What changes on Medium?
Medium Jigsaw puzzles start with about a third of the cells filled in. That’s plenty to get going, but you’ll have to do real work in the middle of the puzzle to keep finding new digits. Don’t panic! Look at the long, stretchy regions first — they’re where most of the action is.
If Medium feels like a big jump from Easy, that’s normal. Most kids spend a couple of weeks playing Easy puzzles before Medium starts to feel comfortable. The basic strategies don’t change — you just need to use them more carefully. The Jigsaw Sudoku page has the rules and worked examples if you want a refresher.
Three new tricks to try
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Cross-hatching with regions
Pick a digit (say, 7). Look at where 7 is already placed. Now go region by region — in each one, cross out any cell where 7 can’t go (because there’s already a 7 in that row or column). Often only one cell is left, and that’s where the 7 must go.
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The "trapped" digit trick
If a digit can only go in one column inside a region, then no cell outside the region in that column can hold that digit either. Use this to clear notes elsewhere.
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Spot region locks early
A region that snakes across many rows often forces digits into specific rows. Find these forcing patterns first and they’ll do half your work.
Spotting region "locks"
Here’s a trick that’s extra-powerful in jigsaw. Pick a region and a digit you haven’t placed there yet. Use Auto Notes (or your own pencil marks) to see which cells in that region could still hold the digit. If all those cells happen to be in the same row, then that digit MUST end up in that row inside the region.
And here’s the powerful bit — that means the digit can’t appear anywhere else in that row. So you can erase it from the notes of every cell in that row outside the region. One little observation, lots of cleared candidates.
The same trick works for columns. If all the possible spots for a digit inside a region are in the same column, the digit is "locked" to that column, and you can erase it from every other cell in the column.
A Medium puzzle in slow motion
Here’s how a typical Medium puzzle plays out. You sit down with the board, scan the colours, and notice the tallest region — six cells stacked vertically with two arms reaching sideways. The two arms each have one of the starter digits already placed, which is great. The vertical part has two empty cells.
You ignore the rest of the board for a moment and focus only on this region. The digits 1, 4, 7 and 9 are still missing from it. Now you check each row that the empty cells live in. Three of those four digits already appear elsewhere in those rows — only one digit fits in each empty cell. Two free placements!
Each placement triggers more notes-clearing. The 7 you just placed in column 3 means the 7 candidates can come out of every other cell in column 3. That clears two cells in another region down to single candidates. And so it goes — one little observation cascading into five or six new placements before you even need a second cup of thinking.
That’s why Medium feels so rewarding once it clicks. The puzzle isn’t hard so much as patient — wait for the right entry point, then ride the chain reaction.
When you get stuck
- ✏️ Turn on Notes and pencil in every possible answer
- 🔎 Tap Check — if you have a wrong answer, fix it before going further
- 💡 Tap Hint to fill one cell — it counts in your stats but it’s allowed!
- ↻ Tap Undo to step back if you placed something wrong
Ready for the next step?
When Medium Jigsaw puzzles take you under 12 minutes, give Hard Jigsaw Sudoku a try. Hard puzzles start with fewer numbers and the regions feel even wigglier — you’ll need every trick from this page plus a few more.
Frequently asked questions
How long should Medium take?
Most kids finish Medium in 12 to 20 minutes. If it takes longer, that’s fine — use Notes and tap Check whenever you want to make sure you’re on track.
Can I switch back to Easy?
Of course — just tap the Easy tab at the top of the board. Your Medium puzzle saves automatically.
Why are the regions different shapes every game?
Each puzzle is generated fresh with new region shapes. Same rules, but every board looks new — that’s part of the fun!
Should I look for the long regions first?
Almost always yes. Long, stretchy regions touch lots of rows and columns, which means lots of forced placements. Spotting them quickly is the secret to fast jigsaw solving.
Try other sudoku games
Different rules, same friendly board. Pick a sibling puzzle to play next.