# Help me remember the name of a puzzle **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 15, 2005, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-remember-the-name-of-a-puzzle/317056 "2005-08-15T04:22:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Giant\_Spongess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/94ad74/32.png) [@Giant\_Spongess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giant_Spongess)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2005, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-remember-the-name-of-a-puzzle/317056/1 "2005-08-15T04:22:40Z")
Several months ago my local newspaper ran a fluff story about this puzzle fad that was going on in the UK. It involved a square that was divided into nine smaller squares. Each square had nine spaces. The object was to fit the numbers 1 through 9 in each square and horizontal/vertical line. It’s just the sort of puzzle to occupy my currently bounteous time–but I can’t remember the name! I think it started with a Q? So far Googling has been of little help…sigh. Anyone know what I’m talking about? ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2005, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-remember-the-name-of-a-puzzle/317056/2 "2005-08-15T04:25:52Z")
Sudoku ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2005, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-remember-the-name-of-a-puzzle/317056/3 "2005-08-15T04:26:16Z")
[Sudoku?](http://www.sudoku.org.uk/) ---
**Author:** ![Giant\_Spongess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/94ad74/32.png) [@Giant\_Spongess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giant_Spongess)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2005, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-remember-the-name-of-a-puzzle/317056/4 "2005-08-15T04:28:14Z")
Hot damn! Thanks. Of course, this probably should have been in Cafe Society. Ah well, at least my question was answered. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2005, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-remember-the-name-of-a-puzzle/317056/5 "2005-08-15T07:06:31Z")
This actually comes from Japan, su = number and doku = solve so sudoku is to solve a number (puzzle). I found the puzzle from a UK newspaper section in the Yomiuri (English) newspaper and got hooked. Fortunately, there quite a few sudoku books available here. ---
**Author:** ![grimpixie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@grimpixie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grimpixie)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2005, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-remember-the-name-of-a-puzzle/317056/6 "2005-08-15T07:13:57Z")
An [online playable version](http://www.websudoku.com/?level=1) of the game. Be warned, it gets rather addictive!!! Grim ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2005, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-remember-the-name-of-a-puzzle/317056/7 "2005-08-15T07:18:20Z")
[Here’s another site for playing it online, along with a couple of other neat puzzles.](http://www.puzzle.jp/) I, for one, am seriously addicted to [Light Up](http://www.puzzle.jp/letsplay/play_bijutsukan-e.html). ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2005, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-remember-the-name-of-a-puzzle/317056/8 "2005-08-15T15:46:01Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > [Here’s another site for playing it online, along with a couple of other neat puzzles.](http://www.puzzle.jp/) I, for one, am seriously addicted to [Light Up](http://www.puzzle.jp/letsplay/play_bijutsukan-e.html). The Washington Post started running these recently in its comics pages. They rate the difficulty of each puzzle. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2005, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-remember-the-name-of-a-puzzle/317056/9 "2005-08-15T19:02:17Z")
Su Doku page at The Times of London: [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/section/0,,18209,00.html](http://www.timesonline.co.uk/section/0,,18209,00.html) 3 puzzles a day at different levels of difficulty, 1-week archive. Another place to play online: [http://www.sudokuhints.com/](http://www.sudokuhints.com/) 2 levels of hints, and if you’re still stuck it’ll tell you how to solve the next step. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2005, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-remember-the-name-of-a-puzzle/317056/10 "2005-08-15T19:14:36Z")
The 2005 Google U.S. Puzzle Championship had a sudoku with different-shaped subregions. In addition, some subregions wrap around the edges. Get the puzzle pdf on this page: [http://wpc.puzzles.com/p5/index.htm](http://wpc.puzzles.com/p5/index.htm) The pdf is password protected. You get the password via a link lower on the page, but for reference the password is 2gr8work. ---
**Author:** ![hibernicus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hibernicus/32/2802_2.png) [@hibernicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hibernicus)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2005, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-remember-the-name-of-a-puzzle/317056/11 "2005-08-15T21:36:47Z")
> [@TokyoPlayer](#): > > This actually comes from Japan, su = number and doku = solve so sudoku is to solve a number (puzzle). I found the puzzle from a UK newspaper section in the Yomiuri (English) newspaper and got hooked. Fortunately, there quite a few sudoku books available here. 数 - [SUU, SU, kazu, kazo(-eru)] means number, several or count. 独 - [DOKU, hitori] means alone, single or unique (and also Germany). The most literal translation of su doku would probably be “unique number”.