With the internet becoming more affordable and accessible, the use of Android devices is becoming all the more widespread. But in an era of viral trends and glamorous online lifestyles that aren’t always what they seem, the internet can sometimes be overstimulating.
However, whereas taking social media breaks is highly encouraged by mental health experts, sometimes the best solution isn’t necessarily leaving, but rather staying. You see, rather than completely avoiding the internet, one can choose to stay online and still unwind and relax.
One way of doing so is by playing Sudoku Club, which has the added advantage of both online and offline features.
What is Sudoku?
Sudoku is a logic-based puzzle game where players are tasked with filling the empty spaces with the correct numbers. Despite its Japanese name, early remnants of the game date back to the 19th century, when French puzzle setters first started experimenting with removing numbers from magic squares.
Modern Sudoku is however relatively recent, as it is widely believed that the current version was designed in 1979 by Howard Garns–-a retired architect and freelance puzzle constructor from the US.
The classic Sudoku is made up of one grid with a total of 81 squares. The grid is divided into 9 blocks, and each block is further subdivided into 9 squares. Each of the 9 squares that form a block must contain a number 1 to 9, without omitting or duplicating any number.
What is a good Sudoku app?
Finding the right app can be a daunting task, given the vast and extensive nature of the internet, and by extension the Google Play Store. Nonetheless, that doesn’t have to be the case, as there are several Sudoku apps for Android that are worth checking out.
How does Sudoku work?
Sudoku is one of the Android games that truly encapsulates what brain games should be like.
Although solving a Sudoku puzzle can be a tad bit challenging to a newbie, the rules of the game are fairly easy to understand. As earlier mentioned, a Sudoku puzzle is a grid of nine by nine blocks which are further divided into nine sub-grids of three by three squares each.
The puzzle begins with a few numbers already filled in for ease of solving, and the numbers filled cannot be changed. The task at this point is to ensure that each of the 9 squares that form a block must contain a number 1 through 9, without omitting or duplicating any number. Additionally, each horizontal row with nine squares must contain the numbers 1 through 9 without any duplicates or omissions. Each vertical column with nine squares must also contain the numbers 1 through 9 without any duplicates or omissions.
The Japanese word “Sudoku” means “digit-single” which can be loosely translated to “numbers only once”. Therefore, the puzzle is deemed solved once all the numbers are placed correctly.
Contrary to popular belief, one doesn’t require knowledge in mathematics in order to play Sudoku. It in large fact requires logic and deduction. There is no arithmetic involved, but rather the logic to identify patterns and place the numbers 1 through 9 on a grid, without omitting or repeating any of the numbers within the same row, column or square.
It is for this reason that Sudoku isn’t tied to numbers only. You could in principle also use letters or symbols, provided there are nine different letters or symbols.
Much like in every other game, there are various levels of difficulty. Easy levels have more numbers filled in, while the numbers filled are reduced as the difficulty increases.
Great tips for solving Sudoku:
Identify area with crowded digits
Many players can attest that placing the first number is usually the hardest part of the Sudoku puzzle. It however doesn’t have to be like that. A smart strategy would be to focus on rows, columns or the 3×3 blocks where more numbers are given. In doing so, it will make it easier to solve other empty squares within the same row, column or block.
Another important technique is to identify which numbers appear severally among the given digits. For example, if a new Sudoku puzzle has the number 6 appearing five times and the number 2 not appearing at all, it will be much easier to place one of the four remaining number 6s than placing one of the nine number 2s.
Scan rows and columns
The simplest way to begin solving a Sudoku puzzle is by scanning rows and columns within each triple-box area, eliminating numbers or squares and ensuring that each single square has only one number–without omission or repetition.
Scanning really comes in handy especially when solving easy puzzles from start to finish. In case you get stuck, you can always channel your energy to another part of the puzzle which may provide you with new solutions.
Make notes
This can be a great systematic strategy of solving the Sudoku puzzle, as it enables the puzzle doer to analyze the outcomes, identify key number combinations, and conclude where each number needs to be placed.
Once you have identified a number, use it to open up new rows or squares. Continuously evaluating which numbers are missing will go a long way in helping to solve the Sudoku puzzle.
Look for single candidates
In Sudoku, only one number can be in a square as the remaining eight are in use in the relevant row, column and block.
By analyzing the surrounding column, row, and block, a single candidate is the number you use to cancel out all the other possibilities for a particular square, leaving only a single number as the possible fit.
Be Patient and Enjoy the game
Insofar as completing the Sudoku puzzle is the primary goal of every player, the challenging nature of the game shouldn’t deplete the joy that comes with playing it.
So sit back, relax and possibly turn on some soothing music as you stimulate your mind by solving the Sudoku puzzle. And if it doesn’t work out, don’t let it get to you. You can always come back later when you’re feeling more relaxed. Having fun is the most important part of the game.
2023-01-31 15:06:17