Easy Sukaku

A digit-free variant — only pencil marks are given, not final answers. Solve from candidate sets rather than placed digits.

Easy Medium Hard Expert

New to Sukaku? All candidates are pre-filled — just tap a digit to eliminate it from a cell. When one remains, it locks in automatically.

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Mistakes
0/3
Score
-
Time
00:00
Tap a number to eliminate it from selected cell
Try Medium Sukaku →
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What is Sukaku?

Difficulty
★★★☆☆
3/5
Constraint Type
Pencilmark Elimination
Typical Givens
All candidates shown
Avg. Solve (Easy)
8 min

Solving Techniques for Easy Level

Technique Description Level
Candidate Scanning Start by scanning rows, columns, and boxes — any candidate appearing in only one cell in a group must be placed there. Beginner
Cross-Hatch Elimination When a digit is placed (or reduced to one candidate), eliminate it from all cells in the same row, column, and box. Beginner

Ready to go deeper? Try Medium Sukaku to unlock Intermediate techniques.

Techniques to Master at Easy

  • Obvious Singles technique — The printed pencilmarks mean naked singles are visible from move one — scan all 81 cells for one-candidate cells before applying any other logic.
  • Notes in Sudoku — You start with the constructor's notes instead of writing your own — the whole game is pruning them correctly, so master how a placement propagates deletions outward.

Average Solve Time by Difficulty

Easy
8 min
Medium
18 min
Hard
35 min
Expert
62 min
Want a full walkthrough of rules, strategies, and solving steps? How to Play Sukaku →

Related Variants

Killer Sudoku

Another puzzle that opens with zero placed digits — cage sums replace pencilmarks as your only raw material.

Jigsaw Sudoku

Sharpens the same candidate-tracking discipline sukaku trains, with region shapes that twist your eliminations.

Diagonal Sudoku

Adds two more houses to feed your elimination engine — ideal for solvers who enjoy sukaku's systematic pruning.

Frequently Asked Questions — Easy Sukaku

What is Sukaku Sudoku?
Sukaku is a Sudoku variant where no digits are pre-filled. Instead, every cell starts with a set of pencilmark candidates. Your job is to eliminate candidates until only one remains in each cell, at which point the digit is placed automatically. Standard Sudoku rules still apply — each row, column, and 3x3 box must contain the digits 1-9 exactly once.
How do I play Sukaku — what does pressing a number do?
Tap or click a cell to select it, then press a digit to eliminate that candidate from the cell's pencilmark set. The digit disappears from the cell's mini-grid. When only one candidate remains, it is locked in as the cell's answer. You never type a final answer directly — you eliminate until one option survives.
How is Sukaku different from regular Sudoku?
In regular Sudoku you start with some digits already placed and fill in the rest. In Sukaku you start with every possibility shown — all nine digits are candidates in every empty cell. You solve by removing wrong candidates rather than adding correct answers. It reverses the mental process of standard solving.
What is the easiest starting move in Sukaku?
Look for cells that already have only one or two candidates visible. A cell showing just one number is already solved — confirm it and use standard elimination to clear the same digit from its row, column, and box. Cells with two candidates are the next easiest: a small sum or naked-pair logic can resolve them quickly.
Does easy Sukaku require pencil marks?
No — easy Sukaku already provides all pencilmarks for you. The entire premise of the puzzle is that candidates are pre-filled. Your only task is elimination. This makes easy Sukaku very beginner-friendly: you never need to figure out what could go in a cell, only what definitely cannot.

More questions? See the full Sukaku guide.