Sudoku is the latest puzzle craze sweeping the nation. If you search various Sudoku game information sites and blogs, you will find that many people refer to this challenging game as the new Rubix Cube. If you grew up in the ’80s, it would be hard to forget the six-sided, six-color square, but Sudoku is doing just that.
If you think that Sudoku is a new game, you are wrong. In fact, it was created in 1979 and published in an American puzzle magazine. The game was created by Howard Garns, a former architect. The craze hit Japan in 1986, but it didn’t take center stage until 2005, when websites, puzzle books, and even significant media coverage made the game Sudoku a worldwide sensation.
If you do a web search for the Sudoku game, you will find that it has a large following. The Internet has become a perfect haven for those logic-inspired sleuths dedicated to filling in the boxes and solving puzzles. There are tons of websites dedicated to the game. There are also contests where contestants can win money or prizes. Quizzes, however, usually have to be done in person because there are computer programs available that can solve Sudoku game puzzles in the blink of an eye.
Sudoku is actually an abbreviation for the Japanese phrase suuji wa dokushin ni kagiru. Translated, it means that the digits stand alone. Typically, an ordinary Sudoku puzzle is a 9 x 9 grid divided into nine 3 x 3 subgroups. Some of the cells have numbers and clues in them. Others are empty. The object of the game is to pencil in the missing numbers in a logical way, but remember that each number from one to nine can only be used once.
The difficulty levels of the Sudoku game are varied. Puzzles can be designed to suit highly experienced players or pure beginners. Even the youngest can participate in the game of Sudoku. If you’re a fan of the Rubix Cube in the 1980s, chances are the Sudoku craze is right up your analytical alley. Give it a try and who knows, maybe you’ll get hooked!
