Criboku
Rate itSudoku-style deduction on a grid of playing cards, scored like cribbage hands.
on criboku.com
Criboku is a daily logic puzzle built on cribbage scoring. Fill the blank cards in a four by four grid so that every row, column and corner square scores what its clue says; each puzzle has one solution and never needs a guess.
About Criboku
Criboku is a free daily puzzle by Scott Harker that crosses sudoku-style deduction with the scoring of a cribbage hand. The board is a four by four grid of playing cards, some shown and some blank, with target scores around the edge for each row, column and two by two corner square.
Your job is to choose the missing cards so every group of four scores exactly its number under cribbage rules: fifteens, pairs, runs and flushes. Each puzzle has a single solution that can be reached by logic alone.
There is one dated puzzle a day. Difficulty follows the week, from easy on Monday to expert on Sunday, and an archive lets you go back to past days. A hint button that explains the next deduction rather than just placing a card, and a primer for newcomers, are built in, and the site links to guides on how to score a cribbage hand.
It suits cribbage players looking for a solo challenge, and sudoku fans who want a new kind of arithmetic to reason with.
The site has no ads and needs no account, and it plays the same on a phone as on a desktop.
How to play Criboku
- Open criboku.com; today's dated board is shown.
- Read the score clues beside each row and column and on each corner square.
- Tap a blank slot and choose a card so each group of four scores exactly its clue in cribbage.
- Fill every blank to solve the puzzle, then share your result.
Screenshots
Tips
- Learn the cribbage scores first: fifteens 2, pairs 2, runs 1 per card, flushes 4.
- A score of 0 tells you a lot: no fifteens, pairs or runs in that group.
- Start the week on Monday's easy puzzle and work up to Sunday's expert one.
Questions
Do I need to know cribbage?
It helps, but the site has a primer and a guide to scoring a cribbage hand.
Will I ever need to guess?
No. Each puzzle has one solution that can be found by logic.
Can I play past puzzles?
Yes, from the puzzle archive or with the previous day button.
Does Criboku have ads?
No. The page carries no ad scripts or ad slots, and the daily plays without an account.
Ratings and reviews
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