Sudoku is a popular puzzle game with a wide variety of variants to challenge enthusiasts of all skill levels. Here are some of the basic different types of Sudoku puzzles available:
- Standard Sudoku: The classic 9×9 grid where each row, column, and 3×3 section must contain the numbers 1-9 without repetition.
- Killer Sudoku: A combination of Sudoku and Kakuro; the grid also includes cages with sums that the numbers within must add up to.
- Jigsaw Sudoku: Also known as irregular Sudoku, the 9×9 grid is divided into regions that take on various shapes other than squares.
- Hyper Sudoku: Also known as Sudoku Blocks or Windoku, contains four extra 3×3 regions where the numbers 1-9 must appear exactly once.
- Diagonal Sudoku: Also called X-Sudoku, where the two main diagonals also contain the numbers 1-9 without repetition.
- Irregular Sudoku: The standard rules apply, but the 3×3 regions are irregularly shaped.
- Samurai Sudoku: Features five Sudoku grids interconnected at the corners, with the center grid sharing a 3×3 box with each of the other four.
- Wordoku: A variation where letters replace numbers, usually forming a word or a phrase.
Our own Sudoku X game offers three variants, namely; Sudoku Classic, Sudoku X, and Sudoku Blocks.
Additional Sudoku variations
Sudoku variants can also differ in grid size, commonly referred to as Latin Squares, which can range from smaller sizes like 4×4 to larger grids like 16×16. Each row and column must contain the numbers 1 through to the size length of the square.
- Sudoku X: Has the additional rule that each number can only appear once in the diagonals.
- Argyle Sudoku: Contains diagonally shaded areas where the numbers must also be unique.
- Girandola Sudoku: Certain regions are highlighted where the numbers must not be repeated.
- Asterisk Sudoku: The numbers must be unique within certain marked areas shaped like an asterisk.
- Centre Dot Sudoku: Includes additional dots indicating where certain numbers must be placed.
- Greater Than Sudoku: Also known as Inequality Sudoku, this variant includes greater-than (>) and less-than (<) signs between the squares, providing clues about the order of the numbers.
- Futoshiki: Similar to Greater Than Sudoku, it combines the classic Sudoku game with inequalities.
- Alphabet Sudoku: This version uses letters instead of numbers, typically involving the first nine letters of the alphabet.
- Thermo Sudoku: This variant includes thermometer shapes on the board, where numbers must increase from the bulb to the end of the thermometer.
- Sudoku-DG: Also known as Disjoint Groups Sudoku, where each of the nine groups of cells must contain the numbers 1-9, similar to rows and columns.
- Consecutive Sudoku: No consecutive numbers can be adjacent to each other, indicated by the absence of a line separating two adjacent cells.
- Non-Consecutive Sudoku: Consecutive numbers must not be placed next to each other, irrespective of lines.
- Odd/Even Sudoku: Some cells are marked as odd or even, and the placement of numbers must conform to these indications.
- Multi Sudoku: Combines several Sudoku grids overlapping each other in various configurations.
- Color Sudoku: Uses colors instead of numbers to fill the grid, adding a visual component to the puzzle.
- Sudoku 3D: A three-dimensional version of Sudoku, where the numbers must work on multiple levels of a cube or other 3D shape.
- Binary Sudoku: A simpler version using only two digits, 0 and 1, often on a smaller grid like 4×4 or 6×6.
- Mini Sudoku: Features smaller grids, typically 6×6, with the numbers 1-6.
- Mega Sudoku: Larger grids like 16×16 or 25×25 that use numbers and sometimes letters to fill in the grid.
Other ways to vary Sudoku include replacing the standard numbers with symbols, or images, or merging several Sudoku puzzles into one, like Gattai or Clueless puzzles.
Each variant brings its own set of challenges and rules, making Sudoku a continually refreshing and engaging game for puzzle lovers.