History of Sudoku – From Origins to the Digital Era

From Euler’s Latin squares to a global puzzle phenomenon

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1 Origins: Latin Squares

The roots of Sudoku trace back to the 18th century and Leonhard Euler’s Latin squares: arranging symbols so they don’t repeat in any row or column — the logical foundation of the modern game.

2 1979: Number Place & Howard Garns

Published in the United States in 1979, Number Place is regarded as the direct predecessor of modern Sudoku. Designer Howard Garns established the familiar 9×9 rules: no repeats of 1–9 in rows, columns, or 3×3 boxes.

3 1984–1986: Nikoli and the name “Sudoku”

In Japan, the publisher Nikoli popularized the puzzle in the 1980s, first as “Sūji wa dokushin ni kagiru” and soon after with the concise, memorable name Sudoku, along with editorial standards such as symmetry and single-solution grids.

4 2004–2006: Wayne Gould and the global boom

Wayne Gould created a Sudoku-generation program and brought the puzzle to The Times in 2004. Newspapers, books, and TV quickly amplified the trend, turning Sudoku into a worldwide phenomenon.

5 Digital age: Apps, SE Rating, Daily Sudoku

Today, Sudoku thrives on mobile apps and the web. Tools like SE (Sudoku Explainer) Rating score difficulty and document solving techniques, while daily challenges keep millions engaged.

6 Timeline

18th c. — Euler and Latin squares.
1979 — Number Place by Howard Garns.
1984–86 — Nikoli adopts the name “Sudoku”.
2004 — Wayne Gould & The Times spark global spread.
2010+ — Digital Sudoku, SE Rating, online tournaments.

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The History of Sudoku – From Japan to the Digital Era