Sudoku’s journey to becoming a global brain-training phenomenon is more fascinating than you might expect. While many associate the puzzle with Japan, its roots actually stretch back centuries through multiple cultures and continents.
The roots of Sudoku can be traced back to the Chinese Magic Square, with some historians dating similar numerical puzzles to 2200 BCE. However, the groundwork for the modern Sudoku game was born in Switzerland during the late 18th century through mathematician Leonhard Euler’s “Latin Squares.”
The modern version we know today has more recent origins. The modern Sudoku was most likely designed by Howard Garns, a 74-year-old retired architect and freelance puzzle constructor from Connersville, Indiana, and https://mindboostbooks.com/history-of-sudoku-from-ancient-puzzles-to-modern-brain-teasers/.
The puzzle truly exploded in popularity when it reached Japan. The game first appeared in Japan in 1984 where it was given the name “Sudoku,” which is short for a longer expression in Japanese – “Sūji wa dokushin ni kagiru” – which means, “the digits are limited to one occurrence.” From Japan, Sudoku’s journey has been traced from China, through Persia to Europe and then across the Atlantic to New York. After it jumped over to Japan, it then became a great craze in the U.S. and Europe, being published in most newspapers and magazines.
Visit our Puzzle Center where you can play Sudoku (easy, medium and hard levels) for free. You can also find free Crossword puzzles, Wordsearch, Word Flower and Wordrow games.
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