Kakuro puzzles are a crossword-style puzzle. The object is to fill in the grid with numbers so that each row, column and rectangle contains all of one digit from left to right (e.g., from top to bottom). Kakuro puzzles can be solved using logic alone, but solving these puzzles more quickly may require you to make use of both your skills at mathematics and strategy games such as Go or chess.
Kakuro is a puzzle game that requires thinking outside the box. It’s easy to get started, but it can be difficult to stop playing! The objective of Kakuro puzzles is to fill in all the squares with numbers so that each row and column has exactly one of every digit from 1-9. This blog post will give you tips on how to play as well as some examples of puzzles for beginners!
Tips to solve Kakuro puzzle
Solving Kakuro puzzles can be done without any mathematical skills, but it’s a lot easier if you know some basic math.
The first thing to remember is some unique combos:
- sum 3 will always be 1 + 2.
- sum 4 will always be 1 + 3.
- sum 17 will always be 8 + 9.
- sum 6 will always be 1 + 2 + 3.
- sum 24 will always be 7 + 8 + 9.
Next is to find the lowest row and column with no numbers in them.
One key to solving Kakuro puzzles is recognizing the patterns of numbers and seeing these patterns in your puzzle, marking them off as you find them so they’re not forgotten.
When solving Kakuro puzzles with more than one row or column of boxes, use logic rather than math skills if possible. For example: If you can’t figure out how many zeroes need to be filled into every single box on the top rows for each column, then try filling only the first row with zeroes until all three columns are full (or vice versa). Once this has been done it may become apparent which number needs to go where without even counting!
Kakuro Variants
Kakuro puzzle has some variants.
A common type of Kakuro is Cross Products. In this puzzle, the clues are the product of the digits in each row (instead of adding them). Dell Magazines has puzzles like this, but Games Magazines doesn’t have as many spaces and is more like a crossword puzzle.
In Cross Sums, clues are given as cross sums on a standard 9 x 9 Sudoku grid. Cross Sums are combinations of the digits that form a specified number when they are removed from any row, column or square in the grid.
There is variant type which accepts answers from 1 to 12 instead of the classic 1 to 9.