Easy Sudoku — A Gentle Start for Beginners

Easy Sudoku is the place to learn how rows, columns and boxes work together, and these simple sudoku puzzles suit anyone starting out. Every puzzle here is rated 1.0 to 1.9 on the Sudoku Explainer scale (ER) and has the most given digits of any level: 30 to 36 in our classic grids, 34.5 on average. You can finish one without a single pencil mark.

What this level asks

Look for the one cell in a box, row or column where a digit still fits. That is the whole game at this level. There is no guessing and nothing to memorise, only careful scanning. Because so many cells are filled, each empty cell has few legal digits, and something always fits.

Techniques you will meet

The tool is naked and hidden singles. A hidden single is a digit with only one legal home in a unit. A naked single is a cell with only one legal digit left. Sudoku Explainer rates a hidden single in a box at 1.2 and in a line at 1.5, which is why this band is so gentle. Start with the box that already holds the most digits and ask where each missing number can go.

Tips for this level

• Scan one digit across the whole grid before moving to the next digit.
• Work from the fullest rows, columns and boxes outward.
• If you stall, re-check a unit you skipped. Easy grids do not hide anything.
• Turn on notes only if you want practice. Hints and autosave are there if you need a break.

Looking for sudoku for beginners? Read how to play Sudoku first, then tips for beginners.

Next step

You are ready to move on when you finish two or three easy sudoku games without a hint. Go to Medium Sudoku, where singles run dry and candidates start to matter.