sudokly
Five overlapping 9×9 grids · Hard to evil

Samurai Sudoku

Five 9×9 sudokus joined at the corners. Solve them as one giant puzzle.

Samurai · 5 grids·00:00
About samurai

What samurai sudoku feels like.

Samurai sudoku connects five classic 9×9 grids: one in the centre and four overlapping at its corners. The shared boxes mean a digit placed in the centre constrains four neighbours simultaneously. Plan on 45 minutes minimum.

Rules

  1. Five 9×9 sudokus, arranged so the centre grid's four corner boxes are shared with the four surrounding grids.
  2. Each of the five grids individually obeys classic sudoku rules.
  3. Because the corner boxes are shared, a digit placed in a shared box affects two grids at once.
Key rule
Five sudokus sharing four corner boxes
Difficulty range
Hard to evil
Tips
  • Start by working on the centre grid. its constraints feed all four neighbours.
  • Hidden singles in shared boxes often unlock the whole puzzle.
  • Use pencil marks throughout. samurai is rarely solvable by scanning alone.

Samurai Sudoku FAQ

How big is a samurai sudoku?

Each grid is 9×9, and five overlap to make a 21×21 footprint with the four corners cut off. There are 369 unique cells (5 × 81 − 4 × 9 shared boxes).

How long does samurai sudoku take?

Plan for 45–90 minutes. Experienced solvers crack easier samurai in around half an hour.

Is samurai sudoku just five sudokus?

Not quite. the shared corner boxes mean you can't solve each grid in isolation. Constraints flow between grids through the overlap.

Can samurai sudoku be solved with logic?

Yes, every published Sudokly samurai is verified logically solvable.

Are there other multi-grid sudoku variants?

Yes. flower sudoku (5 grids, one centre + four overlapping by one box), gattai-3 (3 grids), and many more. We start with samurai.