How to Play Bubble Sudoku

Search the site

EasyObvious Single: With Notes and Hidden Single: Last RemainingMediumAdds Hidden Single: With Notes and Obvious Single: Last PossibleHardAdds Pointing and Claiming Pairs, Obvious Pairs, Hidden Pairs and Obvious TriplesExpertAdds X Wing, Swordfish and Hidden Triples

Play

Four levels, with a hint whenever you need one.

Spot It

Find the move on quick boards, one technique at a time. Every video board is here too.

Today’s daily

One board for everyone, every day. The next one drops in 0:00:00.

Row

Column

Block

Every row, column, and block

How to play

Each one holds all nine colors, once. That’s the whole game.

Rules

Ruling colors out: whatever the row, column, and block don’t already hold is what the cell can be.

X Wing

Four cells form a rectangle, and one color clears out of two whole columns. Fifteen lessons in all, Full House to Swordfish.

Look for a row, column, or block with one empty cell
Follow one color across the board
Count the colors around one empty cell
Write notes
Read your notes for singles

Stuck on a puzzle

Twelve steps in all, easiest first.

TipsSeven habits for a first puzzleStep by stepOne real puzzle, solved start to finishMistakesSix slips and how to avoid themGlossaryEvery term, shown on a boardMoreStuck, history, difficulty and color sudoku

Guides

From your first puzzle to Swordfish, plus the history of sudoku.

Color sudoku

Nine colors, the same logic, and no math anywhere.

App StoreScan or tap Google PlayScan or tap

Get the app

Free on iPhone and Android. Point your phone’s camera at a code to open Bubble Sudoku in that store.

“There wasn’t an app that had everything I wanted. So I built it.

Kasey, creator of Bubble Sudoku

Our story

A puzzle engine built from scratch, and every piece drawn by hand.

Full House

When a row, column, or block has one empty cell left, the missing color is the answer. Press Enter to open the lesson.

Notes

A note is a small dot marking a color that could still go in a cell. Press Enter to open the lesson.

Obvious Single: Last Possible

Focus on one empty cell and count the colors in its row, its column, and its block. Press Enter to open the lesson.

Obvious Single: With Notes

When a cell has only one note left, that color must go there. Press Enter to open the lesson.

Hidden Single: Last Remaining

Follow one color across the board. Press Enter to open the lesson.

Hidden Single: With Notes

When a color appears in the notes of only one cell in a row, column, or block, it must go in that cell, even if that cell shows other colors too. Press Enter to open the lesson.

Pointing Pairs

When a block can fit a color only along one row or column, the color must go there inside the block. Press Enter to open the lesson.

Claiming Pairs

When a row or column can fit a color only inside one block, the color must go in that block. Press Enter to open the lesson.

Obvious Pairs

When two cells in the same row, column, or block show exactly the same two colors, those colors belong to those two cells. Press Enter to open the lesson.

Obvious Triples

When three cells in a row, column, or block hold only three colors between them, those colors belong to those cells. Press Enter to open the lesson.

X Wing

When a color fits only two cells in each of two rows, and those cells share the same two columns, you can rule that color out of every other cell in those columns. Press Enter to open the lesson.

Swordfish

When a color fits only two cells in each of three rows, and those cells share the same three columns, you can rule it out of every other cell in those columns. Press Enter to open the lesson.

Hidden Pairs

When two colors can only go in the same two cells of a row, column, or block, those cells belong to them. Press Enter to open the lesson.

Hidden Triples

When three colors can only go in the same three cells of a row, column, or block, those cells belong to them. Press Enter to open the lesson.

Test a Bubble

When you are stuck, pick a cell with two colors left and test one. Press Enter to open the lesson.

Press Enter to open it.