NumbersLogicMind Loft

Sando (Mind Loft)

A sudoku where each row and column clue is the sum between its 1 and its 9.

Every day: One 9x9 sandwich sudoku a day, the same for every player: the number beside each row and column is the sum of the digits between its 1 and its 9. One logical solution; the Sunday Edition prints just six digits. Daily leaderboard on the clock. New puzzle: Midnight US Eastern Time.

Play Sando (Mind Loft) on mindloftdaily.com
Sando on Mind Loft for October 3, 2026: the how to play card for sandwich sudoku, explaining margin sums between each line's 1 and 9, empty sandwiches of 0 and full ones of 35, with the Start button

Sando is a free daily sandwich sudoku from Mind Loft. Beside each row and column is a number: the total of the digits that sit between that line's 1 and its 9. Find where the 1s and 9s go and the rest of the grid follows. One grid a day with a single solution.

About Sando (Mind Loft)

Sando is the sandwich sudoku on Mind Loft, a free site of daily browser games. It plays by the normal sudoku rules, with each row, column and 3x3 box holding 1 to 9 once, plus one extra rule. Every row and column contains one 1 and one 9, and the number printed outside the line is the sum of the digits sitting between them, whichever comes first.

The extremes are the most useful clues. A 0 means the 1 and 9 sit side by side with nothing between them. A 35 means they sit at the two ends of the line with everything else inside. Small sums such as 2 or 3 leave very few ways to fill the gap, so the pair has almost nowhere to go. Totals in the middle of the range are the hard part and are best left for later.

Once a line has both its 1 and its 9 placed, its margin keeps a running count: a green tick when the squares between add up, or a red figure showing how far off the total is. You tap a square and a number, use notes for candidates, and on a desktop the arrow keys and number keys work too. Wrong entries are not flagged, and a clean solve scores 10 with the leaderboard ordered by time. On your first ever play there is one free hint.

A new grid goes up at midnight US Eastern Time, and the Sunday Edition is harder, printing only six digits. Sando belongs to Mind Loft's sudoku family with Suds, Quilt (jigsaw) and Cages (killer).

How to play Sando (Mind Loft)

  1. Open mindloftdaily.com/sando and press Start to show the day's grid and margin sums.
  2. Fill every row, column and 3x3 box with 1 to 9 once each.
  3. Place each line's 1 and 9 so that the digits between them add up to the number in the margin.
  4. Watch the margin: a tick means the sandwich adds up, a red number shows how far off it is.
  5. Finish without mistakes for a score of 10; your time sets your leaderboard place.

Screenshots

Sando title card from Mind Loft, with the game's icon, name and a one-line description

Tips

  • Start with the extremes: a 0 puts the 1 and 9 next to each other, a 35 puts them at the two ends.
  • A sum of 2 to 5 allows only a few fillings, which narrows the gap between 1 and 9 to one or two squares.
  • Leave the mid-range totals until other digits are in.
  • Wrong entries are not flagged, so check each line's tick before you finish.

Questions

What is a sandwich sudoku?

A sudoku where the number beside each row and column is the sum of the digits between that line's 1 and its 9.

What does a sandwich of 0 mean in Sando?

The 1 and the 9 in that line sit side by side, with nothing between them.

Is Sando free?

Yes. Sando runs in the browser on mindloftdaily.com at no cost. There is no app and no account to make; entering a display name only puts your result on the daily leaderboard.

When does a new Sando come out?

Every day at midnight US Eastern Time, with the same grid for every player. Sundays bring a harder edition that prints just six digits.

Can I play old Sando grids?

Yes. Mind Loft keeps past days in its puzzle archive, together with each day's standings.

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