Suguru: rules and how to play

Goal of the game

Fill every region with its own set of numbers while keeping equal numbers apart. The region shapes and the neighbours matter, not Sudoku rows or boxes.

Rules

• A region of N cells contains 1 through N exactly once. Keep the given digits unchanged.
• Equal digits must never touch, either along a side or at a corner. This applies across region borders too.
• Rows and columns have no separate uniqueness rule: equal digits may occur farther apart if the region and touching rules allow them.

A small example, step by step

1. A three-cell region already contains 1, leaving two cells for 2 and 3.
2. One empty cell touches a given 2 diagonally, even though that 2 is in another region.
3. Remove 2 from that cell’s possibilities: it must be 3.
4. The region’s other empty cell must now be 2. Check its neighbours too.

Beginner deductions

• For each empty cell, start with 1–N for its region. Remove numbers already in that region and in all eight neighbouring cells.
• One remaining candidate fixes a cell. A number that fits only one cell of a region is also forced.
• If two cells in a region can only hold the same two numbers, reserve those numbers for them and remove them from the region’s other cells. Candidate marks help you remember this without committing a guess.

Common mistakes

• Do not ignore diagonal contact or stop checking at a region border.
• Do not use the largest region’s digit range in a smaller region.
• Do not impose Sudoku’s no-repeat rule on whole rows and columns.

Controls and availability

The current DEV preview has a player for this game. Availability depends on published review grids; this is not a general release or approval of all four levels.

Select a cell by clicking or tapping it, then use the number pad or keys 1–9 within that region’s range. Given digits cannot be changed. Draft (N) toggles candidate marks in empty cells; turn it off to enter a final digit. Erase or Backspace/Delete clears the selected entry. Undo also has Ctrl/Cmd+Z. Clear all asks for confirmation. Pause/Resume and Check are available. Hint asks for confirmation and counts as assistance; a hint is not guaranteed at every position. There is no Reveal control in this preview.

Difficulty

The intended difficulty contract is Easy, Medium and Hard solved entirely by logical deductions, with zero hypotheses. Hard may require longer chains or more demanding techniques. Expert may allow an explicit hypothesis, following its consequences and rejecting it if it contradicts a rule. A unique solution alone does not prove a logical solving path. Unclassified means not yet graded, not automatically Expert. Human calibration remains pending; these are requirements, not a claim that all bands are available.

FAQ

Do I need Premium to read this guide?

No. Reading the rules is public; playing the new game requires Premium.

Does a difficulty label guarantee a calibrated game?

Not during this preview. Human review is pending. The intended distinction is deductions only for Easy/Medium/Hard; hypotheses may be used in Expert.

What if I cannot find a move?

Recheck the rules and the last certain steps, then revisit the deductions above. Keep possibilities separate from confirmed answers; being stuck is not proof that guessing is necessary.