Sudoku Animals
Sudoku is a puzzle game played on a 9 by 9 grid that’s broken up into nine 3 x 3 groups. The game starts with several numbers already placed and it’s up to the player to fill in the missing numbers using any number between 1 and 9. In each 3 x 3 group, whole row and whole column, the numbers between 1 and 9 can only be used once. When each of the nine 3 x 3 groups, rows and columns successfully use the numbers 1 and 9 only once, the puzzle is solved.
Here’s an example of a solved Sudoku puzzle.
Now, this popular puzzle has been adapted for the kids by replacing the numbers with animal pictures, or for animal-loving adults who also love solving puzzles, a very dangerous combination.
Meet the Animals of Sudoku Animals
The pictures are the actual game cards, names were cleverly placed by me.(Click the name to see the reference).
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It comes with a colorful yellow and blue folding Sudoku board/poster. It’s reminiscent of a checker or chess board with an extra row horizontally and vertically. The grid is already broken up into alternating color coded 3 x 3 grids and within each grid, alternating squares have a different design so there should be no confusing where to place the pieces.
Instead of filling in the empty spaces with numbers like normal Sudoku, Sudoku Animals has a collection of nine animals, each with nine cards included in the box. Each 3 x 3 grid can only have one of each animal and the same goes for the rows/columns.
To make things easier, or perhaps harder, each animal is given a number. This little chart is included on the instruction sheet.
They give you animals and a number?
It really doesn’t matter what animal is what number as long as the animals are placed in accordance with the rules. The only reason the numbers are given out and really all that important is during the set up. The instruction sheet(you get two in case you lose one) gives you 21 puzzles.
The games cards are animals, but the initial placements are numbers
Unfortunately, the second instruction sheet is exactly the same as the first so no bonus puzzles. It’s also frustrating having to set up the game before you solve it. I know in this case it can’t be helped, but come on. It’s like the 2D flip puzzle packaged when it was already solved, I had to mix it up myself.
So what is Sudoku Animals? Well, it appears to be a kiddie version of Sudoku. You get the animal game cards to appeal to the kiddies, but what kid is going to want to bother with playing Sudoku? You’re better off using the game cards for one of those Memory games or Old Maid.
Oh, There were a couple of Pepes missing in the one I picked up, so I only got 79 of the 81 animal cards I was supposed to get.
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