The Sudoku Phenomenon
There is a puzzle craze that is currently sweeping the world and its name is Sudoku. If you have not heard about this game then maybe you have been living in the cave for the last couple of years. Sudoku has become so popular that is now already being compared to the Rubik’s Cube, which was a phenomenon in the 70s and 80s.
But Sudoku is not a new game. The creator of the game was Howard Garns a former architect. It was invented in 1979 and was even published in a puzzle magazine in the United States of America (USA). But Sudoku first became a craze in Japan, and the rest of the world only caught up in 2005 when it was given attention by media, internet websites and book publishers.
Just how popular is Sudoku? Well if you type Sudoku in Google, Yahoo or any Internet search engine for that matter you will see thousands of web pages dedicated to or about the puzzle. Indeed, the Internet is a treasure trove for everything Sudoku. From actual puzzles, to tips and tricks and to blogs about it. There are even computer programs that can solve Sudoku puzzles for you.
What does the word Sudoku mean? It actually stands for the Japanese phrase suuji wa dokushin ni kagiru. In English, it means the digit remains single. A Sudoku puzzle is composed of a 9 X 9 grid. Within this larger grid are smaller 3 X 3 subgrids. Some of the cells have numbers 1 to 9 in them while some are blank. The object of the game is to fill up all of the cells with numbers from 1 to 9.
Where’s the fun in that you may ask? Well of course you just can’t write the numbers in a random fashion. You must enter the numbers logically. The one main rule in Sudoku is not to have any number duplicated in the same row, column or subgrid.
Sounds pretty simple huh? Well you probably haven’t played a game of Sudoku. Those who have can attest just how frustrating it can get., The difficulty levels of Sudoku vary from beginner’s level to expert level. This means that Sudoku can be enjoyed by almost everyone, young and old.
But don’t be fooled to think that Sudoku is just for geniuses and math freaks. Actually, has little to do with math. The number are there for convenience only. They can be replaced by colors and symbols if you like. Sudoku is a logic game, just like the Rubik’s cube that became a hit in the 1970s.
So what should you do if you want to get started in Sudoku? The best thing to do is to use the Internet. The Web is simply one of the best places where you can learn about Sudoku. Best thing is, the information in the web is mostly free. You can even find printable Sudoku puzzles that you can download.
So what are you waiting for? Log on now and search for Sudoku websites. Download a printable Sudoku puzzle then grab a pencil. Or go to your nearest bookstore and grab a Sudoku book. You do not want to be left behind do you? A word of warning though: Sudoku can be very addictive.
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