Canoku

Canoku keeps the rules of sudoku and swaps the symbols. Instead of the digits one to nine, each cell takes a Canadian emoji: a bottle of maple syrup, a beaver, a canoe, the maple leaf flag, a moose, a hockey stick and puck, a lacrosse stick, a snowflake and a polar bear. A puzzle starts with some emojis already placed, and it is complete when each emoji appears exactly once in every row, every column and every box of the grid.

The game comes in three sizes, 4x4, 6x6 and 9x9, and each size has five difficulty levels, so there are fifteen new puzzles each day. The small grids use fewer emojis and suit a beginner or a quick break; the 9x9 at the top levels is a full sudoku. You choose the level from the menu at the top right, select a cell and tap an emoji in the row under the board to fill it.

A notes mode lets you pencil in several candidates in one cell, undo, redo and an eraser fix mistakes, a hint fills the selected cell, and a timer runs while you play, with a pause button. Settings can highlight the selected row, column and box or tint each emoji with its own colour. Stats track your active streak and your longest streak of days with at least one puzzle completed.

Canoku comes from Canuckle Games, who also make the Canadian word game Canuckle, and runs in the browser on a phone or a computer with no account. Banner ads from Yolla Media sit beside and below the board.

It suits sudoku players who want a lighter look, younger players and beginners who find pictures and small grids friendlier than numbers, and Canuckle fans looking for a second daily.