Free printable Sudoku puzzles for solvers who want a real challenge

Many free printable Sudoku sheets are pitched at Easy to Medium solvers. This page is about the other kind. Every day there's a new puzzle on this site, and you can print it for free.

How to get it

Go to today's puzzle and press the download button. You get a PDF with a single grid on one A4 page, laid out so the grid is a comfortable size for pencil work. Missed a day? The puzzle archive keeps the earlier ones.

Printing it comfortably

Print at 100%, which most programs call "actual size". Avoid "fit to page" or "shrink to fit", which can squash a grid that's already been sized for you. If small digits are a strain, our 157 Large Print Sudoku puts one big, clear grid on every page.

Pen or pencil

When Sudoku apps first came out I was a big fan. As time has gone on I see more and more people glued to their screens, and I've come to value the printed option. I think time away from screens is worth protecting, and a puzzle on paper is a good excuse.

As for pen or pencil, I prefer pencil. It's easy to correct and it feels more natural to write with, as long as you don't pick a particularly hard lead. A soft pencil also makes small notes in the corners of cells easier to rub out.

Checking your answer

The PDF has no solution on it. When you've finished, visit that day's puzzle page and use the "Reveal solution" button in the player to see the answer on screen. Revealing the solution ends the game in the player, so only do it once you're done.

If you'd like a gentler check, the player's "Check my answers" button tells you how many numbers are wrong without showing you which are right. You would need to type your numbers in first.

If you want a lot more

A daily PDF is a good habit, but a book gives you a pile of puzzles at once. One 2000 Sudoku book would last you more than five years at a puzzle a day. If you'd like to try a few more before you buy, there are also free puzzle packs to download.