Killer Sudoku

Killer Sudoku

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Killer Sudoku Rules

Killer Sudoku Solving Strategies

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Killer Sudoku Rules

The rules of killer sudoku, like all good puzzles, are pretty simple. But this certainly doesn't mean that the puzzle itself is simple.

First, you might be wondering why the puzzle has such a dramatic name 'killer' sudoku? Well, the reason is simply that they are generally harder to solve than normal sudoku. This is because you start with less givens, in fact normally zero, so have all 81 cells to place values in rather than having a helping hand like with normal sudoku.

In addition the puzzle involves maths and sometimes quite complicated solving rules - so you'll need to have your wits about you to solve quite a few different killer sudoku puzzles.

The Rules of the Game

killer sudoku The rules are as follows for 9x9 puzzles, which is the most commonly seen size for this puzzle as with sudoku. Of course with other sized puzzles these are simply to be replaced with the relevant dimensions, so for a 6x6 puzzle use 1 - 6 and 3x2 boxes (or indeed 2x3 depending on their shape):
  • Place 1 - 9 once in each row
  • Place 1 - 9 once in each column
  • Place 1 - 9 once in each 3x3 box
  • Complete the sum cages such that the total of the numbers in each cage is the number stated at the start of that cage
  • You are not allowed to repeat any numbers within any sum cage
... and that's all there is to the rules of solving killer sudoku. As you'll see, the main difference from sudoku is that you have sum regions, or cages, which are the dotted lines that contain the various sums that compose the killer regions of the puzzle (or the different coloured groups of cells in the sample image at the top right of this page).

So that's it for the instructions - and generally a killer sudoku will have no givens either - now click the links in the menu to look at solving strategies, variants of killer sudoku or to start playing puzzles right away.

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