Sudoku is a game whose origins date back well over a hundred years. From the puzzle section in newspapers to the countless video game versions, people of all walks of life have enjoyed the head-scratching number puzzle. Developer D3Publisher’s release is a competent and well thought out adaptation of the beloved logic game.
Owners of the Nintendo Switch that decide they need their Sudoku fix will be pleased to hear that The Number Puzzle features a bevy of different ways to play, including various difficulties ranging from relatively simple, to challenging enough to give even masters of the game a run for their money. An excellent UI and a slew of quality of life features such as highlighting all copies of a number make The Number Puzzle a joy to play. Not only can you play Sudoku in its originally intended format, but there are also modified versions that feature a six-by-six board, diagonal puzzles, as well as solving two overlapping games at once.
While in total there are five hundred puzzles to complete, which is a staggering amount. There is one feature that would have given this game infinite replayability and would solidify this as one of the best ways to play Sudoku ever. That feature is a random puzzle generator. It would not have been too difficult to implement and would have been a welcome addition for the most hardcore of Sudoku fans.
Overall D3Publisher did a fantastic job in their efforts to bring Sudoku to the Switch. The lack of a random puzzle generator doesn’t detract from the astonishing amount of content provided. A smart UI, a competent tutorial, and best of all, a leaderboard that features the fastest clear times, all add up to make The Number Puzzle an enjoyable title for all Switch owners that are a fan of Sudoku.
The Good:
Quality of Life Features: The small changes that make playing just a bit more convenient as well as an easy to navigate UI make this game an excellent way to play Sudoku
The Addition of a Leaderboard: If you told a random person, “Hey let’s play competitive Sudoku!” They would look at you like you have six heads. But the ranked version is a welcome addition for the highest level of Sudoku players.
The Bad:
No Random Puzzle Generator: The only thing that could have made this game better than it already is.
Final Thoughts: If you like Sudoku and own a Switch, there is no reason you shouldn’t play The Number Puzzle. It’s a great way to play the game as well as experience a new twist on the age-old logic puzzle.
Leave a Reply