Arrow Sudoku

Arrow Sudoku. The digit in each arrow circle equals the sum of the digits along its arrow.

How to play

Fill the 9×9 grid so every row, every column, and every 3×3 box contains the digits 1 to 9 with no repeats — the classic Sudoku rule. Arrow Sudoku adds one twist: The digit in each arrow circle equals the sum of the digits along its arrow.

Arrow Sudoku adds a set of arrows to the grid, each made of a circled cell joined to a straight line of cells called the shaft. The digit you place in the circle must equal the sum of every digit along its shaft, so each arrow ties a handful of cells together with one arithmetic clue laid over the usual rows, columns, and boxes. Because that circle is a single cell holding 1-9, the running total can never exceed 9 — which is what makes arrow sudoku a puzzle of small numbers.

How to solve Arrow Sudoku

Attack the longest arrows first, because a long shaft is forced into the smallest digits. A shaft of distinct cells needs at least 1+2+3+... for its length, so a 3-cell shaft sums to at least 6 and its circle can only be 6, 7, 8, or 9 — and a circle of 6 locks that shaft to {1,2,3} in some order, a fully solved trio. Since the circle caps out at 9, a 4-cell shaft is only possible when some digits repeat, which they may do provided the repeated cells never share a row, column, or box. Pencil each circle's candidate range straight from its shaft length, then let the sum knock large digits out of the shaft cells (and knock small circle values out) until the arrow resolves. Finally, watch for a shaft cell that lies in the same box, row, or column as its own circle — the two can't take the same value, which often eliminates the last stubborn candidate.

Every Arrow Sudoku puzzle is free to play in your browser — no ads, no sign-up, and it works offline.

Frequently asked questions

What is Arrow Sudoku?

Arrow Sudoku is a variant in which several arrows are drawn across the grid, each a circled cell attached to a straight line of cells (the shaft). The digit in the circle must equal the sum of the digits along that arrow's shaft. You still fill the grid so every row, column, and box holds 1-9 — the arrows are an extra clue, and because the circle is one cell, every arrow's total is at most 9.

Can the same digit repeat along one arrow?

Yes. Arrow Sudoku places no distinctness rule on the shaft itself — a shaft can read 3 and 3, for example, as long as those two cells lie in different rows, columns, and boxes so the ordinary Sudoku rule isn't broken. The only extra requirement is that the shaft digits add up to the circled digit; small circles simply make repeats rare because there's so little room under a ceiling of 9.

Does the circled digit count towards its own sum?

No. The circle holds the total, not one of the numbers being added. You sum only the cells along the shaft, and the circle records the result — so if a two-cell shaft reads 2 and 4, the circle is 6, not part of the addition. Forgetting this and adding the circle in is the most common way beginners misread an arrow.