LinkedIn Mini Sudoku is a small daily sudoku where each number must appear exactly once in every row, column and shaded region. Some numbers are filled in for you, and you complete the rest by tapping a cell and picking a number from the keypad.
If you've ever played a newspaper sudoku, you'll be at home here. It's shorter, so it suits a quick break, and LinkedIn has added a few settings that make it gentler than the paper version.
Here's how it works according to LinkedIn's help page, how Notes mode behaves, and a few classic sudoku habits that speed it up.
The rule
Each number appears exactly once in every row, every column and every region. The regions are the shaded areas of the grid. That's it, but every move has to satisfy all three at once.
How to fill in the grid
- Open Mini Sudoku from the Games hub, the My Network page or LinkedIn search.
- Tap Solve puzzle. Some numbers are already in place.
- Tap an empty cell.
- Pick a number from the keypad below the grid.
- Keep going until the whole grid is filled.
Notes mode, and its one quirk
Turn on Notes to pencil in possible numbers. A cell can hold several notes at once, which is handy when you've narrowed a cell down to two or three options.
The quirk is worth knowing. If you add a regular number to a cell, its notes disappear. Remove that number and the notes come back. To get rid of notes for good, tap Erase. Turn Notes off to go back to entering normal numbers.
How it differs from a newspaper sudoku
The rule is the same, but the grid is smaller and the regions are shaded areas rather than the familiar three by three boxes. It's also built for touch, with a keypad below the grid and a notes mode instead of a pencil, so you're less likely to make a mess of a cell.
Tools and settings
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
| Hint | Highlights a cell and suggests a move, or tells you a number is wrong |
| Undo | Reverts your last move |
| Clear | Clears the grid so you can start again |
| Count remaining numbers (Settings) | Shows how many of each number are still to place, on the keypad |
| Highlight sections (Settings) | Shows every cell related to the one you've selected |
Those two settings do a lot of the bookkeeping for you. Count remaining numbers tells you when a number is finished, and Highlight sections shows at a glance which row, column and region a cell belongs to.
Quick solving habits
These are standard sudoku techniques, not LinkedIn rules, but they work well on a small grid:
- Scan for a number that's nearly complete. If it's missing from just one row, column or region, there's often only one cell it can go in.
- Look at each empty cell and ask what can't go there. If only one number is left, place it.
- Use Notes when a cell has two options. When one of them gets placed elsewhere, the other is confirmed.
- Check regions as carefully as rows and columns. Shaded regions are easy to forget on a small grid.
For more of this away from LinkedIn, there's my guide to games like sudoku if you want something longer.
A worked example
Suppose one row is missing just two numbers, say a 2 and a 5, and one of the two empty cells sits in a column that already has a 5. That cell can't take the 5, so it must be the 2, and the other cell gets the 5. That's the whole method in miniature: find a cell with very few options, rule them out using its row, column and region, and place the one that's left.
When nothing jumps out, switch to the number view. Pick a number, look at which regions still need it, and check where it could go in each. On a small grid there's often only one spot, and Highlight sections makes those checks quicker.
Common slips
- Forgetting the region rule and placing a number that's already in the shaded area.
- Leaving stale notes in a cell after the options have changed, then trusting them later.
- Using Clear when Undo would do, which wipes every number you'd placed correctly.
What you see at the end
When you finish, LinkedIn compares your score with averages for all members, your company, CEOs and others. You'll see your streak and analytics, can set a reminder for the next puzzle, view the leaderboard if you're eligible, share your score and join that day's discussion post.
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Daily reset
A new Mini Sudoku is released every day at midnight Pacific Time, and the previous one expires at the same moment. You can't play an old puzzle, so a missed day is a missed day.
Where it lives on LinkedIn
You'll find Mini Sudoku in the Games hub, on the My Network page, under Today's Games in LinkedIn News on desktop, in the mobile app's side panel and through search. It's one of eight daily games, alongside Queens, Tango, Zip, Pinpoint, Crossclimb, Patches and Wend.
No account? You can still play
Guest mode works for Mini Sudoku too, but the score is deleted after 30 minutes, and you can't keep a streak or see leaderboards. Sign in within that half hour to save it.
My advice
Switch on Count remaining numbers and Highlight sections before your first game. Use Notes for cells with two options, and remember a placed number hides its notes rather than deleting them. If you're new to the LinkedIn puzzles, Mini Sudoku is the friendliest place to start, because most people already know the rule. Once it feels easy, try other logic puzzle games for a longer challenge.
I keep every related walkthrough in the LinkedIn Help: 28 Guides to Profile Views, Impressions, Algorithm and Account Fixes.
Frequently asked questions
What are the rules of LinkedIn Mini Sudoku?
Each number must appear exactly once in every row, column and shaded region of the grid.
How do notes work in LinkedIn Mini Sudoku?
Turn on Notes to add several possible numbers to a cell. Placing a regular number hides them, and removing it brings them back.
How do I delete notes in Mini Sudoku?
Tap Erase to remove notes from a cell.
What does Count remaining numbers do?
It shows on the keypad how many of each number you still need to place.
When does a new Mini Sudoku come out?
Every day at midnight Pacific Time, when the previous puzzle expires.
Can I play LinkedIn Mini Sudoku as a guest?
Yes, but a guest score is deleted after 30 minutes unless you sign in.
