Is Pip Cross harder than Sudoku?

Neither is strictly harder — they test different skills. Sudoku rewards systematic elimination across a fixed 9x9 grid, while Pip Cross rewards fast subset-sum thinking on a smaller, dice-based board.

Do I need to know Kakuro to play Pip Cross?

No. Pip Cross shares the "sums must match a target" idea with Kakuro but uses physical dice values instead of digits 1-9 in fixed cells, so no prior Kakuro knowledge is required.

Pip Cross vs. Sudoku vs. Kakuro: What’s the Difference?

If you already enjoy Sudoku or Kakuro, you'll notice Pip Cross feels like a cousin of both — but the actual solving process is different enough that it's worth breaking down exactly how.

The core mechanic of each puzzle

Sudoku: fill a 9x9 grid so every row, column, and 3x3 box contains each digit 1-9 exactly once. It's a placement and uniqueness puzzle.
Kakuro: fill blank cells with digits 1-9 so that each run of cells sums to a given clue, with no digit repeated within a run. It's a sum-and-uniqueness puzzle.
Pip Cross: select a subset of dice already placed on the grid so every row and column sum matches its target. It's a sum-and-selection puzzle — there's no "fill in the blank," only "include or exclude."

Where the skills overlap

All three reward the same underlying habit: narrowing down possibilities through elimination rather than guessing. If you're used to scanning a Sudoku grid for the one cell where only one digit fits, you already have the instinct needed to spot a Pip Cross forced single. If you've solved Kakuro clues, the subset-sum thinking behind Pip Cross targets will feel immediately familiar.

Where they diverge

Sudoku has no arithmetic at all — it's pure placement logic. Kakuro forbids repeated digits within a run, which Pip Cross does not (two dice in the same row can share the same pip value). And unlike both, Pip Cross lets you choose not to use a die at all, which means the solution space includes an "exclude" option that neither Sudoku nor Kakuro has. That single difference is what makes Pip Cross feel faster-paced and more tactile — especially on a touchscreen, where tapping dice in and out has an immediacy that filling in digits doesn't.

Which one should you play?

If you like long, methodical sessions with a pen and paper feel, Sudoku and Kakuro remain excellent. If you want that same deductive satisfaction in a faster, more visual, mobile-friendly format, Pip Cross — and the rest of the Super Pips collection — is built exactly for that. Start with our Pip Cross rules guide if you're coming from a Sudoku or Kakuro background; most of the transition is just learning the new "exclude a die" option.

More puzzle history

Curious where the dot patterns on dice even come from? Read What Are Pips? The History of Dice Dots.