A LITTLE FOCUS. A FRESH START.

Play Mini Sudoku (6×6)

Play free 6×6 Mini Sudoku online. Use numbers 1–6 in a smaller grid with 2×3 boxes, five difficulty levels, notes, and saved progress.

Get the iPhone app

OneStop Sudoku, wherever you go.

Website saves stay in this browser and don’t transfer to the app.
QR code linking to OneStop Sudoku on the App Store
Download on the App StoreScan to download
or tap to open

The game loads here. Choose a difficulty to start or resume a puzzle.

LEARN THE TWIST

How to play Mini Sudoku (6×6)

Mini changes the grid size to 6×6 and the box size to 2×3. It has its own puzzles, save slots, and high scores rather than reusing a cropped Classic board.

The rules

Fill each row, column, and 2×3 box with 1–6, without repeats. This smaller board has its own saved progress and high scores.

A useful first move

Use the same row, column, and box scanning as Classic, but work with 1–6 only. A smaller candidate set makes Mini a useful place to practice these deductions.

If a row contains 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6, its remaining cell is 3. Each outlined box is two rows high and three columns wide, and also needs all six digits.

SOLVE IT STEP BY STEP

Complete a six-cell box

Mini uses the same elimination ideas as Classic with a smaller digit set. Every row, column, and box needs 1–6. The box is two rows high and three columns wide, so check its actual outline instead of mentally importing a 3×3 box.

Partial teaching diagramA two-row, three-column box reads 1, empty, 3 on top and 4, 5, 6 beneath it.1?3456
Teaching diagram · not a full puzzleOne complete 2×3 box from a 6×6 board. The remaining rows, columns, and boxes are omitted.
Top-middle cell
2
  1. Use only the six permitted digits.

    The box must contain 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. Digits 7, 8, and 9 never enter a Mini candidate list.

  2. Cross off the five placed values.

    The box already has 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6. Its only missing value is 2, so the top-middle cell is forced.

  3. Scan its row and column again.

    That 2 rules out 2 elsewhere in its six-cell row and column. Check whether either now has a single missing digit or a digit with just one available position.

Practice pairs on the smaller board

If two cells in one six-cell row each have exactly {2, 5} as their complete candidate list, those cells must hold 2 and 5 in some order. Remove both digits from the other four cells in that row. Their order can wait; the elimination is already useful. The same reasoning applies within a column or one 2×3 box.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • The boxes are 2×3, not 2×2 or 3×3. A square-looking portion of the board may cross a box boundary.
  • A smaller board does not allow repeats or justify guessing. Apply the same candidate checks to all three units touching a cell.

Try the reasoning yourself

A Mini row contains 2, 3, 5, and 6. What are its two missing digits, and can the row alone decide their positions?

Show the answer and why

The missing digits are 1 and 4. The row alone cannot choose which empty cell gets which digit. Check the cells’ columns and 2×3 boxes to determine the order.

Controls, difficulty, and saved games

Choose Beginner, Easy, Medium, Hard, or Expert above. Select an empty cell, then tap a number or use your keyboard. Notes let you pencil in candidates; three hints are available. Three mistakes end the puzzle.

Every mode and difficulty keeps a separate save in this browser. You can switch puzzles and return to your place. Clearing site data removes these saves; they do not sync with another device or the iPhone app. Settings include night mode and optional automatic cell advancement.

Correct entries earn points. High scores are stored by mode and difficulty and update only when beaten; completed-puzzle count and day streak are shared.

FIFTEEN WAYS TO PLAY

Explore all Sudoku modes

A familiar grid, a different kind of logic. Every mode is free to play in your browser.