Let's practice math while playing!
March 27, 2009 1:47 PM Subscribe
We all love Sudoku, and we like to play it. But now there is KenKen, a new version that includes simple mathematical equations. [previously in MeFi]
I haven't done a single Sudoku since discovering KenKen. Much more interesting math puzzle IMHO.
posted by ill3 at 1:48 PM on March 27, 2009
posted by ill3 at 1:48 PM on March 27, 2009
I haven't done a single Sudoku since discovering KenKen.
posted by dersins at 1:49 PM on March 27, 2009
posted by dersins at 1:49 PM on March 27, 2009
We all love Sudoku...
That's a dirty lie and you know it.
posted by The Card Cheat at 1:50 PM on March 27, 2009 [3 favorites]
That's a dirty lie and you know it.
posted by The Card Cheat at 1:50 PM on March 27, 2009 [3 favorites]
Well, most people I know like to play it, even my kids. I guess I just hang around with Sudoku lovers.
posted by dov3 at 1:51 PM on March 27, 2009
posted by dov3 at 1:51 PM on March 27, 2009
Pro Tip (that is a recent improvement as far as I can tell) : You can type the numbers in with the keyboard and move with the arrow keys rather than using the clumsy mouse interface. Candidates can be entered by pressing SHIFT and the candidate number).
Also, Will Shortz mentions on the NYT KenKen site that there are two KenKens he has not been able to solve anyone run across these yet?
posted by ill3 at 1:52 PM on March 27, 2009
Also, Will Shortz mentions on the NYT KenKen site that there are two KenKens he has not been able to solve anyone run across these yet?
posted by ill3 at 1:52 PM on March 27, 2009
Sudoku's complicated, like the second season of 'Lost'... or escalators.
posted by gman at 1:57 PM on March 27, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by gman at 1:57 PM on March 27, 2009 [1 favorite]
Well, most people I know like to play it, even my kids.
Yeah, I was just kidding. Many people I know enjoy it, but me...anything involving numbers, even if there isn't any actual math involved, makes me Hulk Out.
posted by The Card Cheat at 1:58 PM on March 27, 2009
Yeah, I was just kidding. Many people I know enjoy it, but me...anything involving numbers, even if there isn't any actual math involved, makes me Hulk Out.
posted by The Card Cheat at 1:58 PM on March 27, 2009
My boyfriend hated sudoku when I got hooked on that.
I'm afraid he's going to hate this more.
Can I send him your direction if I start ignoring him?
posted by MCMikeNamara at 2:00 PM on March 27, 2009
I'm afraid he's going to hate this more.
Can I send him your direction if I start ignoring him?
posted by MCMikeNamara at 2:00 PM on March 27, 2009
The fact that you can duplicate numbers within an equation makes this really not feel like it belongs in the same family of puzzles as Sudoku, Killer Sudoku, Kakuro, etc.
For my mind-bending math fun in a sudoku-like grid, I'll take Killer Greater Than / Less Than Sudoku any day.
posted by jacquilynne at 2:05 PM on March 27, 2009
For my mind-bending math fun in a sudoku-like grid, I'll take Killer Greater Than / Less Than Sudoku any day.
posted by jacquilynne at 2:05 PM on March 27, 2009
Aha! another chance to plug a game in Simon Tatham's Portable Puzzle Collection, specifically "unequal". Downloads for Win, Mac, Linux (source code), and even Palm.
posted by jepler at 2:10 PM on March 27, 2009 [2 favorites]
posted by jepler at 2:10 PM on March 27, 2009 [2 favorites]
I am having a hard time with the order of operations on the multiplication/division-on-more-than-two-numbers ones. Is there just not one?
posted by penduluum at 2:15 PM on March 27, 2009
posted by penduluum at 2:15 PM on March 27, 2009
Ah, Sudoku.
You have filled many hours
As you emptied my mind.
posted by mdoar at 2:22 PM on March 27, 2009 [1 favorite]
You have filled many hours
As you emptied my mind.
posted by mdoar at 2:22 PM on March 27, 2009 [1 favorite]
jepler: Aha! another chance to plug a game in Simon Tatham's Portable Puzzle Collection, specifically "unequal". Downloads for Win, Mac, Linux (source code), and even Palm.
Just came over to plug that. If you really dig sudoku, download the program and generate a couple dozen. If I remember the settings right, you can print 3x4 at 75% and still have it fairly legible.
posted by flatluigi at 2:28 PM on March 27, 2009
Just came over to plug that. If you really dig sudoku, download the program and generate a couple dozen. If I remember the settings right, you can print 3x4 at 75% and still have it fairly legible.
posted by flatluigi at 2:28 PM on March 27, 2009
I am having a hard time with the order of operations on the multiplication/division-on-more-than-two-numbers ones.
Order of operations doesn't matter for multiplication, and for division I haven't seen any with more than 2 numbers - you just go in whatever order works.
I would like to humbly request that the internet alert me when there is an iphone app available for this game. Thank you.
posted by yarrow at 2:35 PM on March 27, 2009
Order of operations doesn't matter for multiplication, and for division I haven't seen any with more than 2 numbers - you just go in whatever order works.
I would like to humbly request that the internet alert me when there is an iphone app available for this game. Thank you.
posted by yarrow at 2:35 PM on March 27, 2009
For me, doing a Sudoku feels a lot like doing my accounts. Give me a good cryptic crossword any day.
posted by bokeh at 3:13 PM on March 27, 2009
posted by bokeh at 3:13 PM on March 27, 2009
Here's how to tell if your soduku has only one solution.
Ram Murty was one of my favourite professors. He taught a joint philosophy/math course on Godel incompleteness.
posted by Lemurrhea at 3:23 PM on March 27, 2009 [1 favorite]
Ram Murty was one of my favourite professors. He taught a joint philosophy/math course on Godel incompleteness.
posted by Lemurrhea at 3:23 PM on March 27, 2009 [1 favorite]
yarrow: Thank you for the help. Yeah, that's actually ... quite embarrassing. I misread a little three-number bit quite badly, and then twisted it around in my head and totally forgot everything I know. I swear I'm not actually awful at arithmetic. I'm just going to be quiet and play, now.
posted by penduluum at 3:33 PM on March 27, 2009
posted by penduluum at 3:33 PM on March 27, 2009
No, I found it a little confusing at first too. After playing a bit it makes sense.
posted by yarrow at 4:11 PM on March 27, 2009
posted by yarrow at 4:11 PM on March 27, 2009
This is pretty fun.
posted by roll truck roll at 4:12 PM on March 27, 2009
posted by roll truck roll at 4:12 PM on March 27, 2009
World Sudoku Champ Tom Snyder wrote a bunch about this in his blog, clearly annoyed at the NYT for including KenKen but leaving out Sudoku. He started out with a satirical take on solving the (lame) NYT puzzle but then after a C&D from the NYT, he started posting his own KenKen puzzles, with the goal to outdo the NYT.
I haven't read the NYT, but I found Thomas's KenKens pretty fun - he generally prides himself on his creative theming of Sudoku puzzles, and he carried that on through into his forray into KenKen. He also starts playing with the rules a bit.
So for a couple weeks he posted these KenKens (with commentary):
3-3
3-4
3-5
3-6
3-7
3-8
3-9
3-10
3-11
3-12
3-13
3-14 (warning: contains zeroes)
3-15
3-16
3-17
3-18
3-19
3-20
3-21
posted by aubilenon at 4:16 PM on March 27, 2009 [5 favorites]
I haven't read the NYT, but I found Thomas's KenKens pretty fun - he generally prides himself on his creative theming of Sudoku puzzles, and he carried that on through into his forray into KenKen. He also starts playing with the rules a bit.
So for a couple weeks he posted these KenKens (with commentary):
3-3
3-4
3-5
3-6
3-7
3-8
3-9
3-10
3-11
3-12
3-13
3-14 (warning: contains zeroes)
3-15
3-16
3-17
3-18
3-19
3-20
3-21
posted by aubilenon at 4:16 PM on March 27, 2009 [5 favorites]
World Sudoku Champ Tom Snyder
I'm sorry, but I find that funny on so many levels.
Not least of which is that I keep picturing this guy. But also, "World Sodoku Champ?" Really? Really?
posted by dersins at 4:35 PM on March 27, 2009
I'm sorry, but I find that funny on so many levels.
Not least of which is that I keep picturing this guy. But also, "World Sodoku Champ?" Really? Really?
posted by dersins at 4:35 PM on March 27, 2009
dersins: yeah, it just means he goes to tournaments and wins. In that first post he even jokes about it (1st greatest solver in the world but 2nd in the us).
posted by aubilenon at 4:53 PM on March 27, 2009
posted by aubilenon at 4:53 PM on March 27, 2009
If you want a real challenge, try Kakuro. It's very hard and very addicting.
posted by Drainage! at 5:04 PM on March 27, 2009
posted by Drainage! at 5:04 PM on March 27, 2009
KenKen KenKen is what I say to my friend Ken when he is ignoring me
posted by poppo at 5:05 PM on March 27, 2009
posted by poppo at 5:05 PM on March 27, 2009
That's a dirty lie and you know it.
posted by The Card Cheat at 1:50 PM
Stop bringing me into threads I have no intention to participate in. Meta.
posted by dirty lies at 5:26 PM on March 27, 2009
posted by The Card Cheat at 1:50 PM
Stop bringing me into threads I have no intention to participate in. Meta.
posted by dirty lies at 5:26 PM on March 27, 2009
I've been playing this most days since NYT introduced me to it. I just like to zoom through the 4x4 as fast as possible, and not get bogged down in the variables of the harder puzzles.
posted by saffry at 5:42 PM on March 27, 2009
posted by saffry at 5:42 PM on March 27, 2009
The day after I found out about this on Sunday Puzzle, I ordered one of the books and I love it, but it didn't occur to me to make a FPP.
I did think about making one about Nurikabe but I forgot.
posted by Stylus Happenstance at 7:03 PM on March 27, 2009 [1 favorite]
I did think about making one about Nurikabe but I forgot.
posted by Stylus Happenstance at 7:03 PM on March 27, 2009 [1 favorite]
Finally, my memorization of what LCD and GCF pay off. Yesss. With the exception of 9x9, they practically solve themselves.
posted by boo_radley at 8:25 PM on March 27, 2009
posted by boo_radley at 8:25 PM on March 27, 2009
and now that I write that, I realize what's true in sudoku is true here: the 9x9 is the "real" game, with lesser squares being training excercises
posted by boo_radley at 8:50 PM on March 27, 2009
posted by boo_radley at 8:50 PM on March 27, 2009
Crosswords are sudoku for innumerates.
posted by cortex at 11:31 PM on March 27, 2009 [4 favorites]
posted by cortex at 11:31 PM on March 27, 2009 [4 favorites]
Ugh the sudoku hate here is so freakin' annoying. I'm sure a majority of the people who hate sudoku have only ever encountered the kind of puzzles that appear in the NY Post or the back of Star Magazine.
posted by ChickenringNYC at 12:19 AM on March 28, 2009
posted by ChickenringNYC at 12:19 AM on March 28, 2009
That KenKen page seriously needs an undo. One typo and you're wiping out a bunch of hard-earned notation.
posted by Foosnark at 12:54 AM on March 28, 2009
posted by Foosnark at 12:54 AM on March 28, 2009
Sudoku is crosswords for illiterates.
Your favourite pen and paper pastime sucks. Any new pen and paper pastimes remotely resembling your favourites will suck also. This is an objective truth, not just my personal opinion. *rolls eyes*
(Nobody tell my wife about KenKen. Deal? Deal.)
posted by obiwanwasabi at 12:41 AM on March 29, 2009
Your favourite pen and paper pastime sucks. Any new pen and paper pastimes remotely resembling your favourites will suck also. This is an objective truth, not just my personal opinion. *rolls eyes*
(Nobody tell my wife about KenKen. Deal? Deal.)
posted by obiwanwasabi at 12:41 AM on March 29, 2009
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posted by dov3 at 1:48 PM on March 27, 2009 [1 favorite]