6x6 Sudoku

This free 6x6 sudoku tool makes classic 6x6 sudoku puzzles in your web browser, so you can print them or play them on screen. A 6x6 sudoku is a smaller version of the standard puzzle: you fill a 6 by 6 grid with the numbers 1 to 6 so that every row, column and box contains each number once.

Nothing needs installing, and there is no sign-up. The puzzles are made on your device, and nothing is uploaded. Every puzzle has exactly one solution, which the built-in solver checks before the puzzle is shown.

The page opens on the Print tab, where you can make a printable set with answers. The Play tab lets you solve a puzzle on screen. You can choose Easy, Medium or Hard, which suits a 6x6 sudoku easy session or a more challenging one.

How to use the 6x6 sudoku

To print a set:

1. Open the Print tab, which is the tab the page starts on.
2. Choose 2, 4, 6, 9 or 12 puzzles per page. The default is 6.
3. Choose a difficulty: Easy, Medium or Hard.
4. Wait while the puzzles are made. The progress counter shows “Making puzzle 3 / 12…”, and you can press Cancel at any time.
5. Check the preview of page 1 and of its answer page.
6. Press Print / Save as PDF. In the browser print dialog, choose Save as PDF as the destination to get a PDF file.

To play on screen:

1. Open the Play tab.
2. Click or tap a cell, then click a number on the number pad, or type the number.
3. Press P or Space, or use the Pencil button, to write small candidate notes instead of a digit.
4. Press Hint for the next step. Press Check to mark wrong cells in red.
5. Press New puzzle for another one, Show solution to see the answer, or Start over to clear your entries.

Under Play options you can turn on “Mark repeated digits in red” and “Remove pencil marks automatically”. Arrow keys move the selection, digits enter numbers, and Backspace erases. Undo and redo work with Ctrl/Cmd+Z and Ctrl/Cmd+Y.

How are the boxes shaped in 6x6 sudoku?

A 6x6 sudoku has six boxes, and each box is 3 cells wide by 2 cells high. Each box holds six cells, which is exactly the number of digits, so each of the numbers 1 to 6 appears once in every box. The rule for rows and columns is the same: each digit appears once in each row and once in each column.

These three rules are the whole puzzle. Fill each cell with a digit from 1 to 6, and make sure no digit repeats in any row, column or box. Because the boxes are rectangles rather than squares, it helps to check them by looking at the two rows or three columns that a box covers. Each band of two rows holds two boxes side by side.

How many clues does a 6x6 sudoku have?

A 6x6 sudoku usually starts with about 18 clues on Easy, about 14 on Medium and about 11 on Hard, out of the 36 cells. Clues are the numbers already filled in when the puzzle starts. The other cells are blank for you to solve.

Fewer clues make the puzzle harder, because you have fewer starting points and need more elimination steps. Every puzzle still has exactly one solution, whatever its level.

Solving works by elimination. Look at a blank cell and list the digits that its row, column and box do not already contain. If only one digit is left, write it in. This is called a naked single. You can also look at one digit that is missing from a box and find the only cell in that row or column where it fits. This is called a hidden single. The Hint button names the technique it uses, such as Hidden Single or Naked Pair, so you can learn the method as you go.

Frequently asked questions

Can I print 6x6 sudoku with answers?

Yes. The printed set ends with the answers, and the preview shows the answer page before you print. You can print both pages from the browser print dialog.

Can I save 6x6 sudoku as a PDF?

Yes. Press Print / Save as PDF, then choose Save as PDF as the destination in the browser print dialog.

How do I print the same 6x6 sudoku set again?

Each printed set has a seed number, which appears in the page footer. Enter that seed in the Seed field under “Repeat or share this set”, and use the same settings. The same seed with the same settings always gives the same puzzles.

Is 6x6 sudoku a good first step for children?

Yes. It sits between 4x4 and the full 9x9 puzzle, so it suits children and beginners. The Easy level has the most clues, which gives a gentler start.

Do I need an account to use this 6x6 sudoku tool?

No. The tool is free and has no sign-up. It runs in your browser, and nothing needs to be installed.

Can I keep my progress and share a puzzle?

Progress is saved in your browser on this device, so reloading the page continues the same puzzle. To open the same puzzle on another device, press Copy link.

Related tools

• 4x4 sudoku: Use this smaller grid for the first steps in learning the rules.
• 16x16 sudoku: Try this larger grid once you are comfortable with 6x6 puzzles.
• Printable sudoku: Choose this to print sudoku puzzles of other sizes and levels.
• Easy sudoku: Use this when you want a gentler 9x9 puzzle with more clues.
• Sudoku generator: Use this to make new puzzles from a seed or settings.
• Sudoku solver: Use this to check the answer to a puzzle you are stuck on.
• Blank sudoku grid: Use this to draw your own puzzle by hand.