Mini Sudoku (6×6) Rules
A smaller 6×6 Sudoku with 2×3 boxes — a gentle step up from 4×4.
Mini Sudoku is played on a 6×6 grid split into six 2×3 boxes. You use the digits 1–6 instead of 1–9. It is an ideal bridge between the very easy 4×4 kids grid and the full 9×9 classic.
The smaller board keeps solves short while still exercising real scanning and single-spotting.
The rules
- Fill every cell with a digit from 1 to 6.
- Each row contains 1–6 once.
- Each column contains 1–6 once.
- Each 2×3 box contains 1–6 once.
The 6×6 grid
Each row, each column and each 2×3 box must contain the digits 1 through 6 exactly once. Boxes are two cells tall and three wide, so box-scanning works a little differently from the square 3×3.
Solving a 6×6
Because each box is only two cells tall, a digit placed in a box rules itself out of just two rows — so column-scanning is unusually productive on a 6×6. Hidden singles appear quickly: with only six cells per unit, a digit rarely has more than one or two homes left. Naked and hidden pairs are common and often enough to finish a grid on their own.
The wide, short boxes make pointing pairs frequent: a digit confined to one row within a 2×3 box clears that digit from the rest of the row immediately.
- Scan columns hard — short boxes leak across columns.
- Expect hidden singles early; units hold only six cells.
- Pairs and pointing pairs usually finish the puzzle.
Try it yourself
Tap a cell, then a number, to practise.
Frequently asked questions
- Who is 6×6 Sudoku good for?
- Learners who have outgrown 4×4 but find a full 9×9 daunting, and anyone wanting a quick puzzle.
- Why 2×3 boxes?
- Because 6 factors as 2×3 — the box dimensions must multiply to the grid size so each box holds exactly six cells.
- Which techniques do I need for 6×6?
- Hidden and naked singles plus naked/hidden pairs solve almost every 6×6. Pointing pairs help on the harder ones. The advanced fish and chain techniques are essentially never required at this size.
Play Mini Sudoku online
Free Mini Sudoku puzzles in your browser — no download, no account needed.
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