sudoku

sudoku [-qv]

-q
    Quiet mode. Do not print instructions at startup.

-v
    Verbose mode. Show current time and number of moves.

sudoku is a command-line utility that allows users to play the popular logic-based number placement puzzle, Sudoku. The game presents an 81-cell grid, partially filled with digits from 1 to 9. The objective is to fill the remaining cells such that every row, every column, and each of the nine 3x3 subgrids contains all digits from 1 to 9 exactly once.

The game supports interactive input where users can specify a cell by its row and column and provide a digit to fill it. It also offers commands to clear cells, show possible locations for a digit, start a new game, quit, and even solve the current puzzle. It provides a simple yet engaging text-based interface for Sudoku enthusiasts.

The game is text-based and relies on standard terminal input/output. It does not support graphical interfaces. The puzzle generation might not always produce the most challenging puzzles, and it only generates standard 9x9 Sudoku grids.

The game is played by entering commands at the prompt:
<row><column><digit>: Fill in the cell at row,column with digit (e.g., '123' fills cell (1,2) with 3).
<row><column>: Clear the cell at row,column (e.g., '12' clears cell (1,2)).
<digit>: Show only cells that could contain digit. This helps in finding single possible locations.
c: Clear the current cell.
q: Quit the game.
s: Solve the puzzle and show the solution. This will end the current game.
?: Display help.
n: Start a new game (abandon current).

The sudoku command was written by Simon Tatham.

Bugs should typically be reported to the upstream maintainers, often via the email address simon@tatham.org as specified in the man page.

The sudoku command is typically part of the bsdgames package, a collection of traditional Unix games. It was written by Simon Tatham, known for his work on PuTTY and other open-source projects. Its inclusion in bsdgames means it's widely available on Unix-like operating systems, contributing to the rich history of terminal-based entertainment utilities that have been a part of these systems for decades.

fortune(6), rogue(6), snake(6)