Kakuro

Also known as: Croco Puzzle, Cross Sums, CrossSam, Kasan Kurosu, Kreuzsummenrätsel, Tashizan Cross, Zahlenschwede

Kakuro originated in the United States in the 1950s under the name of Cross Sums. A logic puzzle, the aim of Kakuro is to complete a grid using digits from 1 to 9, with the digits in each row/column adding up to the clue for that block. It’s similar to Sudoku in the sense that digits cannot be repeated in a row/column.

Kakuro is popular in Japan, where for many years it was the most popular puzzle until the resurgence of Sudoku, also a hugely successful puzzle.

You should try Killer Sudoku – especially if you're a Sudoku fan too – as it combines the best of both Kakuro and Sudoku.

Kakuro is one of our most popular puzzles and so we have an entire magazine dedicated to it! Kakuro puzzles also appear in a number of our other titles. The full list includes:

We stock a range of puzzle books and other products, including printable puzzles, that may be of interest if you like to play Kakuro:

Prefer to play your puzzles online? We have a huge selection that you can play right now in your web browser! 

Our expertly curated Puzzler App offers a daily updated collection of diverse puzzles and games. Kakuro fans may particularly enjoy Sudoku, Killer Sudoku and Sakuro.