KenKen

About KenKen

KenKen (also called Calcudoku) fills a grid with digits 1 through N so no digit repeats in any row or column — the same backbone as Sudoku — but instead of given clues, the grid is divided into bold-outlined cages. Each cage shows a target number and an operation (+, −, ×, ÷), and the digits inside must combine to hit that target using the operation, in any order.

The Rules

Fill the grid with digits 1–N, once per row and column, so every bold-outlined cage produces its target number using the shown operation.

Step by Step

1. Fill every row and column with the digits 1 through N, with no repeats — just like a Latin square.
2. The grid is divided into cages outlined in bold; each cage shows a target number and an operation.
3. The digits inside a cage must combine, in any order, to produce that target using the given operation.
4. A single-cell cage simply shows the digit that must go there — no operation needed.
5. The puzzle is solved when every cage's arithmetic checks out and no row or column has a repeated digit.

Tips & Strategy

• Single-cell cages are free clues — fill them in first.
• Large cages with a '×' target and a small grid size often only fit one combination of digits — work those out early.
• For a subtraction or division cage, try both orders (a−b and b−a, or a÷b and b÷a) since only one direction has to work.
• Once a cage is solved, cross-reference its digits against the row/column Latin-square rule to eliminate candidates elsewhere.

Frequently Asked Questions