Welcome to Sudoku Puzzler, the former Sudoku Creator for The News Tribune, and the home of free, daily Sudoku puzzles to print or play online

Sudoku Puzzler

After approximately 11 years, The News Tribune (together with The Olympian) on 11/16/2020 replaced my Sudoku puzzle, Sudoku Puzzler, with a nationally syndicated Sudoku puzzle as a cost-saving measure. They also eliminated other local freelancers, with the net result that there is now less local content on their pages. I loved my eleven years with the TNT and The Olympian, and I considered it a priviledge and honor to bring joy and amusement to my readers. Now I look forward to what is next.

How to Play Sudoku

To play Sudoku, fill in the partial grid of numbers, ensuring that every row, column and 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9; if filled in correctly, there would be no repeats. To solve a Sudoku puzzle, use logic and process of elimination to rule out the digits that don't belong, until what you have left is the correct answer for each cell. Every Sudoku puzzle will have a unique (one and only one) solution.

To make Notes, click in a cell and press N (Firefox, Safari, Chrome, Edge)

Sudoku was popularized in Japan in the 1980s and 1990s and has since become a worldwide phenomenon, appearing in almost every newspaper in the English-speaking world. Sudoku transcends language barriers in that it uses numbers, and yet it doesn't require math skill, but Sudoku does require process of elimination and deductive reasoning.

Sudoku Mobile Version

On the road? At the beach? In a boring staff meeting? Stay up-to-date with the daily Sudoku puzzles by playing the mobile version on your phone! Just navigate to this website in your phone's browser, and you will automatically be redirected to the mobile version. Or type sudokupuzzler.com/mobile directly into your mobile browser. Enjoy!

Sudoku Syndication

According to quantitative tests, Sudoku Puzzler has a wider difficulty range than most nationally syndicated Sudoku puzzles. In other words, the other guys' Hard puzzles are about equivalent to their Medium puzzles. I know, right? For more information please see the Sudoku Syndication page.

In addition to Sudoku for print publications, Sudoku Puzzler offers a free, interactive Sudoku web feature, with the daily newspaper's Sudoku puzzle and searchable Sudoku archive. Feel free to download Sudoku Puzzler's samples in PDF.

Ready for a bigger challenge?

Try Sudoku for Lunch published by Tate Publishing, or TNT Sudoku published by Amazon CreateSpace. Sudoku for Lunch contains 200 original 9x9 Sudoku puzzles of varying difficulty levels, and 50 original 6x6 Sudoku puzzles. TNT Sudoku contains 100 of Ian's Diabolical Sudoku puzzles as printed in The News Tribune of Tacoma. Click here for more information!

Sudoku Points Reference

= 10,000 or more Sudoku points
= 25,000 or more Sudoku points
= 50,000 or more Sudoku points
= 100,000 or more Sudoku points
= 250,000 or more Sudoku points
= 500,000 or more Sudoku points
= 1,000,000 or more Sudoku points
Easy=11 Medium=22 Hard=33
+5 for Dailies