How to play Sudoku: A Quick guide for beginners

Playing games like Sudoku is more than a great way to exercise your brain and improve your critical thinking skills. Of course, if you are new to this game, you might find it a bit difficult to play. But don’t worry; this post from Geeks Nation will give you initial but important instructions on how to play Sudoku. Take a look now!

How to play Sudoku: Basic rules

Every Sudoku puzzle is played on a grid of 9x9 squares that is also subdivided into 3x3 boxes. That means there are a total of 81 small squares on every Sudoku grid. And every square must have a single number.

Rule 1: Use numbers from 1 to 9 and don’t repeat any number

This is the very first rule that you need to keep in mind.

Every column and row in a Sudoku grid has 9 squares, and as mentioned previously, they are divided into 3x3 boxes. Here, you need to fill out every row and column of the grid with the numbers from 1 to 9. Be sure that there can be no repetition of any numbers (from 1 to 9) within the row, column, or box.

All Sudoku grids always come with a few squares already filled in. These are suggestions for players to figure out the whole grid. And of course, the more squares already filled in, the easier the game, and vice versa-the fewer squares already filled in, the more difficult the challenge you need to deal with.

Rule 2: Don’t guess

The next rule of how to play Sudoku is … don’t guess.

Since Sudoku is a game of logic, we should not guess the number to fill in. If you’re not sure what number to put in a specific square, continue scanning other portions of the grid until you find an opportunity to fill in a number.

It’s worth noting that the key to success in Sudoku is not blind luck or guessing but rather patience and the ability to recognize patterns.

Rule 3: Employ the logical process of elimination

To find the number to put in a square, make sure that it is the only number that could fit in that square.

Remember that if a certain number is already in a row, column, or box, then it can't be placed in that row, column, or box again. Your job here is to keep looking and searching for chances to put numbers (from 1 to 9) where they have not already been filled in.

In order to do this, you will need to check which other numbers are already in a certain row, column, and box and eliminate these numbers since they can’t appear again in that row, column, and box. Then, you can determine which numbers are still missing and which positions they need to be filled in.

Bonus: A few quick tips on playing Sudoku

Here are a few simple yet effective tips on how to play Sudoku that you should know:

• Look for the easiest play first

That means you should look for the places where you have the highest opportunities to fill in the right number—a crowded box, row, or column with numbers (1 to 9) almost filled in.

• Keep moving

Don't focus too much on any part of the grid if you get stuck. Instead, let your eyes and mind wander to a different area on the Sudoku grid where you haven't put any numbers yet and see if there are new possibilities becoming apparent.

• Be patient ...

... And then you will solve the whole puzzle grid.

Bottom line

Sudoku, without a doubt, is a fun but kind of challenging game. You already know how to play Sudoku, don’t you? Ready to solve a complicated puzzle grid right away?

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