Play KenKen Online
Arithmetic cages on a Latin square — a numbers workout.
How to Play KenKen
Modes: Easy · Medium · Hard · Daily
KenKen is a numbers puzzle. Every row and every column must contain the numbers 1 to N exactly once.
The board is split into dashed cages. Each cage shows a target number and an operation (+, −, ×, ÷) — the digits inside must reach that target with that operation.
A cage of one cell is a given digit, already filled in for you.
Select a cell and tap a number from the pad, or switch on Notes to pencil candidates. Erase clears the selected cell.
Rules
Each row and column holds 1 to N with no repeats.
The digits in a cage must satisfy its target and operation.
A single-digit cage is a fixed given.
The puzzle is solved when every row, column and cage is satisfied.
Scoring
| Solved | complete the full grid |
| Time | fastest solve wins |
History & Origins of KenKen
KenKen was invented by Japanese teacher Tetsuya Miyamoto in 2004 as a classroom drill he called “calcudoku”. It reached Western puzzle books after being popularised by The Times in 2008.
Miyamoto designed puzzles with no fixed winning technique, believing students learn best by discovering their own arithmetic and logic. That open-ended teaching philosophy became its signature.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Writing digits without checking cage targets.
- Forgetting KenKen has no boxes — only rows, columns and cages.
- Skipping single-cell cages, which instantly fix their number.
Tips & Strategy
Start with small cages: a 2-cell cage of 3 with + must be 1+2, and a 17+ pair in a 9×9 must be 8+9.
Remember every row and column sums to the same total — use the rows to bound cage values.
Use subtraction and division cages early: a 2-cell cage of 1− can only be two consecutive numbers.
Pencil notes to track the few values each cage allows.
The Hint button reveals one correct digit when you are stuck.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is KenKen free to play?
- Yes — KenKen on ThinkyPlay is completely free, with no download and no sign-up.
- What do the cage labels mean?
- Each label is a target number plus an operation, for example 12+ or 3−. The digits inside the cage must combine to that target using that operation.
- Do digits repeat inside a cage?
- A cage may repeat a digit, as long as the row and column rules still hold (no repeats in any row or column).
- Are all puzzles solvable?
- Yes — every puzzle is generated with exactly one solution, and the Hint button reveals a correct digit.
- Who invented KenKen?
- Tetsuya Miyamoto invented KenKen in Japan in 2004 as a maths classroom puzzle.
- What are the cage operations?
- Cages can ask for a sum, difference, product or quotient of their cells — usually two cells for − and ÷.