. Once you have found one, decide which of the numbers should remain to be placed in that box. Know the numbers that are not yet placed then, check if there is a suitable position in the box. If there is at least one, place the number.

5. Are you puzzled? Start making notes

The easy numbers have already placed in. Your eyes are focused on the page and you realized that you are not using your pencil again. This means, you are puzzled by the puzzle.

What should you do? Work out again each square. Make small notes of the probable answers within each square. Choose a square and record in small print any of the numbers from one to nine that do not appear in each row, column or 3 x 3 grid. In this way, you will realize that a square has a single possible answer only. Place in the number. Then, remove the possibility from other squares.

6. Search for other options

There will be times that you will have to reach the point where all the empty boxes have many probable solutions. If this happens, the puzzle becomes more difficult.

Now, your plan is to look for the several boxes in a row, column or box that have similar options. For example, if you can locate two boxes that have same two options, the two numbers should be placed in those two boxes. It should not be placed somewhere else within the row, column or box. This should cut down the options in the remaining boxes to a point where you can answer other else.

This strategy will surely work if the options overlap in two boxes or more. If the total number of different options along with the connected group of boxes does not does not go beyond the number of boxes included, you can presume that each of those numbers is placed anywhere within that group.

7. Start again if you duplicate

Lastly, if you find an illegal duplicate, stop, and know the reason behind it. If you still cannot find the reason, it would be better start the puzzle again.

By following the seven strategies given above, you are assured of a victory in the end of each game – may it be the easy level or the most difficult level of the Sudoku.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Sudoku Solvers: Mastering an Addicting Number Puzzle Game

Have you ever tried playing Sudoku?

Did you solve it all by yourself or did you just put down the pen and the puzzle, and then just left? Why can’t some people solve it? Its not that Sudoku is just for people who are adept in math, some are just more skilled with this addicting puzzle game. For those having a hard time solving Sudoku puzzles or are just newbies, they can make use of a special program that can solve the puzzle for them, this are called Sudoku solvers.

Sudoku, a number puzzle that is widely popular in the world, mainly in Japan and in the United States, is commonly known as a number place in which it’s a logic-based placement puzzle where you can enter the digits 1 to 9 in each cell of a 9x9 grid and made up of 3x3 subgrids or sometimes called regions.

To start playing, you are given numerals in certain cells that you can use as your clues. Your goal is to fill all the blank cells with a digit each, so each row, column, and regions contains the numbers 1 to 9 for only once. Each numeral occurs only once in each different direction, hence the “single number” method is implied to the puzzle’s identity.

Difficulty ratings of Sudoku are published in papers, which can be downloaded in computers like a handy electronic sudoku game. Online sites can be ranked according to the number of “givens” placed in the cells. However, sometimes it has little effect or bearing on the puzzle’s difficulty. A puzzle with a minimum number of givens may actually be easy to solve while a puzzle with more than the average number of givens can be very hard to solve, the difficulty rating will depend on the relevance and positioning of the “givens” rather than on how many numbers are placed in the cells.

For in a Sudoku game, it can be solved either by logic or by help of computers. Many online sites offer games that can be solved automatically when you click on solvers. Sudoku solvers are strategies and approaches on how you can solve the puzzle game.

Think of the 9x9 grids and 3x3 subgrids. Think of the many possibilities where the “givens” are placed. With a very difficult rating, you will finish the game in hours, in days, or even in weeks. With hundreds of billions of number combination in the grid, you’ll need a Sudoku solver. But where can you find solvers?

It’s much better if you play Sudoku in a computer than in published in papers. Sudoku in papers can take a long time for you for you to solve the game, while Sudoku game in your computer or in a website can enable you to strategize much better with different options and approaches of solutions. Whereas, when the puzzle game is in a computer, Sudoku solvers can be downloaded in many versions from your preferred sudoku sites. The best thing about downloading solvers is it doesn’t only produce solutions, it can also be emailed to multiple recipients.

In downloading your Sudoku solver version, you must be familiar on how it works because in most download websites, many solver versions are accompanied with a charge of a corresponding amount for you to download it or use it. For beginners who want their solvers, there are a lot of available free but older versions. Sometimes it cannot accommodate the different kind of solutions for new Sudoku puzzles.

There are lots of varieties of Sudoku solvers out in the World Wide Web, but you must find versions that are designed to make the solutions faster and easier. Your Sudoku solvers must provide the following capabilities:

• Integrates help, which includes all the explanations regarding the rules for solving the number puzzle.
• Input capability must be enhanced.
• Improved screen appearance
• Can save and load the puzzles with its solutions.
• Can scan for input data errors.
• Quick solution times
• Can identify malformed puzzles
• With complete training mode for step-by-step solutions with corresponding commentaries.
• Can maintain multiple email templates.
• Full manual with rule explanations.

So, for sudoku solvers, it will help you to find the appropriate and proper solutions wherein you can really determine how the problem can be solved. Sudoku solvers will show different ideas in such a way that when you play again with another kind of “givens”, and you will learn and know where to start.

If you have difficulty in solving a particular Sudoku puzzle, download a Sudoku solver for you to better understand the logic and the strategy behind the puzzle.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Be a Sudoku solver and Exercise your brains

Are you familiar with the Rubik’s Cube? Have you mastered it already? If you are one of the persons who are engrossed in playing puzzles like the Rubik’s Cube, then you may get hooked on Sudoku.

This is a huge challenge to puzzle solvers and it is one of the most fantastic games ever created. Being a sudoku solver is one of the things you can be very proud of. Well, what is Sudoku? It is a number placement brainteaser that necessitates skills in logic. But not only that, patience is also a requirement for you to be able to withstand the challenge.

There are many people nowadays who are enjoying and who are curved by this marvelous puzzle. It can be found in newspapers, websites and in some books. So how is it played? It generally consists of a series of grids. The grid has one big 9 x 9 grid that shelters nine smaller grids that are 3 x 3 in size.

The main objective of the game is to place a number from 1-9 in each of the grid cells. But you do not have to sum up the numbers or perform other mathematical operations just like the Magic Squares.

However, there are conditions that must be followed. Each number from 1-9 must only appear once in every column and once also in every row and once in each small 3 x 3 grid. Sodoku is more likely a derivation of the Latin Squares.

The Latin Square has been created by Leonard Euler, a renowned mathematician. Fundamentally, a Latin Square has a n x n table packed with letters, numbers, or symbols. And each symbol can only emerge closely once in each row and precisely once in each column. Sudoku puzzles are therefore a modified Latin Square and is developed one step further with the smaller grid limits. It increases the difficulty of the puzzle by the detail that you have to make sure that each small 3 x 3 grid has each number 1-9 only once.

Moreover, Sudoku puzzles are in a wide range of complexity and difficulty. The quantity of numbers given originally in the 9 x 9 matrix alters. You might think that having more numbers given at the beginning would make the puzzle easier. But in contrast, this is not always applicable because the positioning of the numbers has a great consequence on the intricacy of the puzzle game.

Sudoku is the Japanese word meaning “placement puzzle”. It became popular in Japan in the 1980’s. but before that, there was a puzzle maker in the United States by the name of Howard Garnes who created the very first puzzle which is similar to it. It was formerly called “number place” as an alternative of Sodoku. After that, it was published and featured in Logic problems and math puzzles.

So how can you actually become a sodoku solver? You must have patience and logical abilities to solve the puzzle in no time. The trial and error method is not a good technique in this game. Different persons have various techniques as well as strategies to solve this puzzle game.

Some create their own methods and share it to other Sodoku players around the world. And they communicate through the web. They are many sites online and you can be active in their forums and know more on how to solve it.

Basically, you can begin at any place in the puzzle. But according to many, it is better to start focusing on the top three smaller grids. Then look at the preliminary numbers and start with the number 1.

After that, check if a number 1 appears in the other two smaller grids. Next, locate cells in these minor grids where you can probably place a number 1 while still following the necessary conditions.

Furthermore, you will also have to take into thought 3 x 3 grids that are connected to the specified grid. Sudoku is a very brainy puzzle game that will occasionally make you feel like you are going nowhere.

However, it is good that you practice on various puzzles to make you discover some techniques and methods to efficiently solve the puzzle immediately. A Sodoku solver will continue to work on his strategies to become better.

Friday, October 23, 2009

What’s In with Sudoku Shack?

Many people are asking “What’s so interesting about the Sudoku game?” Imagine, this is simply a logic game in a form of puzzle but it has vastly gained popularity.

This is a game for people who find satisfaction every time they use their logic in playing. Sudoku is incomparable to other forms of puzzle game because it is not only an interesting pastime for anyone but as well as being brain draining. You enjoy the game at the same time you learn and exercise your mind.

Moreover, according to surveys there are two main reasons why people became inclined in playing Sudoku. First, it is challenging because it can be played from ridiculously easy to fiendishly difficult levels. Secondly, it is only composed of the numeral digits from 1 to 9 so it won’t require you to do any mathematical solutions. You just need to use your logical skill.

Typically, for beginners, they follow a few pointers in playing Sudoku not to win the puzzle game easily but to learn more techniques. In Sudoku, one must resist the temptation of guessing because it will not help at all times. Rather, a player should always utilize his logic.

Besides the excitement brought by a Sudoku game for the enthusiasts, they are also patronizing products that feature various Sudoku stuff. Some are the SudokuShack shirts and caps that are made from the United States. Other products can be purchased in the leading stores in your place while you can also have your shopping online.

Sudoku game is not only available in your magazines and printed materials it is likewise accessible online. Sudoku shack for instance is one of the websites offering everything about the puzzle game. It serves as a Sudoku solver or you can also download your Sudoku games here.

Both teens and adults are getting pleasure in playing Sudoku. It offers simple rules that can easily be learned by beginners. With a simple roll or click on your mouse, you can reveal the solution that you need most.

Another interesting fact about playing the puzzle game in Sudoku shack is that it provides Sudoku tutorials. This is especially designed for people who are just starting to explore the game. This is one way to ensure that they are keeping track of the basic rules and strategies they need to learn about the Sudoku game.

Sudoku game usually lasts for 10 to 30 minutes. It depends on the speed and the capability of the player. Typically, if you are a beginner it will take you quite a longer time but if you are an experienced Sudoku player you can finish the game even beyond the allotted time.

Sudoku Shack is also uploaded with the latest features of Sudoku games that will surely provide the player with more challenging puzzle games. One is the Super Sudoku that is considered as a new version of Sudoku. It is different from the archetypal Sudoku because it uses the computer number based hexadecimal using letters instead of numbers.

Along with Sudoku games that can be seen on the website are varieties of puzzle games such as the Crystal Power and the Brick Shooter. Those are both puzzle games but these differ in the manner of playing.

Sudoku is a known game not only for people who has the capacity to think and move fast but it is for everybody who enjoys puzzle game and taking their most precious time in doing them. This is indeed a game for children and even up to the grand masters.

More and more subscribers are patronizing Sudoku Shack because of the favorable services they offer for the players of Sudoku puzzle. The players’ cannot ask for more once they are subscribed to the website because they can already find there everything from the problem to the solution. They do not have a hard time anymore in searching for a solver.

So, what are you waiting for? If you want to experience fun in playing the Sudoku game, you can always visit Sudoku Shack. This is a home for all your inquiries about Sudoku game. This is where you can begin your passion for becoming a Sudoku enthusiast. Whether you are just a beginner or an experienced player, Sudoku Shack is there.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Sudoku Solutions: Helpful for Some, Boring for Others

Many players of the Sudoku find this puzzle game very difficult to solve. However, because of the clever minds of most players, they have created techniques, strategies and solutions to make the game simple.

The following are some of those solutions the players have made in solving any levels of the Sudoku puzzle game.

1. Scanning

This solution is executed at the start and all throughout the game. Scans should be done for many times in the middle of studying the puzzle. There are actually two basic techniques involved in scanning they are:

• Cross-hatching – This is scanning of rows and columns to know which line holds a numbers that should be removed. The process is repeated in rows and columns. For an accurate result, the numbers should be scanned based on their frequency. It is very necessary to do this process in order to check all the 1 to 9 numbers.

• Counting – This technique is performed to know what the missing numbers are. In order to have a fast result, counting should be done based on the last number revealed.

While the scanning is performed, advanced solvers are searching for possibilities. They do it by narrowing the location of each number in a row or column.

Most challenging puzzle games have many possibilities that need to be discovered. These possibilities might be in many directions or intersections. The puzzles that need only the solution for scanning in order to be solved are categorized as the easy puzzle. On the contrary, difficult puzzle can also be solved by using scanning but still, it requires the discovery of possibilities.

2. Marking Up

Scanning is usually stopped when there are no numbers that can be detected. From this, it is important to use some logical analysis. Most players find it helpful to lead the analysis by marking up the possible numbers in the empty boxes. There are two famous notations in marking up, they are:

• Subscript – The possible numbers are written in subscript in the box. The disadvantage to this is that Sudoku puzzle found in newspapers or magazines are normally too small to contain the subscripts. Therefore, it is suggested that if you are going to use this notation, you should make a bigger copy of the puzzle or use a finely pointed pencil.

• Dots – the advantage of this is that it can be used on original puzzles. When using the notation, you need to have dexterity in order to put the dots. Misplaced or unintended dots may lead the player to confusion.

3. Analyzing

The following are the two basic approaches for analyzing:

• Elimination – This is the way of eliminating possible numbers from one box or more to have only one option. After getting each answer, it would be good to perform another scan. This is made to know the effect of the last number placed in. There are several elimination tactics. The commonly used among these tactics is the unmatched candidate removal. Boxes with similar sets of possible numbers are a match if the number of the possible numbers is equal to the numbers of boxes having them.

• What if – In this approach, a box containing only two possible numbers is chosen and a guess is completed. The steps already mentioned are repeated except if a same number is found in the same box. If duplication happens, the alternative candidate number is the solution. In logical expressions, this is what called as the reduction ad absurdum. This kind of approach requires a pencil and an eraser. Logical perfectionist may frown about this approach because of its many trial and error test. However, this approach can draw out solutions faster.

It is not necessary to combine techniques in order to solve the Sudoku. These may prevent the drawbacks of the above solutions, which for most players can be very uninteresting. The counting of the rows and columns can also bore the seasoned Sudoku players. Writing down the possible numbers in an empty box can also consume more time. In addition, the what-if approach can be very puzzling unless the players know how to organize.

The best solution for solving the Sudoku is to search for techniques that do not require more counting, marking out and analyzing.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Rules in Playing Sudoku

If you’re fond of playing puzzles, solving math problems, and think logic reasoning you can actually combine them all in playing the Sudoku puzzle.

For you to know, sudoku was first seen in a magazine published in New York in the late 70’s by specialist puzzle publisher Dell Magazines under the name of Number Place. “Su” means number in Japanese, and “doku” means the single place on the puzzle board so that each numeral can be fitted into. Although its name sounds like Japanese, its origins came from Europe and America in which the game shows the very best in thinking and reasoning. Sudoku initially caught Japan in 1986 and gained international prominence in 2005. Unlike many other games that were known within the span of time, nothing can beat Sudoku’s challenge.

Sudoku, commonly known as the Number Place, is a logic type placement puzzle. The aim of the puzzle is to place numerical digits from 1 to 9 in each cell of a 9x9 grids that is made up of 3x3 subgrids or regions. To start playing the game, you are given in some empty cells numerals which are called “givens”. The goal of the puzzle is to put the numbers 1-9 to which it must contain only once in each subgrids, rows, and columns.

Basic rules

Rules in playing the game are very simple:

• Sudoku is played over a 9x9 grid, divided in 3x3 subgrid.
• Begins the play with some given numerals from 1-9 that are placed in grid cells.
• A number can only appear once on each row.
• A numeral can only appear once on each column.
• Digit can only appear once on each region.

Now you finally know the basic rules in playing the game, but you’re really just starting the process of making solutions to how finish the game. There are some solutions methods that can help you and these are:

• Scanning- it can be performed from the very beginning and throughout the solution process. Scanning basically has two techniques, first the cross-hatching. Cross-hatching technique can identify which line in a particular region may contain a digit that can be eliminated. The second is counting the region, columns and rows in identifying missing numbers. Counting based upon the last digit discovered may actually speed up the corresponding search.

• Marking Up- the candidate numbers are simply written in subscript in the cell. The disadvantage of this is that some first puzzles are printed in magazines and newspapers which are usually small to accommodate many preferred numbers. Unlike to some newly designed Sudoku game board, all inputs are done electronically. You can also use a pattern of dots within the cell, wherein the position of the dot corresponds a number from 1-9. Dot notation can be an advantage to a sudoku that is printed in paper. In playing sudoku in print, using a sharp pencil with an eraser is highly recommended.

• By Analysis- you can approach the game by either “candidate elimination or “what if”. In candidate elimination, numerals from one or more cells are eliminated and leaving just one choice. After each answer is placed, another scan can be done. You can check to see the effect of the contingencies. In “what if” approach, a cell can be placed with two candidate numbers then a guess should be made.

Difficulty ratings

Published Sudoku puzzles are ranked depending of rate of difficulty. For you to understand, the numbers that are given has nothing to do on a puzzle’s difficulty. A sudoku puzzle with less number of givens may be very easy for you to solve. A sudoku puzzle with more number of givens can still be very difficult for you to solve as the difficulty rate of the puzzle depends on the relevance and positioning of the given numerals rather than the number of given placed in the grids.

Computer solvers find the range of difficulties for a human to find a certain solution, based on the complexity of the techniques needed. For in this kind of estimation allows publishers to take Sudoku puzzles to be very demanding. Some sort of publications rate their Sudoku puzzles into four levels are “easy”, “intermediate”, “hard”, and “challenging” are set.

So, by playing the “fastest growing puzzle in the world”, you can be sure to challenge your way of thinking and have fun in the process.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Tricks and Tips for Sudoku Puzzle

Sudoku puzzle is available in all forms of media, like in newspapers, magazines, books and in the internet world. This is how fast Sudoku achieves its popularity for a short period of time.

It is a fact that from the time that the game came into existence, Sudoku became vastly well-known to people in all walks of life. Even the history of Sudoku can tell that most of the individuals with a high rank in the ancient hierarchy of the society were hooked to the pleasure of playing Sudoku.

What makes people so fond about Sudoku? Is it really different from all other types of puzzle games?

Sudoku puzzle according to the expert players of the game does not involve any mathematical concept. Yes, there is of course the use of numbers but you will not utilize any operation. Simply, you are going to solve the puzzle with the use of your reasoning skill and your logical way of thinking. Isn’t it challenging?

The three words people use to describe the game are fun, challenging and addictive. Remember the time that play station and some computer games were introduced, you see how people respond to its demand because both the young individuals and the professionals enjoy the pleasure of the game. With Sudoku, you will exactly feel the same.

Typically, Sudoku puzzle will take you to thirty minutes for you to solve the game and that is already the maximum time. However, if you are just beginner with Sudoku puzzle, you cannot expect yourself to finish that game within the given period. There are times that it will take you an hour in solving the problem.

There are four important pointers that you need to put in your mind when you try Sudoku puzzle. If you will follow the said tips, rest assured that you will totally enjoy the game. This is most particularly for starters who is aiming for winning Sudoku puzzle with their first attempt.

1. Getting started.

It is just natural for a beginner to commit some faults. In all kinds of games, there is no proper or wrong move for a starter. Nevertheless, as much as possible if you can hit the right one then better do so because it will help you to end up winning. As you play the game, you will find that you will understand the concept behind it and how it is played.

Be sure that you always consider every move that you take. All the columns and the rows are treated as important factors of the puzzle. You should not be bothered if the numbers started to rumble, always be optimistic that there is always a way for you to arrange the number into its proper places.

Just learn to focus on each of the numbers that you are moving because your turn on the right will affect the number on the left. On the other hand when you move upward, it will have an effect on the number downward.

2. Make progress

After being able to learn gradually your initial mistakes during your first attempt, this is now the right time for you to correct the false moves that you have committed. Notice that the ordering of every number in the boxes is very important. Likewise, arranging it orderly is a factor. Seeing that there are only three boxes left, do not be too much confident because it serves no guarantee that you will now win the game. Your focus is still a very vital aspect that you have to bear in mind.

3. Reaching out.

On the third pointer, you are now nearly approaching your goal. Almost all of the boxes are filled in and only few numbers are also not on its proper order. This is now the point that you need to make an extra effort, because one false move can disrupt the entire cells. The interaction and interplay that will take place are endless. So, as you go with the flow of the game you will discover the right things for you to do.

4. Take your success where you can.

In Sudoku, it does not matter where you start as long as you know where you are supposed to end. You will be the one to determine your success.

Remember that playing sudoku has no time pressure at all. Make use of your brain and you will surely win it. Besides, it is a puzzle and it’s supposed to stimulate your brain. What’s the point of being a puzzle if it’s too easy to solve.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

The History of the Sudoku Number Puzzle Game

Sudoku is one of the most addictive number puzzle games to hit the puzzle world. Millions of people from all walks of like have caught up with the Sudoku puzzle game in every form and version that exists today. People can play this by themselves, or against another person in a timed game.

So you have to ask… what is this Sudoku game anyway?

Sudoku was invented in 1979 by a 74–year old retired architect named Howard Garnes, who was also a freelance puzzle maker. It was a puzzle that had a grid that was partially filled with numbers. The solver had to fill in the rest of the squares with the right combination of numbers. The game first appeared on the New York publication Dell Pencil Puzzles and Word Games under the name Number Place.

Number Place was introduced in Japan in April 1984 by the Nikoli company in its paper, the Monthly Nikolist. Kaji Maki, Nikoli’s president, named the game “Suuji wa dokushin ni kagiru”, meaning the number must be single, or the number must occur only once. Later, the name was abbreviated to Sudoku. In 1986, two innovations to the game were introduced by Nikoli:
a) a maximum of 32 numbers will be given in each puzzle; and
b) the numbers were distributed in rotationally balanced squares.

These innovations made Sudoku very popular with puzzle solvers. Though Sudoku is currently published in almost all mainstream publications in Japan, like the Asahi Shimbun, Nikoli has the copyright to the name Sudoku.

Due to the similarity of the logic behind Sudoku and the legendary Rubik’s Cube, Sudoku was dubbed as “The 21st Century Rubik’s Cube”.

The first computer version of Sudoku was Digit Hunt, created by Loadstar/Softdisk Publishing and released on the Commodore 64 console platform in 1989.

Another running version that still exists is Single Number, which was created by Yoshimitsu Kanai. Single Number is a computerized puzzle generator that first appeared in 1995 for the Apple Macintosh PC platform. A PDA version appeared in 1996, and the most recent version for the Mac OS–X appeared just last 2005.

Dell Magazines still publishes Number Place. But it has added two new Sudoku magazines, Original Sudoku, which highlights the original version of Number Place, and Extreme Sudoku, which is a more difficult version of the original game. Kappa publications prints the Nikoli Sudoku as Squared Away in GAMES Magazine. Various American newspapers like The Boston Globe, The Examiner, The New York Post, and USA Today also print daily puzzles of Squared Away.

Though Sudoku was very popular in Japan and the USA before, Europe virtually had no idea that the game existed. But thanks to a retired Hong Kong judge, Wayne Gould, Europe would also catch the Sudoku fever.

Gould saw a partially completed Sudoku puzzle in a Japanese bookstore in 1997. He bought the book, and created a computer program that could generate puzzles quickly and easily, developing it over 6 years in Pappocom, his software company. Then, he promoted Sudoku to the British newspaper, The Times, with knowledge regarding its history of publishing puzzles. On November 12, 2004, the first Su Doku puzzle was introduced to the Britons. Pappocom’s puzzles are being printed daily by The Times since that day.

Various British versions of Sudoku then started popping up. There was Codenumber, The Daily Mail’s version, which was derived from Michael Mepham’s puzzles, and first printed on January 19, 2005. 5 Sudoku puzzles were first printed by The Daily Telegraph of Sydney last May 20, 2005. And when the British Telegraph introduced Sudoku daily on its front pages, starting last February 23, 2005, other British newspapers started to take real interest in the game. Due to the popularity of the game, The Times published the first Sudoku book to gain its edge over competitors. Due to its popularity, Sudoku was dubbed as 2005’s "fastest growing puzzle in the world".

Sudoku conquered not only the print media, but also broadcast and electronic media! Channel 4 introduced the first TV Sudoku game last July 2005 when it included daily Sudoku puzzles in its Teletext service. The Radio Times, BBC’s program guide, started featuring Super Sudoku, a weekly puzzle game last August 2, 2005. Dutch mobile phone company Mobile Excellence International also released the first mobile phone version of Sudoku last September 2005 in Europe.

Sky One also produced the first Sudoku TV show, Sudoku Live, which started airing last July 1, 2005. Hosted by Carol Vorderman, Sudoku Live featured 9 teams composed of 9 players per team, representing different geographical regions, that had to solve the show’s puzzle. Each team had a celebrity member and 8 ordinary citizens. While the studio version was being played, home viewers had their own interactive version to play with.

CBS started the broadcasting stories regarding Sudoku, including on the Early Show last summer 2005, and on the CBS Evening News last October 26, 2005.

The US TV series HOUSE M.D. also showed Dr. House solving a Sudoku puzzle during the December 13, 2005 episode. Due to its addictive nature, Sudoku was banned on the set due to the cast constantly playing it.

Now, the Internet is teeming with millions of Sudoku versions, both online and offline, free and purchasable. With the billions of unique puzzles generated by computer programs, 2 to 4 websites will not bore a Sudoku addict for a quite a long time.

Who could’ve thought that a simple number puzzle on paper in 1979 would conquer the world like the common cold?

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Facts you Need to Know about Having a Printable Sudoku

Sudoku is really the puzzle game that is meant for those individuals who want to play with numbers and logic. Given puzzles with varying difficult level, you might spend the whole day assigning the numbers 1 to 9 in the grid or you may extend your solving activity the next day. You need to have enough patience or else the Sudoku puzzle will make you go nuts.

A typical Sudoku puzzle game is composed of 81 cells which is the product of 9 rows and 9 columns. Furthermore, the puzzle is also divided into 9 sub-grids which contain 3 x 3 cells for each sub-grid. The rule is very simple. At the start of the game, 30 or more cells are initially filled up with the numbers from 1 to 9 (initially filled-up cells varies according to the difficulty level of the puzzle).

All you have to do is to fill up the remaining cells with numbers 1 to 9 to complete the puzzle. However, you need to satisfy the rule that “all numbers should only appear on each column, row, and sub-grid”. For instance, if you place the number 8 on the 4th row and 2nd column of the puzzle, such number should not appear again on that particular row and column. At the same manner, such number should not also appear twice on the sub-grid it is assigned to. Such rule makes the puzzle take some time to be completed.

So how can you access Sudoku puzzles? You can get it only weekend editions of some newspapers and magazines in your locality. If it does not satisfy you, you can surf the Internet and look out for the sites which offers free online play on their Sudoku puzzles.

However, since it will take time solving a single Sudoku puzzle especially if you are just a beginner, it is quite impractical that you do your problem-solving activity in front of your personal computer. In addition, you also want to play the Sudoku game even there is no Internet connectivity or you are outside of your house. In this case, all you need is a printable Sudoku puzzle.

So how can you have a printable Sudoku puzzle? There are thousands of websites which offer free printable Sudoku puzzle. All you have to do is to locate them through search engines and presto! You will be revealed to related sites on Sudoku. Select one, and download a Sudoku puzzle of your choice. After downloading the selected puzzle from the site to your personal computer, you can now print it to produce hard copy of your Sudoku puzzle.

Most of downloadable Sudoku puzzle in these sites are on PDF format so it is important that you have an Acrobat Reader to display the puzzle correctly. In case you do not have an Acrobat Reader, you can download one for free in the Internet.

In case downloading is not your choice yet you want to have free copy of your Sudoku puzzle, there are daily syndication available on several Sudoku websites. All you have to do is to subscribe to those sites free of charge, and they will be sending straight to your e-mail inbox their Sudoku puzzle for the day.

However, they will just be sending you the puzzle for that certain day. In case you want to have more Sudoku puzzles send to you, just visit the Archive section and select the puzzle you want send on your e-mail. After retrieving its contents from your e-mail, you can print it and have the hard copy of your Sudoku puzzle.

Printable Sudoku is relatively advantageous compared to online Sudoku puzzles. Since it is now in hard copy, you can now bring it anywhere you want. You do not have to bring your laptop or have an Internet connectivity just to play Sudoku. You can also produce more hard copies for each of the family members so that all of you will enjoy completing the Sudoku puzzle with fun and teamwork as well.

Have your Sudoku puzzle printed and let everybody learn the game. Not only all of you will have fun, but your patience and problem-solving techniques will develop. Enjoy playing your printed Sudoku puzzle!

Monday, October 5, 2009

Print a Sudoku Puzzle: Test your Logic and Number Skills

Have passion in playing logic and numbers? Maybe you are now an expert when it comes to Rubik’s cube or the magic square. But have you already tested your logic and number skills in a Sudoku game? Whether you are unfamiliar with this game or you have already spent 2 days solving a single Sudoku puzzle, then this article is just right for you.

About Sudoku

Also known as Number Place, Sudoku is a logic-based placement puzzle. The puzzle is composed of a 9 x 9 grid which is further divided into nine 3 x 3 sub-grids or also known as regions. Before you start completing the puzzle, you are given some cells that are initially filled up with numbers from 1 to 9 (number of cells initially filled-up depends on the difficulty level of the puzzle).

The main objective of this game is to completely fill-up all the remaining vacant cells with the numbers 1 to 9 provided that you adhere to the “single number per direction” rule of the game. That is, every column, row, and sub-grid (which is referred to as the direction) must contain only one instance of each number. For instance, you have an initially-placed number 5 at the 5th column and on the 7th row of the puzzle. Such number must only appear once on that particular column and row. Furthermore, it must also appear only once on its assigned sub-grid or region.

Print a Sudoku

Because of the complexity of the “single number per direction” rule of Sudoku, many beginners are having a hard time completing it in matter of a single day. That is why most Sudoku beginners are encouraged to have a hard copy of a Sudoku puzzle so that they can spend more time solving it without actually logging on their personal computer.

Even easy puzzles are difficult to complete, so it would be impractical if you will be solving it in front of your computer especially if you are playing a Sudoku puzzle online. A printed Sudoku puzzle is advisable for Sudoku players especially for beginners.

All you have to do is to locate Sudoku sites that offer printable Sudoku puzzles through search engines. Download it in your personal computer. After download, you can now print and produce more copies so that other family members can get involve in solving Sudoku puzzles.

Most of downloadable Sudoku puzzles are on PDF format. Your computer must have an Acrobat Reader software in order to display it correctly. In case you do not have an Acrobat Reader, you can download it for free on the Internet.

Here are some of the common versions of Sudoku puzzles which you can download from the Internet and print in your personal computer.

• Classic Sudoku- this is the regular Sudoku puzzle that is described earlier in this article. It features varying levels of complexity that will attest your patience and determination in completing it. You can also have the strategies and hints as well as the solution to be downloaded and printed for immediate reference.

• Monster Sudoku- it is quite different from the classic Sudoku game. It is made up of a 16 x 16 grid (instead of the normal 9 x 9 grid), 4 x 4 sub-grids (instead of the 3 x 3 sub-grids), and 256 cells. In addition, the mechanics are now different. In a standard Sudoku puzzle, you will only be placing the numbers 1 to 9 for the remaining unfilled cells. In a Monster Sudoku, you will now place numbers form 1 to 16 and letters from A to F in each cell, column, row, and 4 x 4 sub-grids. However, the same rules as the classic Sudoku game still apply on the Monster Sudoku.

• Kids Sudoku- it is a puzzle designed for kids of age above seven years old to develop their logic skills and at the same time having fun solving the puzzle. This type of puzzle is very easy compared to the intermediate Sudoku puzzle.

• Squiggly Sudoku- the same mechanics and rules as the classic Sudoku puzzle still apply in this game. The only difference is instead of a grid, it is now divided into 9 different shapes.

Aside from individual Sudoku puzzles, there are also free printable Sudoku books on the Web. It contains at least 25 puzzles per book which is classified as easy and medium difficulty puzzles. These free printable Sudoku books are in PDF format so you need to have Acrobat Reader software in your personal computer.

Test your logic and number skills now and start printing hard copies of Sudoku puzzles for you and other family members.

Friday, October 2, 2009

Play Sudoku Online on these 5 great Sudoku Websites!

Sudoku is an abbreviation of the Japanese phrase “Suuji wa dokushin ni kagiru”, which means “the digits must remain single”. Sudoku was designed by Howard Garnes, a 74–year old architect and freelance puzzle maker, and was first published in 1979 in a New York puzzle magazine, Dell Pencil Puzzles and Word Games. It was first entitled as Number Place.

Japanese paper Monthly Nikolist first printed Number Place on April 1984 as “Suuji wa dokushin ni kagiru”, as named by Kaji Maki, the president of the Nikoli company. To this day, Nikoli holds the copyright to the name Sudoku. Other publications use other names for Sudoku.

Sudoku is played on a 9X9 grid, with 3x3 subgrids referred to as regions, boxes, blocks, or even quadrants. In each box, some cells already have numbers, called given, or clues. A player has to place a number in each of the empty squares of the box in such a way that the box contains the numbers 1 to 9 exactly once.

Take note that each puzzle has only one valid solution.

Sudoku has successfully invaded publications all over the world, from newspapers to puzzle books. Now, you can play Sudoku even on your computer or mobile phone! Online versions of Sudoku can be found almost everywhere on the Internet, complete with random puzzles, solving tips, and even different downloadable versions of the game itself! The following are just some of the websites that offer you a chance to play the addictive number puzzle game, Sudoku.

1) www.websudoku.com

This site lets you play Sudoku on 4 different levels of difficulty: Easy, Medium, Hard, and Evil (obviously the VERY DIFFICULT level). A randomly generated puzzle from billions of puzzles will be presented to players every time the site is first accessed. You can choose your level of play and have the site generate a different puzzle. A clicking a button allows you to see how well you have solved the current puzzle. Each row or column that has wrong inputted numbers will be highlighted red. You can even download PC and mobile phone versions of the game here! Plus lots of other helpful Sudoku stuff can be found here.

2) http://www.dkmsoftware.com/sudoku/

You can play Sudoku online here. Choose from 4 difficulty levels: Easy, Medium, Hard, and Supreme. You can save or load a specific puzzle that you have played here. For those who love to create puzzles, or want to try making one, this site allows you to do that. You can download the Pocket PC free trial version, or the full version for $11.95. The site also has a desktop PC version of Sudoku, which has a free trial version, and the $14.95 full version.

This site has a variation of Sudoku, named Sudoku Sniper. This version allows you to play against another human as both of you try to solve a puzzle simultaneously. You can download the trial version for free, or the Pocket PC full version for $11.95.

3) www.miniclip.com

Even the most popular website of mini–games offers its patrons and other players it’s own version of Sudoku. This online version has cute, smooth graphics. You can place the numbers on the empty squares using the mouse, or the numberpad on your keyboard. You can even discuss anything about the game on miniclip.com’s forums page. You can even print a simple black and white copy of the puzzle you are playing! Miniclip offers help on the game, and lets you post your score on the online scoreboard to see how you well you did compared to other gamers.

4) www.fingertime.com

This website also offers a simple graphical version of Sudoku that you should play online. Click and hold the mouse button on an empty square, select the number you want to place, and release the button. If the number is wrong, the square will be red. If the number you’ve selected should be placed on nearby squares, the game will automatically load them. The keyboard can also be used to play this game. Playing tips are offered here. A new puzzle is generated daily, and the solution to the previous day’s puzzle can be seen the next day. You can see your score on the online leaderboard.

5) http://www.sudokufun.com/

This site is a SPEED SITE! A random puzzle is generated everyday. Players, registered or not, can try and solve the puzzle at the fastest time possible. Solve the puzzle using your mouse and keyboard, enter any name, and submit your solution. The site will tell you if your solution is wrong. The puzzle will be changed once 7 players were able to solve the current puzzle. Results as to the fastest times will not be posted until the puzzle has been solved by 7 people so the excitement and tension here is high! Tons of Sudoku stuff are also available here, particularly for registered users. Registration is free so check this out.

There are tons of sites that will let you play Sudoku online. Feel free to browse the web. For now, these 5 sites will give your HOURS of Sudoku playing time and LOTS of SUDOKU resources. Enjoy yourself and good luck!

Monday, September 28, 2009

Where Can you Get your Sudoku Puzzle of the Day?

Want to fill up your boring day with a brain-teasing activity? Maybe you might Sudoku a good try. It can not just make your brain work. Depending on the puzzle that you have selected, you may even work with it through out the rest of the day.

Sudoku- An Overview

For those who are still unfamiliar with this puzzle game yet want to make it as a part of their hobby during past time, continue reading this section. Sudoku is an abbreviation of a Japanese phrase “Suuji wa dokushin ni kagiru” which literally means “the digits must remain single”. This logic puzzle is made up of 81 cells formed by a 9 x 9 grid. This grid is made up of 9 3 x 3 sub-grids often called as regions. Some cells are filled up with numerals often called as givens or clues.

The puzzle will be solved if you can fill up all the remaining empty cells, one numeral on each cell, such that each column, row, and region contains the numerals 1 to 9 exactly once. Therefore, each numeral will only be appearing once in each given direction or scope, hence satisfying the meaning of the Sudoku game itself.

Either you are just a beginner or a regular Sudoku fan, you should know the common facts which constitute a Sudoku puzzle. It will serve as your guide in solving every Sudoku puzzle you will encounter. These are the following:

• A Sudoku have always 30 cells or less already filled up with numerals out of the total 81 cells. For beginners, there are more than 30 cells already filled up to give a good head start while learning the puzzle. However, it does not necessarily mean that more cells already filled up are easy to begin with. There are difficult puzzle pieces that are available with 30 or more cells filled in. It will require more solving techniques to use in order to complete them.

• Sudoku are solved by entirely logical deduction. For beginners, they tend to solve the puzzle by means of trial and error or guessing. That is why it is recommended that you learn the solving techniques in order to reduce your dependence on guesswork. It is not the way you should solve a Sudoku puzzle.

• For aesthetic reasons, a Sudoku puzzle normally employs the so-called rotational symmetry. That is, the positions of the cells which are initially filled up are the same if you will be turning the page round.

• An individual Sudoku puzzle contains only one solution. Although you use different solving techniques in completing the puzzle, you will still be arriving on the same solution.

Sudoku Puzzle of the Day Resources

So you want to try your logic intelligence in solving a Sudoku puzzle. But what are the possible resources of a Sudoku puzzle for the day? Have a check on the following resources where you can get the he Sudoku puzzle for the day.

• Newspapers and Magazines. Although most of these newspapers and magazines do not publish a Sudoku puzzle on a daily basis, they are publishing one during weekends. So in case you want to have a Sudoku puzzle, ideal newspaper or magazine edition to purchase is during Friday.

• Internet. If you are not contented for a weekend Sudoku puzzle solving, you can have visit the Web and look for sites which offers Sudoku puzzles. They have regular Sudoku puzzles posted on a daily basis. In addition, each Sudoku of the day puzzle features different levels: easy, medium, difficult, and very difficult.

• Daily Syndication. If you have your own site and you want to include a Sudoku of the day for your visitors to keep occupied with, you can now paste it directly to your site. All you have to do is to visit the sites offering HTML codes for these Sudoku puzzles of the day and copy and paste the HTML code snippet into your web page code. In addition, you can also choose the Sudoku puzzle that you want to appear on your site.

• E-mail. You can now get your Sudoku for the day straight from your e-mail inbox. You just need to sign-up for a Sudoku puzzle and it will be sent to you in a HTML e-mail with the accompanying puzzle as a PNG image as an attachment. In each e-mail that you will receive, you will provided a link back to site you have subscribed with to get access with the solution and various hints to complete the puzzle.

Enhance your problem-solving skills through completing the Sudoku puzzle of the day!

Friday, September 25, 2009

Sudoku: Is it Just a Game of Logic?

Over the years, the Sudoku game has gained great popularity. If you often play the game, then you have probably have an idea why the game is such extraordinary and fun to play. If you haven’t played the game, on the other hand, surely you will be asking a lot of questions about the unusual puzzle.

I’ll bet that when you first heard of the puzzle, the first thing that comes to your mind is mathematics. Well, the game does not have anything to do with mathematics or math skills. The puzzle is basically a logic exercise and it just all about of logic. The numbers comprising the game will have nothing to do about addition, multiplication, subtraction and division stuffs. The Sudoku puzzle doesn’t require such fundamentals. The game has to do with logic itself alone.

Sudoku puzzle requires logical reasoning and provides your brain cells a lot of pretty fine workout. However, let me back you a little bit. You basically need to fill up corresponding numbers to the puzzle grid. Every column and row should contain of any digit ranging from 1 to 9. The easiest way to understand is maybe to check and browse on through online sites wherein there are posted ideas and information of the game’s basics. It’s absolutely amazingly easy to play.

There is really no proper place to play the Sudoku puzzle. One can when shut his eyes and simply just start putting your finger on the game, and that would be a right place as any. Possible the most rational and logical place to begin is any place in a column, row or any square which has a few numbers inside it.

The aid of simple logic to the puzzle needs only focused visual analysis along with a mind question if certain number can go to the box. I presume that the most essential distinct is that Sudoku is a logic puzzle. It is not a puzzle of obscure knowledge as well as literate mischievousness. Logic is not much as your bag. You will probably choose to mingle with one’s valuable, careful creation than interact with a buck of numbers argued out by computer software.

The reality that you need to decipher the puzzle only with the aid of logic also entails a particular solution. For the game to have numerous solutions, the logic though alone cannot help you put in numbers in the boxes. Sometimes, it is better to ignore logic and just simply presume or make a guess. Furthermore, if your presumption is correct, you will still need to think back and make other presumptions for you to make sure that no right guesses were made. You should only rely on the presumptions that were made incorrectly, given that such guesses could be incorrect for the entire solutions and so in the long run you will be having a set of boxes which may not be decisively filled. Thus, there is basically nothing left from the guesses of a distinct solution.

In fact, there is nothing logical in doubting the distinctness of the solution. You could believe it every piece and also you can believe whatever on the first board whether if it is a legitimate Sudoku puzzle or an invalid one. If the initial circumstances are incorrect, the outcome will be incorrect. If there are numerous solutions, even a monster force would be unsuccessful to get rid of other candidates.

Most puzzle solvers differentiate between puzzles that are deciphered with logic alone and puzzles that are solved by guesses or trial-and-error technique. Solving by logic, you will not put in a number into a square until you have thought about it or you have proven that such number is right for that position. When guessing, on the other hand, you will write a number hesitantly and just discover the consequences, you will probably be backtracking, not consider your number choice then put in another. A backtracker can work with a pencil and eraser while a logic solver requires a pen.

The peculiarity between logic and guessing appears to be a potential criterion for assessing the Sudoku puzzle difficulty. However, it is vague though that the peculiarity does exist.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Sudoku Hints: The Secret to Solving the Sudoku

Are you tired of your boring routine? Do you want a challenging game that will really keep you busy for at least a whole day? Perhaps you want a pastime that will really test your logical skills. Then, why not play the Sudoku game.

For those people who still do not have an idea, Sudoku puzzles are number games of about completing a 9 x 9 grid with numbers. The puzzle also has a 3 x 3 block, which should contain numbers from 1 to 9. The numbers however, must appear only once and not more than that.

In a Sudoku puzzle, any number from 1 to 9 must occur once in each row, column and block. At the start of the puzzle, players are already provided with initial set of numbers. It would be great if there were more numbers already filled in. This is because the lesser numbers provided, the harder it is to start the puzzle and finish it.

A person can be a good player of Sudoku by playing and practicing the game correctly. Once a player familiarizes him/herself with the basics of the puzzle, it is expected that he or she can get advanced techniques and hints. These hints are helpful for the player since it can make the puzzle lighter and easier to do.

When Getting Started

As a player, you must ensure that a good Sudoku challenge is available in front of you – may it be a piece of software on your computer or any free Sudoku sites. The following are some of the best hints ever used in completing the Sudoku puzzle.

• Scanning the Puzzle

Look at each row, column or block which are already filled with numbers. Know which of the numbers are left to be filled in. You can see the numbers used for each line, column or row and eliminate them from the possibilities. See which numbers do no exist yet vertically and horizontally and you can eliminate the possibilities. As you go along, you can just interchange the choices.

• Mark Up your Place

If there are possible numbers remained to be placed in a cell, write them above the cell and return to it again when you have already placed in more numbers. Usually, when more boxes have already been filled in, you can remove other possible numbers in order to have the right number. Slowly but surely you can get the right numbers in. Just be patient, attentive and alert.

• Educated and Careful Guessing

Although in some instances, logic can really be a great help. However, in some point, there is nothing wrong with guessing. When you already have filled in all the possible numbers in the box, use the first two hints. In this way, you will have an idea about the possible numbers that you should put in the remaining empty cells.

Put a possible number in an empty cell and begin working on the other empty cells in the puzzle. In some point, you will know if your guess is correct (which is good for you!) or wrong (too bad, try again). However, you must be careful since you are getting close to completing the entire puzzle.

• Do Not Be Afraid to Ask Experts

It is known that most expert already know a whole lot about Sudoku – from the techniques, solutions, strategies and hints. Remember, they will not be an expert for no reason. This means that they had already solved different levels of the Sudoku game. Therefore, it will not be difficult for them to explain the hints they used every time they play the Sudoku puzzle.

If you want to look for the simpler hints, there are also books and guides that are being offered in the market. These books and guides are useful especially for the beginners who would want to experience the challenge of the Sudoku. Otherwise, you can always visit any Sudoku website and look for the best hints available.

The Sudoku hints given above are only some of the many hints usually used by most Sudoku players. By carefully following them, it is assured that you can start the game easily and end it successfully. As we exercise our body, we should also exercise our brains, Sudoku is a great way to do just that.

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Sudoku Game: A Worldwide Trend that Tends to Stay Forever

Have you ever heard of the Sudoku game? If you do, then you must be following all the trends that are happening around you. Anyway, who does not know anything about it? The children, youth and the elder know how to play the Sudoku game.

Sudoku game is a new Japanese puzzle game that is taking the entire world by storm. It started as an unknown game but it already conquered Japan on the 80s. Today, there are over a million players who play for it every month on the internet.

For those people who do not know the Sudoku game, it is basically a game of numbers from 1 to 9. You have to start with a 9 x 9 grid which is divided into 9, 3 x 3 boxes.

The first grid should have series of numbers which is scattered in each row and column in random order. There is a technique behind this silly game. First, have to make sure that you have all the numbers from 1 to 9 in every row and/or column. And second, you should not have two same numbers in each 9 x 9 grid.

This may be a bit confusing (as it is a puzzle), but when you see and play the Sudoku game, you will realize that it has a great sense.

Once you begin with a Sudoku game, it is expected that you will find it very difficult to stop. Most players are not at first a great fun of puzzles and crosswords but, the time they started to play for it, they were hooked up by the game. They would even make sure that they have completed the game.

What makes it very addicting is the continuous challenge it give to the players. The pre-planned trial and error matched techniques which depends mainly to the clues you have given make it easier for anyone to win.

Compared to crossword puzzle, the Sudoku game does not require you to know every word found in the dictionary. In addition, this is not as frustrating as the first one since players can always return to the basic level and focus on their speed than completing it.

For the main part, a single Sudoku game can be done from five minutes up to a couple of hours. Actually, it all depends on the level which you have chosen to play. If you chose the difficult level then, probably it will take you hours to solve it. However, the easier level can be completed within 5 minutes to an hour. This means that there is a game for all types of Sudoku game players.

The growth of this worldwide trend is fuelled by its big prizes and rewards that are beginning to rise in the Sudoku events and tournaments in the whole world. The prizes normally range from a few thousand U.S dollars up to a number of hundred dollars. This can be very pleasing if get into the Sudoku game and win it for yourself.

Luckily, since Sudoku game can be very difficult, there is software available to help you with your solution if you get stumbled on the course of the game. What you should do is to set in your solution and try to solve whether it is correct or wrong. This is the best and accurate way to know if you have the correct result or not.

On the other hand, if you are playing the Sudoku game offline (newspaper, magazine or books) what you should do is to get your pen and paper then do the traditional way of solving.

The best thing about playing a Sudoku game is that it gives a fair playing ground for everybody. A five year-old kid, a 65 year-old elder, a Math major professor and a person who do not know how to speak English can play for it and win at the end.

As a conclusion, the craze for the Sudoku game will stay forever. This is not just simple trend that will vanish after three to six months. Many people learn to love it and for sure they want to keep playing for it for the rest of their life.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Sudoku Free: Your Online Brain Teaser

Japan has created another breakthrough in online gaming and that is in the form of a number puzzle game which is known worldwide as sudoku. Sudoku for those who doesn’t know yet is a puzzle game which is patterned to crossword puzzle. The only difference is that crossword puzzle makes use of words while sudoko makes use of numbers.

Although some may think number games are boring but just wait until you try sudoku. You will form an entirely different opinion afterwards. Sudoku will take you to a new realm of puzzle solving that you can never imagine possible. I mean who would ever think that number games can be so much fun and exciting.

How to play

Sudoku is not a really complicated game in fact anybody can easily get the hang of it without really exerting a great amount of effort. And although it is a number puzzle game it does not involved math which is a good thing since not everyone likes math.

Sudoku is all about correct placement of numbers or digits. The digits range from 1 to 9. The objective of the game is to correctly place the digits into every row, every column and in every 3x3 squares. This instruction is of course very simple to comprehend and to follow.

The simplicity of sudoku is what captivates a great number of people to play it and often once they started to play they just can’t seem to stop playing. This is because solving sudoku puzzles is truly addictive. If you don’t believe me then be the judge for yourself but I’m warning you there is a big possibility for you to get hook on the game.

More on Sudoku free game puzzle…..

Since sudoku is now very popular other versions are created so players will not have to stick with the 3x3 squares which is a good thing since it removes the monotony of the game. More and more people are becoming fascinated with sudoku and it is not really surprising since it’s a great brain teaser. It makes you believe that you know the answer already but then when you applied it turns out that what you think is right is actually wrong.

Sudoku is truly a challenging game that interests you more and more every time you play it. And the great thing about this game is that it never seems to get old and outdated--- it just keeps getting better right from the first day that you play it.

Some sudoku fans are trying to find a way on how to create a program that will solve the puzzles faster and easier. So you see sudoku is not only a great pastime activity but also encourages one to think and to be creative.

There are also online competitions held by various sudoku free game providers. If you want to join you will have to register. The competition calls for speed in solving sudoku puzzles anybody who has successfully completed the puzzle in the shortest time possible is the winner. The winner’s name is posted on a leader board which is displayed on the web site.

Sudoku free game puzzles found online each have their unique solutions and does not require for players to guess. A single sudoku web site can provide at least a hundred thousand plus sudoku puzzles however there are also some web sites that provide up to a million sudoku free puzzle games. This means that players will not have to worry of running out of sudoku puzzles to solve.

So if you an aspiring sudoku winner it would be best to practice a lot and you may use sudoku free games that are readily available online for you.

Where to search for sudoku puzzle game providers?

The internet is an ideal place to search for sudoku providers. In fact there are a great number of them offering sudoku free for downloads that are compatible with mobile phones or personal computers. There are also some publications that publish sudoku free games. You may get sudoku puzzles from newspapers, magazines and the likes. There are also printable sudoku e-books that are available for all those who may want to try the wonderful world of sudoku games.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Sudoku for kids and beginners

Even your four-year old child who is eager to learn games can play sudoku for kids. In the UK, the Sudoku fever has captured the minds of the people even the kids. The sudoku game has changed the way other people look at how the game is played. In the coming years, it is expected that more and more people will learn the basics of the game and be able to make use of it in practical situations.

It is amazing that some kids can play sudoku and the fact that they have fresher minds, they can think of good strategies that are helpful as they finish the game. In the UK, more and more children have played sudoku for kids. Some of the kids who did not play sudoku have been influenced by other kids from all over the countries most especially in the UK.

Why has Sudoku become so popular that many kids want to learn how to play it? Many parents ask if their kids will benefit from playing sudoku for kids. Since sudoku games are offered for free children can easily play sudoku for kids. A child can play it at any time when they feel like playing it with anybody. Kids will of course play simple steps from the sudoku game.

But as they grow with mastering the game, they will notice that they have their own strategies and tips to use for the game. Mastering their newly learned sudoku tips can be applied successfully in the sudoku for kids and you they can simply gain more sudoku tips as you they advance in the game. Sudoku for kids do not merely let them play the game but they get the chance to practice their skills and reasoning ability even in practical applications.

This is the reason why parents have been encouraging their children to play sudoku for kids because they can use it even in school or to increase their reasoning ability to be able to cope up easily with the changing world. Children who can play Sudoko for kids easily have bigger possibilities to excel in school or at other practical applications.

Reasoning ability and planning in the sudoku for kids is not just an easy step although it can be played simply. A child can choose whether he or she is ready to advance the level of the game. Since the game is offered for free from the newspapers or online resources, he or she can choose the perfect time to play the game.

Absorbing everything that they have learned will be helpful in learning new strategies and tips for the sudoku for kid’s game. If your child is interested in playing the game that he would exchange his or her favorite TV or cartoon show, which means that your child is one of a kind and that he is talented. If your child has a passion for playing the game, encourage them to keep up their learning ability because sudoku for kids is not just any ordinary game. It is unique and can help your child enhance his or her concept of the game.

Sudoku for kids originated in Japan with the meaning of single number. Although the game was very popular in Japan, the latest craze started in the year 2004 when a newspaper in UK started publishing the puzzle in the newspapers. Who would have thought that the game will be loved by many people especially the kids?

In just a few weeks, the puzzles have been picked up in other newspapers and the sudoku game became the favorite pastime of the commuters, parents and the kids too. It would be a bit impossible to believe that the kids have learned to play the game.

The sudoku for kids can be a brainy exercise. Let your children play the game until they want to play it because there is nothing to worry about. Instead of letting your kids play video games for the whole day, he might want to try a different kind of game that is meant to challenge his young mind.

Who knows, your kids might just be the best sudoku for kids player in history!

Thursday, September 10, 2009

The Ultimate Sudoku Electronic game for you

You’re probably wondering what in the world is Sudoku electronic game.

In the past two decades, electronic games are already in every household in the United States alone where statistics from other countries are not yet determined. Electronic games amounts to million of dollars spent in buying those gadgets just to satisfy the growing popularity, especially to kids and even to adults. Electronic games can result to a game addiction without considering the time and amount of money it will cost you.

So why try playing sudoku? You’re probably expecting that it was made in Japan as people all know that this country is very advanced in computers and robotics. Electronic games in Japan are very common as you will be surprised that it can be made by their younger generation. So, you will declare that it’s just the same from other games. Why do you even have to try playing it?

For your general knowledge, sudoku electronic game is far from different in any hand-held games you’ve ever known.

Sudoku, most people indicate that it originated in Japan as the name suggests when the only thing Japanese about it is the word sudoku. For the record, it was both circulating in Japanese and American magazines early in the 1980’s and enjoyed modest success. When the time it was very popular, almost all who came across of this number puzzle were driven to a puzzle-crazy status.

However, with so many publishers and creators publicly admitting that they were the one who created the game, there were no supporting evidences that they can produce. To make the matter even more complicated, according to urban stories it was created by a group of puzzle creators from New York, while in another version, it credits a certain person named Howard Gerns, a puzzle enthusiast, as the true father of modern day sudoku.

Sudoku, as you’ll see, that it can be played with a mere pencil and paper. It goes in the past that until today it is still included in various magazines and newspapers around the globe for offering so much excitement and perseverance on how it can be solved.

As years goes by, with the advancement of technology, the game sudoku finally penetrated the electronics world. For it was known, the game can really be handy in providing the brain with utmost quickness in how to solve the very demanding game of numbers.

Gameplay

Sudoku, also known as number place, is a logic-based placement puzzle. The main objective of the puzzle is to place a numerical digit ranging from 1 to 9 only in a cell of 9x9 grids that is made up of 3x3 subgrids or regions. For you to start playing sudoku, digits will be given to you in some grids and subgrids and are called “givens”. However, in putting your preferred numerals, each row, column, and region must contain the numerals 1-9 only once. The ultimate goal is to fill all the empty cells, provided by some givens.

Solutions in playing

The strategy in solving the puzzle can be a combination of the three processes: scanning, marking up, and analyzing.

• Scanning- is performed at the start and throughout the solution. It’s better performed one time in between periods. Scanning of rows or columns to pick which line in a targeted region may contain a number by eliminating. The process is repeated in the columns or rows. This is where you will be counting from 1-9 in columns, rows, and regions to identify missing numbers. Counting based by last numeral discovered can eventually quicken the search.

• Marking Up- you can start this kind of solution if scanning was stopped and when no numbers can be discovered. This will engage in logical thinking. Many players may find it very useful in analyzing by marking the candidate numerals in empty cells. The disadvantage of this is when numerals are written only within the bound of a newspaper or a magazine, usually are too small to accommodate more candidate numerals. For if you got an electronic Sudoku game board, there are lots of option in putting the candidate numbers as well as you’re using a light pen or pointer in entering your preferred number.

• Analysis- two approaches can be made and these are: “candidate elimination” and “what if”. In candidate elimination, solution can done by successively eliminating candidate numbers from one or more empty cell in order to leave just a one choice. In “what if” approach, a cell with only two candidate digits is picked and a guess is made.

So, you’re now ready to play sudoku. It can be so much fun in challenging your brain in logic reasoning and thinking. The only thing left to do is buy your electronic sudoku game board and start playing this fun and exciting puzzle.