Easy Arrow Sudoku

Digits along each arrow must sum to the number in the circle. Arrows and classic Sudoku rules combine for pure logic.

Easy Medium Hard Expert

New to Arrow Sudoku? Start with short arrows — a 1-cell tail means the tail cell equals the circle. Work outward from the most constrained arrows.

7
4
5
6
1
5
7
1
6
9
8
7
4
1
3
5
6
8
5
8
9
9
8
1
7
5
2
4
6
1
7
3
4
9
2
1
8
7
Mistakes
0/3
Score
-
Time
00:00
Try Medium Arrow Sudoku →
Progress0%

What is Arrow Sudoku?

Difficulty
★★★★☆
4/5
Constraint Type
Line Constraints
Typical Givens
20–26
Avg. Solve (Easy)
12 min

Solving Techniques for Easy Level

Technique Description Level
Arrow Sum Bounding The circle digit equals the sum of all arrow shaft cells. A 3-cell arrow with circle 5 means the three shaft cells average under 2 — severely constraining options. Beginner
Bifurcation on Short Arrows For 2-cell arrows with a small circle (e.g., 3), only (1,2) or (2,1) works — enumerate cases to find forced placements quickly. Beginner

Ready to go deeper? Try Medium Arrow Sudoku to unlock Intermediate techniques.

Techniques to Master at Easy

  • Last Possible Number technique — A two-cell arrow under a small circle leaves its shaft cells with two or three candidates at most — one row or box check usually finishes them.
  • Last Remaining Cell technique — Circle cells must hold large digits (at least the sum of their shaft's minimum), so when a box needs its 8 or 9 placed, the arrow circle is frequently the only legal cell.
  • Notes in Sudoku — Note every shaft combination beside the arrow, not generic 1–9 marks — a 3-cell shaft summing into a 6 circle is only ever {1,2,3} in some order.

Average Solve Time by Difficulty

Easy
12 min
Medium
25 min
Hard
50 min
Expert
80 min
Want a full walkthrough of rules, strategies, and solving steps? How to Play Arrow Sudoku →

Related Variants

Thermo Sudoku

Arrows demand sums along a line; thermometers demand growth along one — both reward tracking minimums and maximums cell by cell.

Killer Sudoku

The cage-based cousin of arrow arithmetic, adding a no-repeat rule and the powerful 45 trick to your sum toolkit.

Renban Sudoku

Trades arithmetic for set logic on the same drawn-line canvas: line digits must form a consecutive run.

Frequently Asked Questions — Easy Arrow Sudoku

What is Arrow Sudoku?
Arrow Sudoku is a Sudoku variant where arrows are drawn on the grid. Each arrow has a circle at its base and a tail of one or more cells. The digit in the circle must equal the sum of all digits along the arrow's tail. Standard Sudoku rules — unique digits in every row, column, and 3×3 box — still apply.
How do I use the arrow clues to solve the puzzle?
Find arrows with short tails (1–2 cells) first — they have the fewest possible digit combinations. A 1-cell tail means the circle and the tail cell are equal. A 2-cell tail with a small circle value (like 3) has only a few valid pairs. Use these to place digits, then apply standard Sudoku elimination.
Can digits repeat along an arrow tail?
Yes. Arrow tails are not cages — digits can repeat along the tail as long as they don't violate the standard row, column, or box uniqueness rules. The only hard rule is that the tail digits must sum to the circle's value.
What does the circle in Arrow Sudoku represent?
The circle is a normal Sudoku cell that holds a digit from 1 to 9. That digit is also the required sum of all cells along the arrow's tail. The circle participates in standard row, column, and box uniqueness like any other cell.
How is Arrow Sudoku different from Killer Sudoku?
Killer Sudoku uses cages with sum clues where digits cannot repeat within a cage. Arrow Sudoku uses directional arrows where digits can repeat along the tail. Also, in Arrow Sudoku the sum target is a live cell (the circle) rather than a fixed number, so its value can change as you solve.

More questions? See the full Arrow Sudoku guide.