an image with sudoku in the backround

How To Play Sudoku in 5 Minutes or Less

You might have seen people play Sudoku, but were extremely confused as to how they were supposed to figure out what to do.

Sudoku for us is one of our favorite logic puzzle games ever and we hope that you get addicted to it once you finally understand how the game is player. So we will teach you how to play Sudoku in under 5 minutes or less.

Step 1: Learn the Rules

So Sudoku consists of 2 things: a 9x9 square board, and a bunch of numbers. As you can see, there are also 9 different 3x3 sections that will come into play when trying to complete this puzzle. So the first thing you need to know is how you are supposed to arrange the numbers on the board. each horizontal and vertical line must not have any repeating numbers.

This means that you need to have numbers 1-9 on each line. The 9 3x3 sections we mentioned earlier makes this game even harder to complete. You also can't have any repeating numbers within each 3x3 section. So you will need to make sure you don't have any repeating numbers in 3 different areas. This is what makes the game difficult.

Each time you start a new game, the numbers will be randomely generated and you will also start with a bunch of numbers already on the board. What makes it more or less difficult is amount of numbers that are already placed down onto the board when you start the game. 

Step 2: How to Play

Once you understand how the numbers are supposed to be placed down, you can start completing the puzzle. Start by scanning what numbers you have down on the board.

The best place to start is to find the 3x3 grid that has the most numbers in it. Sudoku is a game of logic, so you shouldn't need to guess where any number is. If you can't find where a number goes, move on to a new number. 

Some Sudoku games have different ways to write down numbers, so it is up to you to keep track of what numbers might go in certain spots. We personally don't use any of the writing tools since it is more enjoyable for us to figure out what goes where without the clutter on the board.

You can also look for the horizontal or vertical lines with the most numbers in it. This will make it easier for you to figure out where a specific number goes. 

Step 3: Tips and Tricks

Here are some tips and tricks to help you when you first start out.

  • Don't focus too long on the same place. This is probably obvious, but there are a ton of other numbers you can be looking at, so keep scanning the grid until you find a number you can place down.
  • Make use of the pencil markings. Most of the apps or even if you play on paper have an option for marking potential spots. There might be 2 numbers that could potentially be placed in a single spot. Write down the numbers that can potentially go in that spot for later.
  • You never have to guess. There is a definitel number for each spot, so don't place down numbers all willy-nilly. It is up to you to figure out where every number goes.
  • Keep practicing. The b est thing you can do is learn from your mistakes by just playing the game. You will make mistakes no matter how long you play the game, but you will just learn by starting from the easiest type of puzzle and go for the harder varients.
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