Mini Sudoku is the small 6×6 version of classic Sudoku. The rule is the same, but the grid is smaller and the digits only go from 1 to 6, which makes it a good start for children and anyone trying Sudoku for the first time. A puzzle usually takes just a few minutes.
This page covers the rules, the first steps, how to play with children and how to move on to 9×9 Sudoku. All the solving techniques are on the Sudoku rules page.
What are the rules of Mini Sudoku?
The grid has 6 rows and 6 columns. Thick lines split it into 6 boxes; each box is 2 rows tall and 3 columns wide, a flat rectangle.
- Every row contains 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 once each.
- Every column contains each digit from 1 to 6 once.
- Every box contains each digit from 1 to 6 once.
- The bold digits given at the start never change.
Every puzzle has exactly one solution and needs no guessing: you can find the place of each digit by logic.
How do you solve a Mini Sudoku? First steps
- Find an almost full unit: if a row, column or box has only one gap left, the missing digit goes there. For example, if row 3 has 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, the empty cell gets a 3.
- Two gaps left: say row 2 is missing 2 and 5. If column 1 already has a 5, the empty cell of row 2 in column 1 gets the 2 and the other gap gets the 5.
- Go digit by digit: pick a digit, for example 4. Follow the rows and columns of all the 4s with your eyes. If a box without a 4 has only one suitable cell left, the 4 goes there.
Every new digit makes other gaps easier. If you get stuck, move on to another digit or another box.
How do you play Mini Sudoku with children?
- Start by explaining the rule in one sentence: "Every row, every column and every box needs all the digits from 1 to 6 once."
- Solve the first puzzle together. Let the child say the digit and you ask "why?". When they start saying "because there is no other place left in this row", they have learned the real skill.
- Start with Easy; there many digits are given and each step can be found at a glance.
- Accuracy matters, not speed. The clock does not matter; finishing the puzzle is enough.
- The hint button does not just write a digit, it first shows the reason. So the hint can be used like a teacher.
How do you move from Mini Sudoku to 9×9 Sudoku?
Everything you use in Mini Sudoku also works in the big one: scanning, completing a unit with one gap left and thinking "in this box this digit can only go here". In 9×9 the digits go from 1 to 9, the boxes are 3×3 and there are more than twice as many cells to keep track of.
If you can comfortably finish Medium mini puzzles, you are ready for 9×9 Easy puzzles. Easy puzzles are solved with naked and hidden singles only, so what you learned in Mini Sudoku is enough.
What does Mini Sudoku on CetinsGame offer?
- Two levels, Easy and Medium, with 300 puzzles each. In Easy puzzles 16-18 of the 36 cells are filled at the start, and all of them can be solved by scanning and singles. Medium gives only 10-14 digits; the puzzles are still solved by logic, but each step takes more careful looking.
- The same tools as the big Sudoku: notes, unlimited undo, show mistakes and digit lock.
- Teaching hints: first the rule and the place, then the digit on the second tap. 3 hints per puzzle; more with a short ad (+3) if you choose.
- There is no mistake limit, and an unfinished puzzle is saved.
Common mistakes
- Counting the box wrong: in Mini Sudoku the boxes are not squares but rectangles of 2 rows and 3 columns. Check the thick lines to see where a box ends.
- Guessing a digit: if you are not sure, leave the cell empty and look at another unit. A wrong digit spoils the next steps too.
- Only looking at rows: columns and boxes follow the same rule, and the answer is often there.
- Looking for 7, 8 or 9: a 6×6 grid only uses the digits 1 to 6.
Frequently asked questions
What age is Mini Sudoku suitable for?
There is no fixed age. A child who knows the digits 1 to 6 and understands rows and columns can solve Easy puzzles, with an adult's help at first.
How is Mini Sudoku different from regular Sudoku?
The grid is 6×6 instead of 9×9, the digits are 1-6 instead of 1-9 and the boxes are 2×3 instead of 3×3. The rule and the way of thinking are the same.
Do you have to guess in Mini Sudoku?
No. Every mini puzzle on CetinsGame has exactly one solution and can be solved by logic, without guessing.
Do you need maths for Mini Sudoku?
No. The digits are just symbols and there is nothing to calculate. All it takes is attention and patience.
What should I play after Mini Sudoku?
The Easy level of 9×9 Sudoku. The scanning and singles you used in the mini version work there too.
