Statedoku

About Statedoku

Statedoku crosses the grid logic of sudoku with the map of the United States. Each day brings one 3x3 grid with three labels down the left and three across the top, like Pacific coast, Landlocked or Name ends in A. Every cell wants a state that answers both of its labels, and no state may appear twice.

Any state that fits both labels is accepted, not just one stored answer. That means you can spend a state that another cell needed, so filled cells stay open: tap one and clear it at no cost. A mistake is only a state that fails a label or is already on the board, and three mistakes end the day's puzzle and show every state that would have worked in each cell.

The grid is built from the date, so everyone sees the same puzzle and can compare a Wordle-style share grid. Statedoku plays in English, French and Spanish, needs no account and keeps your stats in your browser. An archive calendar lets you play any past day, and the site adds reference pages, quizzes and a US map for learning the states.

How to play Statedoku

1. Read the three row labels and three column labels of today's grid.
2. Tap a cell to open the picker, which shows its two labels.
3. Type at least four letters of a state's name and pick one that fits both labels.
4. Fill all nine cells with nine different states before your three mistakes run out.
5. Share your result grid and come back the next day for a new one.

Tips

• Fill the most constrained cells first: a cell with only one possible state should never wait.
• Start from the narrow label, such as Borders Mexico with four states, and filter by the loose one.
• Clearing a cell costs nothing, so move a state if another cell needs it more.
• Abbreviations are not searched: type the start of the full name.

Questions