Start with 1–4 in every row, column and 2×2 box. Tap an empty cell, then a number. Choose New for an easy 6×6. All sizes, daily puzzles and your other save →
How to play Beginner Sudoku
Learn the rules on a small board before moving to classic 9×9 Sudoku. Your first visit opens an easy 4×4 puzzle; later visits restore your unfinished beginner puzzle. Choose New and 6×6 for the next step. These are practice puzzles, separate from the daily Sudoku and its saved game.
- On a 4×4 board, each row, column and outlined 2×2 box must contain 1, 2, 3 and 4 exactly once. This is a placement puzzle, not an addition puzzle: the numbers do not need to sum to a target.
- Tap or click an empty cell, then use a number button or your keyboard. Given clues stay fixed. Arrow keys move the selection; Backspace or Clear removes an entry. A repeated number in a row, column or box is a conflict.
- Start with a nearly full row, column or box. List the missing numbers, then cross out anything already present in the cell’s other two groups. Enter a number only when one possibility remains.
- Turn on Notes if more than one candidate remains. Notes record possibilities, not answers. Scan a different group rather than guessing, then revisit the cell when another placement reduces its candidates.
- For 6×6, use 1 through 6 in each row, column and 2-row by 3-column box. The same elimination method applies, but there are more candidates to compare. Choose New, then 6×6 and Easy to start.
A tip for your next game
Check all three groups before entering a value. A number can fit its row but still repeat in its box. Newly generated easy puzzles have one solution and can be solved with single-candidate steps. If you get stuck, use a hint to continue and look at which row, column and box the revealed number affects.
A worked 4×4 example
This teaching board is separate from the playable puzzle above. The two dots are empty cells. Read rows from top to bottom and columns from left to right.
| 1 | · | 3 | 4 |
| 3 | · | 1 | 2 |
| 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 |
| 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
- Row 1 reads 1, ·, 3, 4. It is missing only 2. Column 2 already contains 1 and 3, and the top-left box contains 1 and 3, so 2 fits all three groups. Put 2 in row 1, column 2.
- Column 2 now reads 2, ·, 1, 3. The missing number is 4. Row 2 and the top-left box also need 4, so put it in row 2, column 2. Every row, column and box now contains 1–4 once.
On a 6×6 row reading 1, 2, ·, 4, 5, 6, the missing value is 3. Still check its column and 2×3 box before filling it. That habit carries over to 9×9 puzzles.
Common questions
Should I begin with 4×4 or 6×6?
Use 4×4 to learn how rows, columns and boxes interact. Try 6×6 when you can explain why each placement works. Neither size has a required finishing time; the timer is informational.
Will trying a beginner puzzle erase my daily Sudoku?
No. This page has a separate beginner save. The link above the board takes you back to the main Sudoku page with all four sizes, difficulty choices and your other saved game. Daily puzzles still reset at 00:00 UTC.
Can I get help without starting over?
Yes. Notes, Hint, Undo and Clear work on the current puzzle. Hints are counted, and closing a result does not create a second completion. An unfinished beginner puzzle resumes here in this browser; there is no cross-device account.