Kaodoku 1.1.10

The kaodoku presents an innovative variation of traditional Sudoku, featuring symbols that are only partially disclosed. Originally developed for Belgian Mensa magazine Commensal, kaodokus significantly expand the variety compared to standard Sudoku puzzles. Instead of numbers, each cell contains a smiley face characterized by three possible shapes and three possible mouth expressions. Each of the nine unique combinations must appear exactly once within each row, column, or designated area, maintaining the core rules of Sudoku.

The key innovation lies in the partial disclosure of symbol components: some cells reveal only the mouth or shape, requiring solvers to deduce the missing part. Furthermore, it is possible to generate grids with no fully revealed symbols at the outset, adding an additional layer of complexity. This approach fosters a richer puzzle-solving experience that demands sophisticated strategies, often involving the integration of fragmented clues in novel ways.

Features include:

• Free access to standard grids with a wide variety of randomly generated puzzles across several difficulty levels.
• Availability of additional challenging puzzles via a single in-app purchase, featuring options such as extra diagonals, gray squares, and irregular grid shapes requiring more advanced reasoning across intersecting regions.
• An advanced hint system that provides logical suggestions for possible moves, initially guiding beginners through step-by-step reasoning—particularly helpful given that even simple kaodoku puzzles can be intimidating for newcomers.
• User-configurable pencil notes within the app allowing freeform annotations, replicating the experience of annotating on paper.
• An alternative candidate marking feature to track potential symbols within individual cells. In particularly challenging puzzles, this system is complemented by the hints function, which considers candidate marks as part of its analysis.
• Options to share puzzles with others, export in PDF or PNG formats, or print them for traditional solving methods. The app also permits publishing puzzles on magazines or websites, provided the kaodoku web address remains intact.