Kakuro blog

Guides, history, and comparisons for Kakuro (cross sums) fans. New here? Start with Kakuro vs Sudoku, then explore the rest. Prefer to just play? Jump in below.

• Kakuro vs Sudoku: Is Kakuro Harder?

  Kakuro vs Sudoku compared: how the two number puzzles differ, what makes Kakuro the math-heavy cousin, and an honest answer to whether Kakuro is harder than Sudoku.

• What Is Cross Sums? The Number Puzzle With Two Names

  What is Cross Sums? It's the original English name for Kakuro — the number crossword puzzle. Here's what a cross sums puzzle is, how it works, and why it has two names.

• Puzzles Like Sudoku: 7 Number Games to Try Next

  Love Sudoku and want something new? Here are 7 puzzles like Sudoku — number and logic games from Kakuro to KenKen — with what makes each one a great next challenge.

• The History of Kakuro: How Cross Sums Became a Japanese Icon

  The history of Kakuro: how the puzzle began as American 'Cross Sums' in the 1960s, was renamed by Japan's Nikoli, and rode the Sudoku boom to worldwide fame.

• Is Kakuro Good for Your Brain? The Logic-Plus-Math Workout

  Is Kakuro good for your brain? A balanced look at how this number puzzle exercises mental arithmetic, working memory and logic — what the benefits really are, and what they aren't.

• Does Kakuro Have Only One Solution? Why You Never Have to Guess

  Does a Kakuro puzzle have only one solution? Yes — and that's why you never have to guess. Here's the logic behind unique solutions and how to find the next move without guessing.

• What Makes a Kakuro Puzzle Hard? Inside the Toughest Cross Sums

  What makes a Kakuro puzzle hard? From grid size to combination scarcity and deep deduction chains, here's what separates an easy cross sums puzzle from a brutal one.

• Kakuro vs Killer Sudoku: Two Sum Puzzles Compared

  Kakuro vs Killer Sudoku: both use sum clues, but they're different puzzles. Here's how the grids, rules and solving feel compare — and which sum puzzle to play first.

• How Kakuro Puzzles Are Made: Grids, Sums & Unique Solutions

  How are Kakuro puzzles made? A look inside cross sums construction: designing the grid, placing a valid solution, deriving the sum clues, and guaranteeing a single logical answer.