Are you in on the Sudoku craze?
Maybe you don’t even play Sudoku, but you’ve probably bumped into it in your puzzle book. The game has taken the nation by storm, producing a new generation of number game fans.
Although the origins of Sudoku are reported to be Japanese, there is another legend that explains it much differently. It is said that the Sudoku game actually originated in Switzerland, and was later used in magazines in the US.
When Dell magazines published the game, they named it “Number’s Place”. The game didn’t become extremely popular though and many had never heard of it. That was until a man called W Gould came across a book containing the puzzles in Japan. After that the game expanded throughout Japan and became extremely popular moving to other territories and creating an excitement in the US.
Today you can play Sudoku anywhere. There are web pages that offer games online like Sudoku, then there are handheld games, books, magazines, and many video game systems even offer their own variants of the game.
How does the game work? Usually, you’ll have a grid with 81 cells which consist of 9 rows, 9 columns and 9 boxes (each box is 3 x 3 cells big). Within these cells you have to fill in the numerical digits 1 to 9 in such a way that the digits do not repeat themselves in any row or column or 3 x 3 box. A new Sudoku puzzle is always provided with a few numbers already entered. We call those numbers clues or givens. Some Sudoku puzzles are easy, some are quite tough … it all depends on how they are constructed.
Sudoku has expanded to fit many forms. Now, rather than just the classic grids, there are grids made from grids, creating really big puzzle, some as large as five overlapping puzzles. There are also games that have special shapes so that instead of just the horizontal and vertical rows, you have to make sure to have the proper numbers within a certain area. Some puzzles offer a diagonal requirement, while some use even letters to spell out words in their solution.
Did you know even children can do Sudoku? Not just the intellectual children who are highly developed, but any child. There are puzzles made for every age range, and every skill level. You’ll be hard pressed to get a cheaper educational toy!
Many of us avoid these puzzle because we aren’t good at mathematics. If only they knew there is no mathematics involved! It is really a simple logic problem, and if the numbers scare you, there are several other options using letters, shapes, symbols and pictures.
Some studies have found Sudoku to be good for your health! Doing a puzzle or two each day has helped people all over the world to boost their brain power and combat diseases such as dementia. The game can also reduce stress levels and enhance your mood.
If you are not already playing Sudoku, you don’t know what you are missing! Start with one of the easier ones, and work your way up. You’ll soon find out just how satisfying it is … but be careful, you might not be able to stop!