Medium Clone Sudoku

Shaded regions are clones — identical in digit content and position. One placement updates all its clones simultaneously.

Easy Medium Hard Expert

Clone Sudoku at medium difficulty. Propagate clone constraints in both directions — every row or column conflict in one clone immediately restricts the other.

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Clone A Clone B Both regions must have identical digits
Mistakes
0/3
Score
-
Time
00:00
Try Hard Clone Sudoku →
Progress0%

What is Clone Sudoku?

Difficulty
★★★★☆
4/5
Constraint Type
Clone Regions
Typical Givens
24–32
Avg. Solve (Medium)
22 min

Solving Techniques for Medium Level

Technique Description Level
Clone Pair Deduction Any digit placed in one clone region immediately forces the same digit in the corresponding cell of the other clone region. Beginner
Constraint Propagation A clone placement propagates through standard row, column, and box constraints in both regions simultaneously. Intermediate
Clone-Box Interaction If both clone regions share boxes with heavily constrained cells, the clone constraint rapidly resolves entire boxes. Intermediate

Master these, then take on Hard Clone Sudoku to learn Advanced techniques.

Techniques to Master at Medium

  • Hidden Singles technique — Scan for hidden singles in the units around both clone regions in turn — a single found near one clone places a digit near the other, where it may crack a different box entirely.
  • Obvious Pairs technique — A pair discovered inside one clone region is automatically a pair in the other — one observation eliminates across up to six different units.

Average Solve Time by Difficulty

Easy
10 min
Medium
22 min
Hard
42 min
Expert
72 min
Want a full walkthrough of rules, strategies, and solving steps? How to Play Clone Sudoku →

Related Variants

Chaos Construction

Structure-as-puzzle taken to the limit: instead of mirroring known regions, you deduce where the regions even are.

Jigsaw Sudoku

Region-shape reading without the mirroring — nine snaking regions replace the standard boxes.

Diagonal Sudoku

Like clone cells, diagonal cells link distant parts of the grid — placements echo far beyond their own box.

Frequently Asked Questions — Medium Clone Sudoku

What techniques do I need for medium Clone Sudoku?
Medium puzzles require you to propagate clone constraints actively. When you eliminate a digit from a cell in one clone region, eliminate it from the corresponding cell in the other clone. Combine this with naked singles and hidden singles for efficient solving.
How does placing a digit in Clone A affect Clone B?
If you place digit D in position P of Clone A, then position P of Clone B must also be D. Conversely, if you eliminate D from position P of Clone B (due to a row or column conflict), you can also eliminate D from position P of Clone A.
What is 'cross-clone elimination' in Clone Sudoku?
Cross-clone elimination means using the row/column constraints of one clone to restrict the other. For example, if Clone B sits in a row where digit 5 is already placed, that eliminates 5 from the clone-B cells in that row — and simultaneously eliminates 5 from the corresponding clone-A cells.
Why does the clone constraint make medium puzzles easier than expected?
The clone rule effectively doubles your constraint network. Every deduction you make in one region automatically applies to the other, so the board tightens faster than in regular Sudoku at the same given count. Medium Clone puzzles often feel slightly easier than medium standard puzzles because of this.
How long does a medium Clone Sudoku take?
Most players finish in 10–20 minutes. The clone propagation becomes intuitive quickly, so medium Clone Sudoku is a good stepping stone after mastering the easy level.

More questions? See the full Clone Sudoku guide.