Variant Cube: six variants in 3D
The Variant Cube: a different rule on each face
The Variant Cube puts a 9×9 grid on each of the six faces of a 3D cube, with one sudoku variant per face: Sudoku X, Hyper Sudoku, Even-Odd Sudoku, Jigsaw Sudoku, Greater Than Sudoku and Killer Sudoku. Turn the cube with your mouse or your finger, then select a face: it lies flat, full size, and its rule shows above the number pad.
Here, the faces are separate: each one can be solved on its own, like a puzzle from the site's variant pages. The fun is in switching from one rule to another without leaving the game, in any order you like. A face filled in without errors turns gold; six gold faces, and the cube is won.
A tip if you have never played the variants: get to know them first, one at a time, on the site's variant pages. There, their 💡 Hint button opens a step-by-step guide that explains every deduction specific to the variant, whereas in the cube a hint only reveals a digit.
Each face is a real variant puzzle, with a single solution that you can find by logic, without guessing. Sudoku-Land offers the Variant Cube in 3 levels (easy, medium, hard), with notes mode, six hints for the whole cube, autosave, a dark theme and the ⚙️ Settings menu. It is one of the site's three sudoku cubes, free and with no sign-up, on desktop and mobile alike.
The six faces of the Variant Cube
- Face 1 · Sudoku X — the two long diagonals, tinted gold, each also contain the numbers 1 to 9.
- Face 2 · Hyper Sudoku — four extra 3×3 squares, tinted blue, each also contain the numbers 1 to 9.
- Face 3 · Even-Odd Sudoku — every cell is marked: a shaded cell takes an even number, a white cell an odd number.
- Face 4 · Jigsaw Sudoku — the nine boxes, outlined with a thick line, have odd shapes; each one contains the numbers 1 to 9.
- Face 5 (top) · Greater Than Sudoku — between two neighbouring cells of the same box, a < or > sign has its point facing the smaller number.
- Face 6 (bottom) · Killer Sudoku — no numbers to start with: each dotted cage gives the sum of its digits, with no repeats. The combinations of the selected cage show in place of the rule.
Tips for solving the Variant Cube
- Read the rule before you play — the markings change from one face to the next: a diagonal only counts on the X face, a shaded cell only on the even-odd face. The rule of the flat face is shown above the number pad.
- Start with the variants you know — the faces can be played in any order: finishing the most familiar ones first gives you momentum for the others.
- Use the face buttons — each face's button shows the symbol of its variant and, with its golden ring, how far along the face is. The Esc key, or the cube-shaped button, turns the cube back to a three-quarter view.
- Pencil in candidates — with notes mode (Space, right-click or long press), or with the auto notes of the face in play, which you can turn on in the ⚙️ Settings menu: they follow the rule of its variant.
Other cubes and puzzles
Frequently asked questions
What is the Variant Cube?
It is a 3D sudoku cube where each face carries a different variant: Sudoku X, Hyper Sudoku, even-odd, jigsaw, greater than and Killer. Each face can be solved on its own, with its own rule, and the cube is won when all six faces are filled in.
Do you need to know all six variants to play?
No, but it helps. When a face lies flat, its rule is shown above the number pad, and the “?” button explains them all. If you have never played the variants, start with their puzzles on Sudoku-Land instead: there, the Hint button explains each deduction step by step, whereas in the cube a hint only reveals a digit.
Are the faces linked to each other?
No: on the Variant Cube, each face is a complete puzzle that can be solved on its own, in any order you like. For faces that share the cells along their borders, try the Classic Cube or the Ultimate Cube.
Do you have to do sums on the Killer face?
Only simple additions. The possible combinations of the selected cage show above the number pad: two cells adding up to 3, for example, must hold 1 and 2.
How many hints do you get per cube?
Six for the whole cube, to use on the face of your choice. A hint reveals the digit of the selected cell. Auto notes, which you can turn on in the Settings menu, also cost a hint when you choose “Cleaned candidates”; “All candidates” stays free.