How to Play Kakuro: Rules, Strategy & Free Puzzles
Kakuro is a number-crossword puzzle. You fill the white cells with digits 1–9 so that each horizontal or vertical run of cells adds up to the clue printed beside it — and no digit repeats within a single run. It blends Sudoku-style logic with light arithmetic.
- Skill: Numerical reasoning & logical deduction
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- Difficulty: Intermediate
How to play Kakuro
- Understand the clues. A clue on the left of a row is the sum of that horizontal run; a clue above a column is the sum of that vertical run.
- Fill with digits 1–9. Enter digits 1 through 9 in the white cells. Zero is never used.
- Match every sum. The digits in each run must total exactly the clue for that run.
- No repeats in a run. A digit may not appear more than once within the same horizontal or vertical run.
- Solve by combinations. Use the limited ways a sum can be formed (e.g. a 3-cell run summing to 6 must be 1+2+3) to deduce placements.
Kakuro strategy & tips
- Memorise "magic" combinations: sums with only one possible digit set (e.g. 3-in-2 = 1+2, 17-in-2 = 8+9).
- Find cells shared by a row-run and column-run — they are the most constrained.
- Cross-reference: a digit forced by the row may be eliminated by the column.
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Kakuro FAQ
What is the difference between Kakuro and Sudoku?
Sudoku has no arithmetic — you place 1–9 once per row, column and box. Kakuro requires each run of cells to sum to a target clue, so it adds addition to the logic.
Can a digit repeat in Kakuro?
A digit can appear elsewhere in the grid but never twice within the same horizontal or vertical run.
Is Kakuro harder than Sudoku?
Many players find Kakuro a step up because it combines arithmetic with deduction, but MiniMind offers beginner Kakuro grids to ease you in.
Related puzzles
Reference: Kakuro on Wikipedia