Mini Sudoku
Mini Sudoku is real sudoku with the grid shrunk: 4×4 boards divided into 2×2 boxes, then 6×6 boards with boxes three cells wide and two tall. The deduction is identical to the full-size game — every row, column and box takes each digit exactly once — but a whole puzzle fits on a phone screen without pinching, and even the hardest board resolves in a few minutes. It's an ideal on-ramp if 9×9 sudoku intimidates you, and a satisfying speed format if it doesn't.
Play is entirely tap-driven. Selecting a cell highlights its row, column and box so you can scan for conflicts at a glance; the keypad writes digits, Erase removes them, and each valid placement scores points. Place a digit that contradicts something already on the board and it flashes red, costing one of three allowed mistakes — the third ends the attempt. A hint button can write a correct digit into a stuck cell, and you carry a small stock of free hints.
The 200-puzzle campaign is a genuine curve: the first handful of 4×4 boards are nearly complete when you arrive, mid-campaign puzzles move to 6×6, and the expert stretch strips out up to eighteen digits per board. Your puzzle number and a running solved count are stored locally, so the game reopens exactly where you stopped.
How to play Mini Sudoku
If you've ever filled in a sudoku, you already know this game — only the grid is smaller.
- Tap any empty cell to select it; its row, column and box light up so you can see what's already taken.
- Tap a digit on the keypad to write it in. Printed starter digits are fixed and can't be overwritten.
- Keep every row, column and box repeat-free: boxes are 2×2 on the 4×4 grid and 3-wide-by-2-tall on the 6×6 grid.
- If a placement clashes with an existing digit, it flashes red and burns one of your three mistakes — the board tracks them at the top.
- Use Erase on any digit you placed that turned out legal but doubtful, before it snowballs into contradictions.
- Fill the final cell with the board complete and conflict-free to solve the puzzle and advance to the next number.
Tips and strategy
- Start with the fullest row, column or box — on these small grids one unit is often a single digit away from complete, which gives you a free, risk-free placement.
- Use elimination on cells, not just units: if a cell's row, column and box together already show all but one digit, that last digit is forced.
- On 6×6 boards, remember the boxes are wider than they are tall — a digit's box-mates span three columns but only two rows, which trips up 9×9 habits.
- Only clashes cost mistakes. A digit can be legal-right-now but still wrong for the final solution, so when a chain of placements starts feeling forced, erase back to solid ground instead of pushing on.
- Never guess at two-candidate cells while you still have forced moves elsewhere — every solved cell shrinks the candidates of up to a dozen neighbors.
- Spend hints on the knot, not the loose ends: one revealed digit in the middle of a stuck region usually unravels the rest by pure logic.
Features
- 200 puzzles that scale from 4×4 with one blank to 6×6 with eighteen
- Three-mistake rule with instant red-flash feedback on conflicting digits
- Row, column and box highlighting around the selected cell
- Hint button that writes a verified-correct digit into a stuck cell
- Erase key for revising your own entries — starter digits stay locked
- Points for every valid placement, with puzzle number and solved count saved locally
- No clock and no move limit — mistakes are the only pressure
- Self-contained page that keeps playing with no connection at all
Frequently asked questions
Is this real sudoku or a simplified version?
Real sudoku — the constraint set (each digit once per row, column and box) is exactly the classic one. Only the grid dimensions change: 4×4 with 2×2 boxes, then 6×6 with 3×2 boxes.
What counts as a mistake?
Placing a digit that conflicts with one already visible in the same row, column or box. It flashes red and increments the mistake counter; at three the puzzle ends and you can retry it fresh.
How hard does it get?
The first puzzles hand you a nearly finished 4×4 grid. By the end of the 200-puzzle run you're solving 6×6 boards with eighteen empty cells, which demand systematic elimination rather than spotting.
What should I do when I'm completely stuck?
Re-scan for a forced cell you missed — small grids almost always have one. Failing that, the hint button reveals one correct digit, which is usually enough to restart your chain of deductions.
Does the game remember where I was?
Yes — the next puzzle number and your lifetime solved count are stored by the browser on your device, so closing the tab loses nothing.
Can I play it on a computer as well as a phone?
Yes. The whole interface is taps on cells and a keypad, which works the same with mouse clicks, and the layout stretches to fit larger screens.
