Number & arithmetic
Kakuro — rules and where to play
KAKURO · Cross Sum / Kakro / Kakuro Number Crossword
The skeleton of a crossword, the constraints of Sudoku, and arithmetic on top. Every sum has a limited set of non-repeating combinations, and that table is your dictionary.
- Origin
- 1950 · United States
- Difficulty
- ★★★★★ 2–5 / 5
- Time
- 10–60 min
- Grid
- 9×9 – 25×25
- Sites
- 9
Rules
- Fill each white cell with 1–9; no digit repeats within one run.
- The clue at the head of a run gives that run's total.
- Black cells are blank and carry the clues.
How to start
Learn the combination table
Two cells summing to 5 is 1+4 or 2+3; three cells at 15 has a short list too. With practice most runs fill instantly.
Break in at crossings
A cell belongs to a horizontal and a vertical run; the intersection of their combinations often leaves one value.
Take the extremes first
Runs with the smallest or largest totals have the fewest combinations.
Where players get stuck
- Forgetting no-repeat within a run and writing impossible splits.
- Committing to one combination before checking the others with the same total.
Play Kakuro
9 sitesLong-standing picture and logic publisher: Pic-a-Pix, Slitherlink, Hashi, Kakuro.
Open → BrainBashersFreeBeen free for years. A daily logic set, plus Sudoku variants, Kakuro and Nonograms.
Open → PuzzleMixFreemiumGareth Moore's site: Sudoku, then Slitherlink, Nurikabe, Futoshiki, Calcudoku and Hanjie.
Open → BePuzzledFreeForty-plus logic types, no account. Nonogram, Slitherlink, Nurikabe and Hashi share one door.
Open → Kakuro ConquestFreeA Kakuro a day on a quiet page. The number splits start to sit in your head as you play.
Open → Puzzle KakuroFreemiumPuzzle Team Kakuro specialty — sum cages with a large free bank.
Open → Kakuro (CN)FreemiumPuzzle Team Kakuro in Chinese — sum cages with a Chinese interface.
Open → Kakuro.comFreeA Kakuro-focused play site with a large bank.
Open → GridPuzzleFreeDozens of grid logic types in the browser, with progress tracking and dailies.
Open →Also on multi-type portals
Jim Bumgardner’s printable library. Sudoku and other books as PDFs — made for a bag and a pencil.
Open → Janko.atFreeOtto Janko's German/English archive: hundreds of playable types, all free.
Open → Simon Tatham's PuzzlesFreeDozens of types in one open-source pack. Free, no ads, and it runs on almost anything.
Open →Related puzzles
About this page
- Last updated 2026-09-22
- Source Curated compilation of established puzzle rules and listed third-party play sites
- Audience Players learning Kakuro rules or looking for online sites to play
- Covers Rules summary, how to start, common pitfalls, and the dedicated play sites listed on this page
- Does not cover Hosted puzzles, worked solutions, official contest rankings, third-party uptime or pricing guarantees
- Not advice This page is puzzle reference content only. It does not constitute financial, legal, medical or other professional advice.
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