Cat Sudoku: a calm logic puzzle with cats
Cat Sudoku is a logic puzzle where you find the one right spot for every cat. The board is split into colored regions. Your job is to place one cat in every row, one in every column and one in every color, without letting any two cats touch. It looks simple, and the first levels are, but by the time the board reaches 8×8 and 9×9 you will need real deduction to find every cat.
There are no numbers and no math. Like sudoku, the puzzle is solved by elimination: every cat you place rules out cells for all the others. Each level has exactly one solution, and you never need to guess.
How to play
- Cat mode: tap a cell to place a cat there. If the cat belongs, it settles in with a happy bounce and the cells it rules out are crossed out for you.
- Wrong spot? The cat runs off and you lose one of your three hearts. Lose all three and the level starts again.
- Mark mode: tap a cell to cross it out when you know no cat can sit there. Drag across several cells to cross them all out at once. Tap a cross again to clear it.
- Finish the level by placing all the cats. Your stars show how many hearts you kept. The next level is a little bigger or trickier.
Hint places one correct cat when you are stuck, Undo takes back your last step, and Levels lets you replay any level you have already reached.
Strategy that works
Small regions first. A region of two or three cells can only hold its cat in a couple of places. Often one of those places is already blocked, and the cat has to go in the other.
Regions that sit in one line. If every cell of a region lies in the same row (or column), that region’s cat must use that row. That means no other cat can go anywhere else in the row, so cross out the rest of it. The same idea works with two regions that together fill two rows: those two rows belong to them.
Use the touch rule. A cat blocks all eight cells around it. Before placing a cat, look at what it would block: if it would leave a nearby region with nowhere to go, it cannot be the right cell.
Mark generously. Crossing out cells costs nothing. A board full of crosses makes the last few cats easy to see and saves your hearts.
Levels that grow with you
The first five levels are 5×5 boards to learn the rules. Then the grid grows: 6×6 up to level 15, 7×7 up to level 30, 8×8 up to level 50, and 9×9 after that. Every level number is the same board for every player, so you can compare your stars with friends and family. Your progress is saved in your browser.
Why cat puzzles are so popular
Placement puzzles with regions have become some of the most played logic games on phones, and the cat theme makes them friendly and relaxing. The rules are quick to learn, a level takes a few minutes, and the moment when a whole row of deductions falls into place is very satisfying. Our version runs in any browser, needs no download, and works in full screen on computers, tablets and phones.
More puzzles you will like
If you enjoy Cat Sudoku, try the Queens puzzle with crowns instead of cats and free board sizes, Star Battle with two stars per row and region, classic Sudoku, or the cute Tango puzzle with suns and moons.
How to play Cat Sudoku
- Place exactly one cat in every row and every column.
- Each colored region holds exactly one cat.
- Two cats may never touch, not side by side and not at the corners.
- A cat on a wrong cell runs away and costs a heart. Lose all three hearts and the level starts again.
- Use Mark mode to cross out cells where a cat cannot be. Drag across cells to cross out many at once.
Cat Sudoku tips
Start with the smallest region
A region of one, two or three cells has very few places for its cat. Solve those first and let them block rows and columns for the rest.
One region in one row
If every cell of a region lies in the same row, that region's cat uses the row, so no other region can put a cat there. Cross the rest of the row out.
Cross out the ring
Every cat blocks the eight cells around it. When you are sure of a cat, the game crosses out its row, column, region and ring for you.
Frequently asked questions
How do you play Cat Sudoku?
Put one cat in each row, each column and each color region, so that no two cats touch, even diagonally. Every level has exactly one solution that can be found by logic.
Is Cat Sudoku a real sudoku?
It is a sudoku-style placement puzzle. Instead of numbers you place cats, and instead of 3×3 boxes you have colored regions. There is no math, only logic.
Are the levels the same for everyone?
Yes. Level 12 is the same board for every player, so you can compare with friends. The boards grow from 5×5 at the start to 9×9 after level 50.
What happens when I lose all my hearts?
The level starts again from an empty board, with three new hearts. There is no other penalty and you can replay any level you have reached.
Is this like Meowdoku or the Queens game?
The rules are the same classic region-placement rules used by the mobile game Meowdoku and by the Queens puzzle. MindedGames is not affiliated with either; our Cat Sudoku is free to play in the browser, with no download.
