How to Play 4x4 Sudoku
Sudoku 4x4 is the full game shrunk to a four by four grid with four two by two boxes. The thinking is identical to the nine by nine version, there is just far less of it, which makes it the best possible place to learn.
Fill the grid so each row, each column and each small box holds the numbers 1 to 4 exactly once. Most puzzles take two or three minutes.
Play Sudoku 4×4How to play
- Find a row, column or box that already has three numbers in it. The fourth is forced.
- Write it in, then check what that new number rules out in its own row, column and box.
- Repeat. On a four by four grid one answer almost always unlocks another straight away.
- Finish the grid. Every puzzle has exactly one solution.
Why start here
The whole grid fits in your head. You can see every unit at once, so the habit of asking what else could go here is easy to build before moving up to the full size board.
It is also the right length for a child. A four by four puzzle ends while the interest is still there.
Frequently asked questions
What numbers does 4x4 Sudoku use?
Just 1, 2, 3 and 4. Each appears once in every row, once in every column and once in each two by two box.
Is it good for children?
Yes. It is the same reasoning as the big grid in a size a child can hold in their head, and a puzzle is over in a couple of minutes.
What next after 4x4?
Easy nine by nine Sudoku uses exactly the same ideas on a bigger board, and Killer Sudoku adds sums if you want something new.