How to play

Sudoku: look for what is missing

Sudoku is a number-placement puzzle. Each row, each column and each marked box must contain every allowed number once. A 4×4 grid uses 1–4 and has four 2×2 boxes. A classic 9×9 grid uses 1–9 and has nine 3×3 boxes. The printed numbers are fixed clues; you fill the blank cells.

Your first moves

1. Start with a row, column or box that already has several numbers.
2. List the numbers it still needs. Check the crossing row and column before choosing a value.
3. When only one number can fit a cell, enter it. That may make another cell easier.

On the website, select a blank cell and use the number buttons or your keyboard. A selected printed clue cannot be changed. Use Check puzzle to check your work. For a hint, select an editable cell before choosing Give me a hint. A hint supplies a value, so try checking the row, column and box yourself first.

Begin with Little Four if you want a smaller board. Choose a 9×9 puzzle when you are comfortable with the rules. The difficulty filter lets you find gentle, standard or hard puzzles; the board size and the difficulty are different things.

Word searches: follow the letters

A word search hides a list of words in a letter grid. Find the listed words in straight lines. Read the instructions for the puzzle you choose: gentle searches use across and down, while other searches can also use diagonals and backwards words.

How to select a word

1. Choose a target from the word list and look for its first letter.
2. Check the neighbouring letters in the directions allowed by the puzzle.
3. Tap or click the first letter, then the last letter. You do not need to drag across every cell.

Scanning one row at a time is useful when a grid looks busy. Longer words can be easier to spot because their letter patterns are more distinctive. If a candidate does not match, try another starting letter rather than repeatedly selecting the same pair.

The game highlights words it accepts and records them as found. Give me a hint highlights the start of a target word; you still need to find its end. Read any message beside the puzzle if a selection is not accepted. Animal Pals is a gentle place to learn the two-tap selection.

Crosswords: let the answers help each other

A crossword combines clues with a grid of crossing answers. Across answers run left to right; down answers run from top to bottom. The number beside a clue identifies its starting square. An answer must fit the available squares and agree with every answer it crosses.

A good starting approach

1. Read the clues and start with an answer you recognise.
2. Select its clue, then type the answer into the puzzle.
3. Use the crossing letters as extra evidence for a clue you could not solve at first.

A plausible answer is not always the intended answer. Check its length, the exact wording of the clue and the letters already in the grid. Moving to another clue often gives you a useful crossing letter without needing a hint.

Garden Friends is a gentle starter. The library also includes larger crosswords with more clues. On a small screen, choose a comfortable puzzle size and take your time moving between the clue list and grid.

Progress, accounts and getting help

You can start the free puzzles without signing in. Supported progress is saved on the device you are using; clearing browser data can remove local progress. A free account supports saving and syncing supported progress across devices. An account is optional for trying the free catalogue, and Premium membership is a separate, optional purchase.

Use the library’s game, age-group and difficulty filters to narrow the choices. The mixed view shows a selection of each puzzle type, and Show more puzzles loads more choices. Use Choose another puzzle or the crossword’s return link when you want to browse again.

If something goes wrong, tell us the puzzle title, your device and what happened through Help & company. Please do not include passwords or payment card details. We can investigate a specific puzzle much more easily when we know its title.