Play easy sudoku online for free: a classic 9×9 sudoku with 40 numbers already filled in and 41 squares left to solve. Every puzzle in this easy sudoku game is new, has exactly one answer and can be solved by logic alone, with no guessing. It is made for beginners and for children who have outgrown the 4×4 and 6×6 sudoku, and it has hints, a mistakes counter and a timer. These free sudoku puzzles work on phones and tablets, and you can print more with an answer key.
Easy sudoku online: play and print
Play the easy sudoku above, then print the same level as printable sheets: two easy 9×9 sudoku puzzles on a page and an answer key page with the solutions in red. The pictures also show a fresh puzzle in the game and a wrong number turning red.
How to play 9×9 sudoku
- Fill every row, column and box: each of the nine rows, nine columns and nine 3 × 3 boxes must contain the numbers 1 to 9 exactly once.
- Tap a square, then a number (or type it on a keyboard).
- Wrong numbers turn red and add to the mistakes counter. Erase clears a square, and Hint fills in one square for you.
- Use logic: every puzzle has exactly one solution, so you never need to guess.
Easy sudoku worked example: three steps
Here is an easy 9×9 sudoku with 40 numbers given. In each step below, one empty square has only one number that fits, which is the main technique for easy sudoku:
- Row 1, column 2: the row has 2, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 9, the column has 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 and the box has 1, 4, 5, 6 and 9. Only 3 is left, so the square must be 3.
- Row 1, column 6: the row has 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 9, the column has 3, 4, 5 and 9 and the box has 2, 3 and 6. Only 1 is left, so the square must be 1.
- Row 1, column 5: the row has 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 9, the column has 3, 7 and 9 and the box has 1, 2, 3 and 6. Only 5 is left, so the square must be 5.
Keep working like this and the whole grid fills in: this puzzle needs 41 such steps in all. This is the finished solution:
Two easy sudoku techniques
- Only one number fits (naked single): look at a square and cross out every number already in its row, column and box. If only one number is left, write it in.
- Only one place for a number (hidden single): pick a number, say 7, and look at a box. If the other squares are blocked by a 7 in their row or column, the 7 must go in the one square that is left.
Start with the rows, columns and boxes that have the most numbers, because they have the fewest gaps. Our how to solve sudoku guide shows each technique with pictures.
Easy, medium and hard 9×9 sudoku compared
| Level | Numbers given | Squares to solve | What you need |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easy sudoku | 40 | 41 | Only one number fits, and only one place for a number |
| Medium sudoku | 32 | 49 | Singles plus pairs and a little pencil marking |
| Hard sudoku | 27 | 54 | Pairs, boxes and lines, and careful pencil marks |
A 9×9 grid has 6,670,903,752,021,072,936,960 possible solutions, so you will never run out of new sudoku puzzles. In 2012, a team of mathematicians proved that no 9×9 puzzle with a single answer can have fewer than 17 numbers given. Wikipedia’s mathematics of Sudoku article explains how these results were found.
9×9 sudoku for kids: moving up from 4×4 and 6×6
Children usually move up in steps: 4×4 sudoku first, then 6×6 sudoku, then easy 9×9. When a 6×6 puzzle takes only a few minutes, try an easy sudoku. Expect it to take longer, and use the hint button when you are stuck: a hint counts as a mistake, but it keeps the puzzle moving. The puzzles have no time limit, so the timer is only for fun.
Easy sudoku puzzles to print
Use the printable sudoku maker to make easy 9×9 puzzles in black and white or in color, one, two or four to a page, with an optional answer key. Letter and A4 paper are both available, and you can add a name and date line for class.
A short history of sudoku
The modern puzzle appeared as Number Place in a US puzzle magazine in 1979, and it was named sudoku in Japan in 1984. It became a worldwide craze in the early 2000s. Wikipedia’s Sudoku article tells the story.
Easy sudoku tips for children and beginners
- Start with the number that appears most: if five 7s are already on the grid, finding the other four is quick.
- Scan one box at a time: look at which numbers are missing and where each could go.
- Say it aloud: “this row needs 3 and 8, the column already has an 8” turns thinking into a clear step.
- Check your last move: a red number means a wrong guess, so look again at the row, column and box.
- Celebrate each solve: beating your own time on an easy sudoku is a fun goal, and it builds confidence for medium and hard sudoku.
Most beginners can solve an easy sudoku in ten to twenty minutes at first, and they get faster with practice. There is no need to hurry, because the puzzle keeps your place until you come back.
Easy sudoku: frequently asked questions
What is easy sudoku?
Easy sudoku is a 9×9 puzzle with many numbers already given, in this game 40 of 81, so that every step can be solved with simple logic.
Is easy sudoku online free?
Yes, it is free, and no account is needed. Best scores are saved only in the browser on this device.
How do you start an easy sudoku?
Find a row, column or box with many numbers, work out which numbers are missing, and see where each can go. Fill in any square that has only one choice.
Does every puzzle have only one answer?
Yes. Every puzzle is new and has exactly one solution, so it can always be solved by logic without guessing.
What age is easy sudoku for?
Children aged about 8 or 9 who have solved 4×4 and 6×6 puzzles can try easy 9×9 sudoku, and adults can use it as a gentle start.
Does it work on phones and tablets?
Yes. The game is built for touch first and also works with a mouse or keyboard on a computer.