What makes a puzzle easy here
Every puzzle on this page can be solved with naked singles alone. In plain words: at any point while you are solving, there is at least one empty square where only one digit can go. Find it, write it in, and the next one appears. You never have to keep a list of candidates in your head, and you never have to guess.
We check that claim by machine. A solver works through each puzzle using nothing but naked singles; if it gets stuck even once, the puzzle is not published as easy. A second solver confirms the puzzle has exactly one solution. Only puzzles that pass both checks make it onto the sheet. We also keep at least 38 of the 81 squares filled in, so you are never hunting for the one square on the whole grid that happens to be solvable.
Who these are for
- People trying sudoku for the first time, who want to learn the rules by doing rather than reading.
- Children from about eight upwards. Print one or two per page so the cells are big enough for young handwriting.
- Seniors and anyone who wants a relaxing puzzle rather than a battle. The one-per-page layout is large print, with cells two centimetres wide.
- Teachers who need a quiet activity or an early-finisher task. Six per page gives a whole lesson’s worth on one sheet.
How to solve an easy sudoku
- Look at the row, column or box with the most given digits. The fewer gaps, the easier it is to see what is missing.
- Pick an empty square and run through 1 to 9. Cross out every digit that already appears in that square’s row, column or box. On an easy puzzle, many squares will have just one digit left. Write it in.
- Each digit you place removes options from its neighbours, so check the squares around it next.
- If you cannot see a single right away, pick a digit that appears often on the grid and look at a box where it is still missing. Where can it go? On an easy puzzle, usually only one place.
Keep a pencil handy. Mistakes happen, and the answer key on the last page is there for checking, not for peeking.
Printing tips
Four per page is the default and works for most people. Choose two per page for children and one per page for large print. The answer key is always the last page, so if you are handing puzzles to a class you can keep that sheet back.
Ready for the next step?
When easy puzzles start to feel automatic, move on to medium sudoku, where you will meet hidden singles and pairs. The daily sudoku is easy on Monday and Tuesday if you would like a gentle start to the week.