Mini sudoku, the quick version of the classic
Mini sudoku is a 6x6 sudoku: six rows, six columns and six boxes, filled with the digits 1 to 6. The rules are the ones you already know from 9×9. Each digit appears once in every row, once in every column and once in every box. Because the grid is smaller, a puzzle fits into a coffee break, and you can play as many as you like here for free.
Every board is generated fresh and has exactly one solution. You never need to guess, and you never run out of puzzles.
How the boxes change the way you scan
The big difference from classic sudoku is the shape of the boxes. In a 9×9 grid the boxes are squares. In mini sudoku they are rectangles, two rows tall and three columns wide. There are two boxes side by side and three stacked on top of each other.
That shape changes how scanning works. Take a 4 in the top-left box. Its neighbour across shares the same two rows, so the 4 there is pushed into the other row, which leaves three cells. Rows work fast because each band holds only two boxes: place a digit in one, and you know which row it takes in the other.
Columns are slower. Each stack has three boxes, so you need the same digit in two of them before the third is down to a single column. A useful habit: look across the band first, then down the stack.
A simple way to solve
- Find the busiest line. Pick the row, column or box with the most digits already in place. With only six cells, a line that has four digits often settles at once.
- Scan one digit at a time. Choose a digit, say 2, and look at each box in turn. Cross out the rows and columns that already contain a 2. If one cell is left in a box, the 2 goes there.
- Pair up the boxes in a band. A band is two boxes side by side. If the 5 in the left box can only be in the top row, the 5 in the right box must go in the bottom row. Even before you know the exact cell, that halves the search.
- Add notes when you stall. Pencil marks are rarely needed in mini sudoku, but listing the candidates in one stubborn box usually shows the next move.
Who mini sudoku is for
Mini sudoku suits new players who find a full 9×9 grid a bit much, and anyone who wants a short puzzle on a phone. It is also a good warm-up before a harder board. Once you can solve a 6x6 sudoku in a few minutes, easy sudoku is the natural next step, and the same habits carry straight over. For something even gentler, especially for children, try 4x4 sudoku.
How to play here
Tap a cell and type a digit from 1 to 6, or use the number pad on a phone. For pencil marks, right-click a cell on a computer, or switch on Mark mode on a phone before entering digits. Undo is always there, and New puzzle deals a fresh grid whenever you want one.
How to play Mini Sudoku
- Fill every empty cell with a digit from 1 to 6.
- Each row and each column must contain every digit from 1 to 6 exactly once.
- The grid is split into six boxes, each two rows tall and three columns wide. Each box also holds 1 to 6 once.
- The starting digits are fixed. Every puzzle has one solution you can reach without guessing.
Mini Sudoku tips
Scan the boxes in pairs
The boxes sit two side by side and three stacked. A digit in one box tells you which row it takes in its neighbour across, because the two boxes share the same two rows.
Count to six, not nine
A row with four digits has only two gaps and two missing digits. Check which column already holds one of them and both cells are settled.
Watch the long side of each box
Each box is three cells wide and two tall. When a digit is ruled out of two of its three columns, only two cells are left, and one row check usually decides between them.
Frequently asked questions
Is mini sudoku easier than regular sudoku?
Yes, usually. There are only six digits and 36 cells, so there is less to keep track of and a puzzle takes a few minutes. The logic is the same as in a 9×9 grid.
What is a 6x6 sudoku?
A 6x6 sudoku is a smaller sudoku with digits 1 to 6. Every row, column and 2×3 box must hold each digit once.
How long does a mini sudoku take?
Most players finish one in two to five minutes. Beginners might need ten, and fast solvers can do it in under a minute.
Is mini sudoku good practice for 9×9?
It is. Scanning for a digit, finding the last free cell in a row and checking boxes all work the same way, just with fewer cells.
