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Arrow Sudoku

Arrow Sudoku Instructions:
Here's how to play Arrow Sudoku:
Place the numbers from 1 - 9 once in each row, column and 3x3 bold-outlined box in the grid.

In addition, the grid contains grey arrows. The number to be placed in the circled cell at the start of each arrow is the sum of the digits that fall along the path of the arrow.

More About Arrow Sudoku

Arrow sudoku is a visually striking variant of the standard sudoku puzzle, and really adds a very interesting element to the solving mix: arrows that use the numerical values of cells to help you solve the puzzle.

If you look at the sample image, and sample solution particularly, it will help you to see how the arrows work: the number in the circled cell is the sum of the numbers along the path; thus if there is a 2 and a 3 along the path of an arrow of length two, then the circled cell contains 5, given 2 + 3 = 5, and so on.

You can repeat numbers along the path of an arrow as long as that doesn't break standard sudoku rules (of 1 - 9 not being allowed to repeat within a row, column or 3x3 box).

Arrow sudoku puzzles will have many fewer givens than a standard sudoku due to the fact that there is much more information to be gained that will help you solve the puzzle from the arrows.

It can take a while to start placing numbers with arrow sudoku as you go about working out the various options for each cell, but once you get going the puzzle soon builds momentum and there is lovely solving interplay between the arrows and their values and the standard sudoku rules.

It is particularly interesting how the value in the circled cell at the head of the arrow interplays with the values along the body of the arrow, and how information on one feeds back to the others. There are various interesting new deductive rules that can be introduced to the solving process from the arrows which it is also fun to discover as you start solving arrow sudoku puzzles.

Related puzzles

Calcudoku, Circle Sudoku, Consecutive Sudoku, Futoshiki, Graeco-Latin Sudoku, HyperSudoku, Irregular Sudoku, Isosudoku, Killer Sudoku, Offset Sudoku, Outside Sudoku, Samurai Sudoku, Star Sudoku, Sudoku, Sudoku X, Toroidal Sudoku

Last updated: 14 Feb 2012

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Sample puzzle:
start Arrow Sudoku image
Sample solution:
solution Arrow Sudoku image

View a sample Arrow Sudoku PDF

Play Arrow Sudoku Puzzles:

If you would like to try arrow sudoku puzzles, then you can download and print off a PDF magazine of them in our Arrow Sudoku Magazine.

Publish Arrow Sudoku Puzzles:

If you would like to buy or licence Arrow Sudoku puzzles for publication, then please Contact Us >>>