How to Play Kakuro
Kakuro is a number crossword. Black cells contain clues — a number for the run going right and a number for the run going down. Fill every white cell with a digit 1–9 so each run sums to its clue, with no digit repeating within a run.
Digits 1–9 Fill every white cell with a digit from 1 to 9.
Sums must match Each horizontal and vertical run of white cells must sum to its clue.
No repeats in a run A digit cannot appear twice in the same run.
The History of Kakuro
Kakuro was invented in the 1950s as "Cross Sums" in the United States by puzzle constructor Jacob E. Funk, and published by Dell Magazines. It gained global popularity when Japanese publisher Nikoli repackaged it as "カックロ" (Kakuro) in 1987, following the same format that made Sudoku internationally famous.
Unlike Sudoku, Kakuro never went viral on social media — but it has maintained a dedicated following for 70 years. Many puzzle enthusiasts consider it the purest of all number puzzles because the arithmetic is explicit and the deduction is entirely constraint-based.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I ever need to guess in Kakuro? +
No. Every valid Kakuro puzzle has a unique solution reachable by logic alone. If you feel stuck, a combination you have not tried yet will break it open — usually at the intersection of two runs you have not fully analyzed.
Is Kakuro harder than Sudoku? +
Generally yes. Kakuro requires both arithmetic reasoning (combination analysis) and positional logic (intersections), while Sudoku requires only positional logic. Most players find Easy Kakuro comparable to Medium Sudoku in difficulty.
Is Burmly Kakuro free? +
Completely free. No account, no ads, unlimited puzzles.