Sudoku Shift

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Three linked sudokus a day, from 4x4 to 9x9, against the clock.

Play Sudoku Shift

on coffeefirst.games

Sudoku Shift #482 on desktop: the day's first 4x4 grid with its given digits, the timer, undo, erase, note and number buttons, with ad banners at the side and bottom

Sudoku Shift is CoffeeFirst's daily sudoku run: a 4x4 grid that, once solved, turns into a 6x6, which in turn becomes a 9x9. Each grid has one solution, and your total time across the three decides your place on the day's leaderboard.

About Sudoku Shift

Sudoku Shift is one of the daily puzzles on CoffeeFirst.games, the small site behind Geografind, Royal Family and Yearly Daily. Instead of one grid it gives you a sequence of three: a 4x4 sudoku, a 6x6 and a classic 9x9. When you finish one, it shifts into the next, so the session builds from a warm-up to a full puzzle without a break.

Each grid follows the usual rules for its size, every row, column and box holding each number once, and each has exactly one solution. The clock runs across all three, and your total time is your score on the daily leaderboard. Everyone gets the same three grids that day, and earlier days are in the archive; the count reached puzzle No. 482 on October 18, 2026.

The small grids take seconds, so the race is mostly decided on the 9x9, but a slip early on costs time you cannot win back. It suits sudoku players who like a timed challenge and a set length, and newcomers who want a gentle start before the full grid.

The game is free and plays without an account. It carries ads: banners beside and below the board, and on a phone an advertisement page before the grid with a button to continue straight away. A paid Remove Ads option takes them away. Sudoku Shift won the 2025 Playlin Award for Best Classic Game Reimagined, as its page shows.

How to play Sudoku Shift

Open Sudoku Shift and press Play Now; the clock starts with the 4x4 grid.
Pick a cell, then tap a number button to fill it; use note for pencil marks, and undo or erase to fix a slip.
Fill each row, column and box with each number once.
When a grid is complete it transforms into the next size: 6x6, then 9x9.
Finish the 9x9 to stop the clock and see your place on the leaderboard.

Screenshots

Sudoku Shift #482 on a phone: the 4x4 starting grid with the timer above and the undo, erase, note and number buttons below

Tips

Go fast on the 4x4 and 6x6; most of your time will go on the 9x9.
On the 9x9, scan for numbers that appear many times before filling single cells.
Play an archive day first if you want to see the format without the pressure of the daily board.

Questions

What are the three puzzles?

A 4x4, a 6x6 and a 9x9 sudoku, each turning into the next when solved.

How is it scored?

By your total solve time across all three, on a daily leaderboard.

Can I play past days?

Yes, from the archive on the game's page.

Does Sudoku Shift have ads?

Yes. Banners sit beside and below the board, and on a phone an ad page comes before the puzzle with a button to continue at once. A paid Remove Ads option is offered.