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Samurai sudoku
Samurai sudoku (also called five-grid sudoku) overlaps five classic 9×9 puzzles: one in the center, four on the corners. Shared boxes must agree — a digit in an overlap is locked for every grid that owns that box.
The board above is a live five-grid samurai puzzle: place 1–9, pencil candidates, Check conflicts across every constituent grid, and ask for a Hint that names a technique on the focused arm (or the center when a cell sits in more than one grid).
When
When to use
You searched samurai sudoku; you want five linked 9×9s with real overlap logic, not a single classic board dressed up as samurai.
When not
When not to
Want only a quick classic game → play / easy. 16×16 mega → sudoku 16×16. Killer cages → killer sudoku.
Defaults
Assumptions
True samurai = five linked grids in the standard TL / TR / Center / BL / BR layout. Overlap cells count for every owner grid. Digits stay 1–9; progress saves in this browser under the samurai variant.
Steps
How
- Scan the cross: four corner boards share a 3×3 box with the center.
- Treat each 9×9 with normal row, column, and box rules — overlaps must match.
- Use pencil marks on thin spots; Hint names a technique on the focused grid.
- Check marks conflicts in every grid that owns a cell before you dig deeper.
Worked notes
Examples
- Center-grid box overlaps a corner grid → one digit serves both grids — they must agree
- You solve one arm of the samurai → clues feed into the center through shared boxes
Watch-outs
Gotchas
- Printable samurai PDF packs are a different product.
- A mistake in an overlap pollutes every grid that shares that box.
- Harder than one classic grid even when the rules feel familiar.
Nearby pages
Compare
Classic play: play sudokuStrategy: sudoku strategy16×16: 16×16 sudokuKiller: killer sudoku
Controls
Quick controls
- Hint — a cell/digit, technique name, and short reason.
- Check — flags conflicts without revealing the full grid.
- Pencil — candidate notes for empty cells.
- New puzzle — same difficulty band, fresh seed.
- Daily — fixed local seed for the calendar day.
- Erase — clear the selected cell (not givens).
FAQ
Common questions
Can I play full samurai here today?
Yes. This page loads a playable five-grid samurai board with place, pencil, Check, and Hint — not a classic 9×9 stand-in.
How many grids in samurai sudoku?
Five overlapping 9×9s in the standard samurai layout — center plus four corners.
Same rules as classic?
Each grid still needs 1–9 in every row, column, and box; overlaps must agree across grids.
Account required?
No. Progress on the samurai board stays in this browser’s local storage.