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SudokuLogic

Sudoku (USA TODAY)

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USA TODAY's dated daily sudoku, with a difficulty that changes from day to day.

Play Sudoku (USA TODAY)

on play.usatoday.com

USA TODAY Sudoku on a phone: the 9x9 grid for 21 October 2026 with its given numbers, a tip to tap an empty tile, and the number pad below

USA TODAY Play publishes one dated 9x9 sudoku each day, credited to Andrews McMeel Universal, next to its crossword and Quick Cross. The difficulty changes from day to day, from Easy to Expert. Today's puzzle is free to play with ads; past days, ad-free play and stat tracking come with a subscription.

About Sudoku (USA TODAY)

USA TODAY Sudoku is the paper's daily number-placement puzzle on USA TODAY Play, now at play.usatoday.com/sudoku (the old puzzles.usatoday.com address redirects), and in the USA TODAY PLAY app for iPhone and Android. The page credits each grid to Andrews McMeel Universal.

Each puzzle has its own dated page, so everyone playing on the same day solves the same grid. On 21 October 2026 the puzzle was rated Hard; the More Puzzles list showed Medium for 20 October and Easy for 19 October, with Expert grids further down, so the level changes from day to day.

The board is a classic 9x9 grid with givens. You tap an empty tile and enter a number from the pad, or switch the pad to Notes to pencil in candidates. A timer can be turned on, and there are hint and reveal, print and settings buttons above the grid.

Today's puzzle is free to play, with display ads around the board and a skippable video ad before it on some visits. Earlier days in the list show a lock. A free account keeps more time for unfinished puzzles, and a USA TODAY Play subscription gives unlimited ad-free puzzles and stat tracking. The site is not available in the EU.

It suits sudoku players in the US who want one daily grid with a changing challenge, and USA TODAY crossword solvers who want a number puzzle too.

How to play Sudoku (USA TODAY)

  1. Open play.usatoday.com/sudoku or Sudoku in the USA TODAY PLAY app; today's dated puzzle opens with its difficulty shown.
  2. Tap an empty tile and enter a number from the pad so each row, column and 3x3 box holds 1 to 9 once.
  3. Switch the pad from Entries to Notes to pencil in candidates for a tile.
  4. Turn the timer on if you want to time yourself; hints and reveals sit above the grid.
  5. Finish the grid, then come back tomorrow for the next dated puzzle.

Screenshots

USA TODAY Sudoku on desktop: the dated header for Oct. 21, 2026, the top of the grid, and the Entries and Notes number pad

Tips

  • Check the difficulty label first: Hard and Expert days take longer than Easy ones.
  • Start with rows, columns or boxes that are nearly full.
  • On harder grids, use Notes early and look for pairs of candidates that rule out other tiles.
  • Create a free account if you want more time to finish a puzzle you have started.

Questions

Where did puzzles.usatoday.com/sudoku go?

The old address now redirects. The sudoku is at play.usatoday.com/sudoku, on USA TODAY Play.

Is the USA TODAY sudoku free?

Today's puzzle is free to play with ads. Past days are locked, and a USA TODAY Play subscription gives unlimited ad-free puzzles and stat tracking.

Is there a new sudoku every day?

Yes. Each day has its own dated puzzle with a difficulty label, from Easy to Expert.

Can I play it outside the US?

Not everywhere: from the EU the USA TODAY puzzle sites redirect to an unsupported-region page.

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