What is mini sudoku?
Mini sudoku is classic sudoku on a smaller grid. The rules are identical and the logic is identical, but a round fits into a tea break instead of a commute.
Small does not mean shallow. A well set mini grid still runs the full range from gentle scanning puzzles to boards that demand proper technique, which is exactly how our difficulty ladder uses it.
Mini sudoku rules
Fill every cell so that no row, column or box repeats a digit. The boxes are the outlined regions of the grid, and each must contain the full set of digits exactly once, the same as every row and column.
Mini grids use fewer digits than the classic nine. A six by six grid, for example, runs on 1 to 6 with rectangular boxes. Every puzzle starts with enough given digits to force a single solution.
Solving techniques
Scan for cells that are forced. If a row already holds most of its digits, its empty cells have few options left, and somewhere on the board there is a cell with only one. Small grids cascade quickly, so each placement tends to unlock the next.
When forced cells run out, chase each digit through its units. If the 4 in a box can only live in one cell, it goes there even if that cell still has other candidates on paper. That single technique carries most mini grids.
Harder tiers add one more gear: candidates that pair up. When two cells in a unit can only hold the same two digits, those digits are spoken for, and removing them from the rest of the unit opens the grid again. No tier ever requires guessing.
The daily grids
Fresh grids arrive at midnight UTC in easy, medium and hard, with an expert grid as an optional bonus. Every published grid is generated and checked to have exactly one solution. The three core grids complete your day and keep your streak, and expert upgrades a finished day to a clean sweep.
Mini Sudoku is currently in development. This page describes the game as it will launch. In the meantime, Hashiwokakero and Chess Solitaire are live with daily puzzles.
Mini sudoku FAQ
Is mini sudoku easier than 9x9?
Move for move, yes. There are fewer candidates to track and far less bookkeeping. But difficulty comes from the puzzle rather than the grid, and a hard mini can still stop you in your tracks. The floor is friendlier and the ceiling still matters.
Do I ever need to guess?
No. Every published grid has exactly one solution reachable by logic alone. If you find yourself guessing, there is a deduction on the board you have not spotted yet.
What size is the grid?
Compact sudoku is usually four by four or six by six. We will confirm the exact format at launch, sized so a round stays comfortably inside a few minutes.