Play Kakuro Online

Choose your Kakuro level

There are three levels here. Easy puzzles use small grids and short runs, so most squares can be found from the clues straight away. Medium grids are larger and need you to combine across and down clues. Hard puzzles have long runs and fewer obvious starting points, so pencil marks and careful elimination become essential.

Game controls

• Pencil. Switches pencil mode on and off, so you can note possible digits without placing an answer.
• Hint. Reveals one correct digit when you are stuck.
• Erase. Clears the square you have selected.
• New. Starts a new puzzle.
• Timer. Shows how long you have been solving.

Kakuro rules explained

• Runs. A run is an unbroken line of white squares, either across or down. Every white square belongs to one across run and one down run.
• Clues. The dark square at the start of a run shows its total. A split clue square can hold two totals, one for the run across and one for the run down.
• Digits. Only the digits 1 to 9 are used. There is no zero.
• No repeats in a run. A digit can appear only once in each run. The same digit can appear again in a different run.
• One solution. A good puzzle has exactly one answer, which you can reach by logic without guessing.

Kakuro solving tips

1. Learn the unique sums. Some totals can only be made one way. Two squares that add to 3 must be 1 and 2. Two squares that add to 17 must be 8 and 9. Three squares that add to 6 must be 1, 2 and 3, and three that add to 24 must be 7, 8 and 9. Look for these first.
2. Use the crossing square. Where an across run meets a down run, the square must fit both. If one run needs 1 or 2 and the other needs 2 or 4, the crossing square is 2.
3. Find the extremes. A run of two adding to 16 can only use 7 and 9, so neither square can be 8. Small and large totals rule out many digits quickly.
4. Work out the last square. When every square but one in a run is filled, subtract the filled digits from the clue to get the last one.
5. Use pencil marks on harder puzzles. Note the possible digits in each square, then remove them as crossing runs rule them out.
6. Remember no repeats. A run of two adding to 4 cannot be 2 and 2, so it must be 1 and 3. This rule removes many options that look possible at first.
7. Re-check both directions. Each digit you place changes the remaining total for its across run and its down run. Update both before you move on.

History of Kakuro

Kakuro began in North America as a puzzle called Cross Sums, printed in Dell puzzle magazines from around 1950. In 1980 the Japanese publisher Nikoli adapted it, and the name Kakuro comes from a shortened Japanese phrase for “addition cross”. Kakuro became a newspaper favourite around the world in the mid-2000s, following the success of Sudoku. You can read more on Wikipedia’s Kakuro page.

Kakuro, Sudoku or Mathdoku?

All three ask you to place digits without repeats, but each uses a different clue. Sudoku gives you starting digits and no arithmetic. Kakuro gives you sums along runs, like a crossword. Mathdoku groups squares into cages that use addition, subtraction, multiplication or division. If you like Kakuro’s sums, Mathdoku is a natural next step.

More number puzzles to try

If you enjoy Kakuro, try Mathdoku, which adds more types of arithmetic, or Sudoku, the classic number placement puzzle. For a puzzle built on comparisons instead of sums, try Futoshiki.

Kakuro FAQ

Is this Kakuro game free? Yes. It is free to play in your browser, with no download or sign-up.

Do I need an account? No. Open the page and start playing.

Do I need to be good at maths? Only simple addition with the digits 1 to 9. Most of the solving is logic.

Can a digit repeat in a run? No. Each digit can appear only once in a run, but it can appear again in other runs.

Is zero used? No. Kakuro uses only the digits 1 to 9.

Does every puzzle have one solution? Yes. You can solve each one by logic without guessing.

Can I play Kakuro on my phone? Yes. The game runs in your phone’s browser.