Mini Sudoku
How to play

Mini Sudoku

Fill the grid so every row, every column and every 2×3 box holds the digits 1 to 6 exactly once.

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The rules

  1. 1
    Fill the grid

    Each row, each column and each 2×3 box holds the digits 1 to 6 exactly once.

  2. 2
    Pick a square, then a digit

    Tap a square and choose a digit from the pad below the grid, or type it. The dark digits are given and fixed.

  3. 3
    Pencil marks

    Turn on Notes to jot candidates in a square instead. Entering a digit rubs it out of the notes it rules out.

  4. 4
    No guessing

    Every board has one solution reachable by logic alone. Clashing digits are flagged in red.

Controls

Mouse / touch
Tap a square, then a digit on the pad. Notes toggles pencil marks; ⌫ erases.
Keyboard
Arrow keys move, 1–6 enter a digit, Shift+digit or N toggles pencil marks, Backspace clears. Ctrl+Z undoes.

Tips

  • Boxes only have two rows, so a digit missing from a box is often pinned by the other box beside it.
  • Look for a square whose row, column and box already hold five different digits — the sixth is forced.
  • Tap any digit to light up every copy of it on the board; the gaps it leaves are where it can still go.
The twist

Short enough to play between points, strict enough that it still has to be deduced rather than filled in.

Sudoku cut down to six by six with 2×3 boxes. The digits 1 to 6 appear once in every row, column and box — the same deduction as the full game, over in a minute or two rather than twenty.

Common questions

How is Mini Sudoku different from normal sudoku?

The grid is six by six with 2×3 boxes and the digits 1 to 6. The rules are identical; the board is simply small enough to finish in a minute or two.

What do the difficulty levels change?

How many digits you start with. Easy keeps a generous twenty; hard strips the board back until one more removal would allow a second answer.

Can I use pencil marks?

Yes. Turn on Notes (or hold Shift while typing) to write candidates. Placing a digit clears it from the notes of every square it now rules out.

Is it free?

Yes. Every game here is free in the browser with no download, and an account only adds streaks, best times and the leaderboard.

More puzzles

Every past Mini Sudoku daily · Mini Sudoku leaderboard