Medium Little Killer Sudoku

Ready to sharpen your skills? Medium Little Killer Sudoku puzzles introduce interactions between the variant constraint and classic Sudoku techniques. You'll need to combine both skill sets to progress.

▶ Play Medium Little Killer Sudoku All Little Killer Sudoku Difficulties

What to expect at Medium level

Medium Little Killer Sudoku puzzles require you to combine the variant constraint with standard Sudoku deduction - Naked pairs, hidden singles, and unit scans. The constraint is more tightly woven into the grid, so you'll need to think a few steps ahead.

Best suited for players comfortable with Easy Little Killer Sudoku who want to build their pattern recognition.

Difficulty overview

LevelCluesTechniques neededAvg. time
Easy ManyBasic elimination5–10 min
Medium ModerateSingles, pairs10–20 min
Hard FewAdvanced logic20–40 min
Expert MinimalFull mastery40+ min

About Little Killer Sudoku

Difficulty
★★★★☆
4/5
Constraint Type
Outside Clues
Typical Givens
0–6 given digits
Avg. Solve (Medium)
28 min

Little Killer Sudoku places clues outside the grid along with a diagonal arrow. The arrow points to a diagonal stripe of cells, and the clue gives the sum of all digits along that diagonal. Unlike standard Killer Sudoku cages, digits CAN repeat on Little Killer diagonals as long as they don't violate the row/column/box rules. This makes the arithmetic different from standard cage solving.

Solving Techniques for Medium Level

Technique Description Level
Diagonal Enumeration For each clue, enumerate all combinations of N digits (allowing repeats, 1–9) that sum to the clue value. Beginner
Repeating Digits Allowed Unlike Killer cages, Little Killer diagonals can repeat digits as long as standard row/column/box uniqueness is preserved. Beginner
Short Diagonal Logic A 1-cell diagonal directly gives that cell's digit. A 2-cell diagonal with clue C has limited pairs — enumerate them immediately. Intermediate
Row/Column Interaction A diagonal cell belongs to a row, column, and box — combine Little Killer sum constraints with standard uniqueness rules. Intermediate

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

Average Solve Time by Difficulty

Easy
14 min
Medium
28 min
Hard
55 min
Expert
88 min

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a 'diagonal' here?
A Little Killer diagonal is a sequence of cells running diagonally from an outside arrow clue, in the direction indicated by the arrow.
Can the sum repeat any digit?
Yes — digits can repeat on a Little Killer diagonal, unlike Killer cages.
Are given digits provided inside the grid?
Some puzzles include a few given digits; others provide only the outside clues.