Playing MaaTec Sudoku

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The rules for playing Sudoku are quite simple. To complete a common 9x9 Sudoku, you need to fill out the empty cells with the numbers from 1 to 9 so that each row, each column, and each 3x3 square with a thick line around it does contain every number from 1 to 9. You play Sudokus of other sizes accordingly. Though Sudokus with more than 9x9 cells use letters instead of numbers and the hemmed areas may not be square or even rectangular.

To enter a number into a cell, click a number in the selection bar or use the corresponding keyboard key to select it, then left-click the cell on the board where you want to place the number. You can also use the arrow keys and the mouse wheel to select numbers on the selection bar.

To remove a number, you can either right-click it or you select the empty cell on the selection bar (click it or press the space bar) and left-click the number on the board that you want to remove. You can only remove numbers that you placed yourself.

You can click a cell with the middle mouse button (or Ctrl + left mouse button) to add the currently selected number as mark. This can be useful if you are still unsure whether this is the correct number for this cell but want to remember it for later. You can remove a mark by selecting the corresponding number in the selection bar and clicking the marked cell with the middle mouse button again. You can also add multiple marks to a cell. And you can remove all marks in a cell at once by right-clicking it.

Note: You can set number marks only when playing Sudokus up to a size of 16x16 cells. For larger Sudokus the marks would become unreadable small. If you want, you can interchange the mouse buttons that are used for removing numbers and for marking via the Settings Dialog.

To undo your last turn, you can use the Undo command in the Edit menu, the corresponding toolbar button , or the keyboard shortcut .

To start a new Sudoku, use the Game menu commands New - Easy, New - Medium, or New - Difficult. Alternatively you can click the corresponding toolbar buttons or use the keyboard shortcuts:

• Easy: /

• Medium: /

• Difficult: /

You will start with more visible numbers in games with Easy and Medium setting.

For Sudokus up to a size of 9x9, you can also use the New - Very Difficult command in the Game menu. In these Sudokus it is possible  to encounter a game situation, in which no cell with a unique solution exists. In this case you need to try one of the possible numbers for a cell and check whether you find the solution with it. Also these difficult Sudokus have, of course, only one solution.

Note: The trial version of the application will create only 15 different Sudokus per size. But you can create you own Sudokus, open and save them, or modify the visible cells. When the trial license expires, you will get always the same Sudoku and the open, save, and create commands will be disabled. To use all these features again, see Registration.

If you experience difficulties while playing, the application offers some support functions. Numbers that are placed against the rules (e.g. two identical numbers in one row) will be immediately marked (you can switch this off in the Settings Dialog).

The command Hint ( / ) in the Help menu successively displays cells with only one possible solution. (If the detailed hints option in the Settings Dialog is activated, you will also see all numbers/pieces that cause this solution.) If no cell with a single solution exists, the program will mark cells with only two possible solutions. You will find more details on the Sudoku Game Help page.

On the Game Help page of the Settings dialog, you can also instruct the program to display all valid values in each cell.

With the commands Mark False Pieces ( / ) and Remove False Pieces you can mark respectively remove numbers/pieces that are in the wrong place. The application does compare the placed numbers with the actual solution here.

And you can reset the current Sudoku to its starting position with the command Restart in the Game menu.

To see the solution of the current Sudoku, you can use the Solve Sudoku command in the Help menu.

When closing the application, uncompleted Sudokus will be automatically saved and reloaded on the next start (you can disable this behavior in the Settings dialog).

You can also save Sudokus while playing or after modifying them with the Save command in the Game menu. This works as well via the toolbar or keyboard .

If you want to save a Sudoku in a new file with a different name, use the Save As... command in the Game menu.

A saved Sudoku can be opened with the Open... command in the Game menu or also via toolbar or keyboard .