CDEarth : Sudoku computer game no fad

Sudoku started out seemingly as just another fad. It was already a huge hit in Japan. But then it swept England and within a year was carried by hundreds of newspapers in the United States. Sudoku puzzles have been the focus of dozens of books, many of bestsellers on the top 100 book list.

The press has been equally enamoured by this deceptively simple numbers puzzle. "Not since - well, ever - have the numbers 1 to 9 been so popular" writes Time Magazine. The New York Post raves its "diabolically addictive" and the conservative, staunchly Economist blushes that Sudoku is "nothing short of astonishing".

Sudoku (also called Su Doku or Numbers Place) like many great mind games has simple instructions yet can be quite addicting and with its own levels of difficulty. The objective is to fill a 9x9 grid so that each column, each row, and each of the nine 3x3 boxes contains the digits from 1 to 9. The puzzle setter provides a partially completed grid.



New variations on this game include having a larger grid such as 9x9, 16x16 and even 25x25 for those who frankly need to watch more TV. Other variations substitute symbols or pictures for the numbers. The Sudoku craze has also spun new games like Kakuro (also called Cross Sums) and Nanograms.

Since this is a computer and software related blog, we are obligated to mention that the best way to learn and play Sudoku is on your computer. Many great Sudoku computer games can generate new puzzles as fast as you can solve them. That way you don't have to way for tomorrow's newspaper to satisfy your Sudoku addiction.

CDEarth has a terrific Sudoku version you may want to check out. In addition to Sudoku, the CD comes with a bonus 10 additional puzzles games.