Do you remember when there was only one type of sudoku puzzle? It was a simple (or sometimes not so simple) 3×3 grid using only the numbers 1 to 9. Now, as the sudoku craze is sweeping the world, new sudoku varieties are coming out of the woodwork. There are now so many variations on the original sudoku game, that newbies just dont know where to start. Here is a quick guide to some of the newer sudoku variations with basic rules.
Standard Sudoku: This is the original sudoku game (also called Number Place). It is also referred to as a 3×3 (3 mini-grids across, 3 mini-grids down). Each mini-grid, row, and column must contain the numbers 1 through 9. There can be no duplicates in any row, column, or min-grid.
Sudoku 4×4 and 5×5: This is similar to a standard sudoku, but there are either 4 mini-grids across and down, or 5 mini-grids across and down. The 4×4 variation usually uses the numbers 1 through 16, though some versions also add in letters. The 5×5 version uses both numbers and letter. Again, no duplicate letters or numbers are permitted in rows, columns, or mini-grids.
Sudoku-X: The X factor in this puzzle is...