All Sudoku Variants

Beyond Classic Sudoku and Killer Sudoku, dozens of rule variants exist - Each adding a unique constraint that creates an entirely different solving experience.

32
Live Variants
7
Categories
4
Difficulty Levels
1–88
Min Solve Range

Variants by Category

Category Live Variants Difficulty Range Extra Constraint
Extra Regions 4 ★★☆☆☆ – ★★★☆☆ Additional 3×3 or irregular boxes must contain 1–9
Line Constraints 8 ★★★☆☆ – ★★★★☆ Digits along lines must satisfy sum, order, or set rules
Outside Clues 5 ★★★★☆ – ★★★★★ Numbers outside the grid constrain rows and columns
Cell Relationships 6 ★★★☆☆ – ★★★★☆ Adjacent pairs constrained by parity, sum, or ratio
Anti-Constraints 4 ★★★☆☆ Cells at chess-move distances cannot share a digit
Grid Variants 4 ★☆☆☆☆ – ★★☆☆☆ Different grid size or symbol set (4×4, letters A–I)
Special Variants 3 ★★★★☆ – ★★★★★ Clone regions, chaos construction, pencilmark-only

Difficulty Distribution Across Live Variants

★☆☆☆☆ Beginner
2
★★☆☆☆ Easy
5
★★★☆☆ Medium
14
★★★★☆ Hard
11

Extra Regions

Diagonal Sudoku Live
★★☆☆☆ Extra Regions

Both main diagonals must also contain 1–9

Play Diagonal Sudoku → Learn More
Hyper / Windoku Live
★★★☆☆ Extra Regions

Four extra shaded 3×3 boxes must each contain 1–9

Play Hyper / Windoku → Learn More
Samurai Sudoku Live
★★★★★ 5 Overlapping Grids

Five overlapping 9×9 grids sharing corner boxes

Play Samurai Sudoku → Learn More
Jigsaw Sudoku Live
★★★☆☆ Irregular Regions

Irregular jigsaw-shaped regions replace the standard 3×3 boxes

Play Jigsaw Sudoku → Learn More
Irregular Diagonal Sudoku Live
★★★★☆ Combined: Irregular + Diagonal

Combines jigsaw regions with main diagonal constraints

Play Irregular Diagonal Sudoku → Learn More

Line Constraints

Thermo Sudoku Live
★★★★☆ Line Constraints

Digits must strictly increase along thermometer shapes

Play Thermo Sudoku → Learn More
Arrow Sudoku Live
★★★★☆ Line Constraints

Digits on an arrow must sum to the digit in the circle

Play Arrow Sudoku → Learn More
Renban Sudoku Live
★★★★☆ Line Constraints

Purple lines must contain consecutive digits in any order

Play Renban Sudoku → Learn More
German Whispers Live
★★★★☆ Line Constraints

Adjacent digits on the green line must differ by at least 5

Play German Whispers → Learn More
Palindrome Sudoku Live
★★★☆☆ Line Constraints

The digit sequence along a line reads the same forwards and backwards

Play Palindrome Sudoku → Learn More
Between Lines Sudoku Live
★★★☆☆ Line Constraints

Digits on a line must fall strictly between the two endpoint values

Play Between Lines Sudoku → Learn More

Outside Clues

Little Killer Sudoku Live
★★★★☆ Outside Clues

Clues outside the grid give the sum of a diagonal

Play Little Killer Sudoku → Learn More
Sandwich Sudoku Live
★★★★☆ Outside Clues

Clues give the sum of digits between the 1 and 9 in each row/column

Play Sandwich Sudoku → Learn More
Skyscraper Sudoku Live
★★★★☆ Outside Clues

Outside clues show how many 'buildings' are visible from that edge

Play Skyscraper Sudoku → Learn More
Outside Sudoku Live
★★★☆☆ Outside Clues

Digits outside the grid must appear in the first three cells of that row or column

Play Outside Sudoku → Learn More

Cell Relationships

Kropki Sudoku Live
★★★☆☆ Cell Relationships

White dots = consecutive digits; black dots = one digit is double the other

Play Kropki Sudoku → Learn More
XV Sudoku Live
★★★☆☆ Cell Relationships

X between cells means they sum to 10; V means they sum to 5

Play XV Sudoku → Learn More
Consecutive Sudoku Live
★★★☆☆ Cell Relationships

Bars between cells mean those two digits are consecutive

Play Consecutive Sudoku → Learn More
Non-Consecutive Sudoku Live
★★★☆☆ Anti-Constraints

No two orthogonally adjacent cells may contain consecutive digits

Play Non-Consecutive Sudoku → Learn More
Greater Than / Less Than Sudoku Live
★★★☆☆ Cell Relationships

Inequality signs between cells constrain which is larger

Play Greater Than / Less Than Sudoku → Learn More
Odd / Even Sudoku Live
★★★☆☆ Cell Relationships

Shaded cells must contain odd digits; circles must contain even digits

Play Odd / Even Sudoku → Learn More

Anti-Constraints

Anti-King Sudoku Live
★★★☆☆ Anti-Constraints

No two cells a king's move apart may contain the same digit

Play Anti-King Sudoku → Learn More
Anti-Knight Sudoku Live
★★★☆☆ Anti-Constraints

No two cells a knight's move apart may contain the same digit

Play Anti-Knight Sudoku → Learn More
Anti-Consecutive Sudoku Live
★★★☆☆ Anti-Constraints

Orthogonally adjacent cells may not contain consecutive digits

Play Anti-Consecutive Sudoku → Learn More

Grid Variants

Mini Sudoku Live
★☆☆☆☆ Smaller Grid

4×4 or 6×6 grids — perfect for beginners and children

Play Mini Sudoku → Learn More
Cube / 3D Sudoku Live
★★★★☆ Twin Grids

Sudoku arranged on the faces of a cube or other 3D layout

Play Cube / 3D Sudoku → Learn More
Alphabet / Word Sudoku Live
★★☆☆☆ Letter Substitution

Uses letters instead of numbers — and often spells a word in one row

Play Alphabet / Word Sudoku → Learn More

Special Variants

Clone Sudoku Live
★★★★☆ Clone Regions

Marked regions must contain identical digit arrangements

Play Clone Sudoku → Learn More
Chaos Construction Live
★★★★☆ Hidden Irregular Regions

You must determine the region boundaries as part of solving

Play Chaos Construction → Learn More
Sukaku Live
★★★☆☆ Pencilmark Elimination

A pencilmark-style variant where clues are given as candidate sets

Play Sukaku → Learn More

Full Variant Comparison Table

Variant Category Difficulty Avg. Medium Status
Classic Sudoku Standard ★★☆☆☆ 12 min Live
Killer Sudoku Outside Clues ★★★★☆ 30 min Live
Diagonal Sudoku Extra Regions ★★☆☆☆ 10 min Live
Hyper / Windoku Extra Regions ★★★☆☆ 15 min Live
Samurai Sudoku Extra Regions ★★★★★ 90 min Live
Jigsaw Sudoku Extra Regions ★★★☆☆ 16 min Live
Irregular Diagonal Sudoku Extra Regions ★★★★☆ 18 min Live
Thermo Sudoku Line Constraints ★★★★☆ 22 min Live
Arrow Sudoku Line Constraints ★★★★☆ 25 min Live
Renban Sudoku Line Constraints ★★★★☆ 22 min Live
German Whispers Line Constraints ★★★★☆ 22 min Live
Palindrome Sudoku Line Constraints ★★★☆☆ 16 min Live
Between Lines Sudoku Line Constraints ★★★☆☆ 18 min Live
Little Killer Sudoku Outside Clues ★★★★☆ 28 min Live
Sandwich Sudoku Outside Clues ★★★★☆ 26 min Live
Skyscraper Sudoku Outside Clues ★★★★☆ 25 min Live
Outside Sudoku Outside Clues ★★★☆☆ 18 min Live
Kropki Sudoku Cell Relationships ★★★☆☆ 18 min Live
XV Sudoku Cell Relationships ★★★☆☆ 18 min Live
Consecutive Sudoku Cell Relationships ★★★☆☆ 16 min Live
Non-Consecutive Sudoku Cell Relationships ★★★☆☆ 13 min Live
Greater Than / Less Than Sudoku Cell Relationships ★★★☆☆ 16 min Live
Odd / Even Sudoku Cell Relationships ★★★☆☆ 14 min Live
Anti-King Sudoku Anti-Constraints ★★★☆☆ 13 min Live
Anti-Knight Sudoku Anti-Constraints ★★★☆☆ 12 min Live
Anti-Consecutive Sudoku Anti-Constraints ★★★☆☆ 13 min Live
Clone Sudoku Special Variants ★★★★☆ 22 min Live
Chaos Construction Special Variants ★★★★☆ 26 min Live
Sukaku Special Variants ★★★☆☆ 18 min Live
Mini Sudoku Grid Variants ★☆☆☆☆ 2 min Live
Cube / 3D Sudoku Grid Variants ★★★★☆ 32 min Live
Alphabet / Word Sudoku Grid Variants ★★☆☆☆ 12 min Live
Live now: Classic, Killer, Diagonal, Hyper, Odd/Even, Anti-Knight, Anti-King, Irregular/Jigsaw, Non-Consecutive, Thermo, Arrow, Greater Than, XV, Kropki, Renban, German Whispers, Palindrome, Between Lines, Consecutive, Sandwich, Skyscraper, Little Killer, Mini (4×4), Alphabet, Irregular Diagonal, Outside, Anti-Consecutive, Sukaku, Clone, Samurai, Chaos Construction, and Cube/3D Sudoku are all playable - 32 variants total.