Sudoku X Book 1: The Only Puzzles with the X Factor

When I first looked at these puzzles, I assumed they would be more difficult than regular sudoku, but they actually are not any tougher. The fact that you must generate numbers 1-9 on the diagonal as well as in rows, columns and boxes does add a fun twist, though. Sudoku purists may dislike these puzzles, particularly the smaller grids in the beginning of the book, but adventurous sudoku-ers will enjoy the twist.

Su Doku is a Japanese logic puzzle where rows, columns and regions must contain a certain number of digits only once. This collection of 100 puzzles adds an additional factor to the mix. Not only must the digits appear only once in each row, column and region, but also in the two long diagonals. The book opens with a nice section on how to solve Su Doku puzzles. It then quickly moves into the puzzles themselves. First there are 6X6 puzzles (fifteen puzzles), then 8X8 (25 puzzles) and finally 9X9 (60 puzzles). After the puzzles there is a "stepping stones" hint section for each puzzle. Finally there are the solutions to the puzzles. I do not find most Su Doku puzzles to be challenging but these were interesting. One has to remember to include the diagonals or you might think you are stuck. But keeping the diagonals in mind and the puzzles are not particularly hard although they are not as easy as many books. If you are a Su Doku fan you might want take a look at this one.