What is LinkedIn Mini Sudoku?
Mini Sudoku is a compact version of the classic number puzzle. Instead of a nine-by-nine grid, you work on a six-by-six board divided into boxes of two by three. Every row, every column and every box must contain the numbers one to six exactly once. The smaller size makes it fast, usually a couple of minutes, but it still needs real logic, especially in the moments where you have to look across several rows at once to find the one square where a number can go. It is a nice entry point for people who find the full-size version too long, and a quick daily warm-up for experienced solvers who like racing the clock. Mini Sudoku is part of LinkedIn's free daily puzzles, and you can play it without signing in. It suits number lovers and anyone with a few minutes to spare.
How to play
- Fill every empty square with a number from one to six.
- Each row, column and two-by-three box must contain each number once.
- Look for squares where only one number can fit.
Quick facts
- Typical time
- 1–3 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Price
- Free.
- Account
- Not needed. Signing in to LinkedIn adds streaks and leaderboards.
- Past puzzles
- No. LinkedIn only offers today's puzzle.
- On a phone
- In the browser, or in the LinkedIn app.
Tips to get better
- Scan by number, not by square. Take the 1s first: which boxes still need a 1, and where can it go? Then the 2s. With only six numbers this goes very quickly.
- Fill the fullest line. A row, column or box with five numbers has only one square left. One with four has just two options to check.
- Use the shape of the boxes. Two boxes side by side share the same two rows. If the 4 in the left box is in the top row, the 4 in the right box has to be in the bottom row.
- There's always a forced square. If you can't see it, check each empty square against its row, its column and its box until one has a single option.
- Going for speed? The grid is small enough to hold in your head. Solving without notes saves a lot of tapping.
Who it's for
A game for sudoku fans in a hurry, and for beginners who find the full grid daunting. It keeps the logic and drops the long middle part. Experienced solvers will find it easy, so for them it becomes a speed game. For the full-size challenge, the New York Times Sudoku has three levels every day.
