Sudoku - a Game of Variations

Sudoku is a game that began with one basic format that grew into a population of many. According to the experts the classic 9×9 Sudoku game is also referred to as an N×N row-column grid partitioned into N regions. In this variation each of the N rows, columns and regions have N cells and each of the N digits occurs once in each row, column or region.

The numbers are placed by region size and shape. This is the basic Sudoku game played by people throughout the world. In 2005 the basic Sudoku game stopped being enough of a challenge for many and other variations of the game began to emerge.

The following are some of the various types and classes of Sudoku to date.

Sub Duko which is a grid smaller than 9×9 and Super Duko is a grid larger than 9×9

Prime Duko is an N×N grid where N is prime and Maximum Su Doku is the class of puzzles that have the maximum number of independent clues needed to allow a complete and unique solution.

Another set of games includes Minimum Su Doku which is the class of puzzles that have the minimum number of clues needed to allow a complete and unique solution.

Proper puzzle is a puzzle that has a unique solution and a Satisfactory puzzle is one that does not require trial and error.

The following are variants by size.

Shi Doku has four 2×2 regions and 5×5

Go Duko has a 5×5 grid with pentomino regions.

Logi-5 is a game with a 5×5 grid with pentomino regions 6×6

The following use 6 2×3 rectangular regions:

Roku Doku featured at the World Puzzle Championship

Sudoku X - with unique main diagonals 7×7

Super Sudoku X - 4 4×2 + 4 2×4 rectangular blocks

Sudoku classic- 9×9 grid with nine 3×3 regions

Jigsaw Sudoku -9×9 grid with nonomino regions

du-sum-oh -9×9 grid with irregular, nonomino, shaped regions and minimal number of clues.

Number Place Challenger- sixteen 4×4 regions 25×25

Sudoku the Giant -twenty-five 5×5 regions

These are just some of the variations to date and are listed on various websites throughout the Sudoku sites around the Internet. Many of these variations have tips as to how to solve them depending on how the variation is played. Experts believe that a true Sudoku master can take on any of these variations one by one and win.