Invented by an American named Howard Garns and originally called Number Place , the game we today know as Sudoku became very popular in Japan during the 1980s, where it was renamed Su Doku.
Sudoku puzzle books are hugely popular today because the game is easy to learn and Sudoku puzzles are available at various levels of difficulty, ranging from easy Sudoku to hard Sudoku.
Often described as brain puzzles, mind puzzles or logic puzzles, Sudoku is a game of logic in which you need to use deductive reasoning and search for patterns in order to fill in blank cells on a grid. It is also a game that can be played anywhere, and so it is ideal for moments of down-time during the day or, for example, for combating the boredom of commuting.
Suitable for all ages, Sudoku is a brain game which can help us to continue learning and stay mentally healthy throughout our lives. Indeed, recent studies show that playing Sudoku may well play an important role in helping people to reduce the risk of dementia as they get older.
In its basic form, numbers are used simply because they are universally recognized symbols. Sudoku is not however a mathematical game and indeed requires no knowledge of maths. The game could however be played using different colors, pictures or letters of the alphabet and, in this case, we are using a 25 x 25 grid which is larger than the most commonly used 9 x 9 grid, and are using letters of the alphabet.
If you have not yet learned how to play Sudoku then you will discover that it is a great way to escape, relax, keep your mind active while, most important of all, having Fun!
