Mini Arrow takes the sum-to-the-circle rule of Arrow Sudoku and puts it on a friendly 6x6 grid with the digits 1 to 6. The digits along each arrow's path add up to the digit in its circled cell — and because the biggest digit is only 6, the arithmetic never gets heavy. A three-cell path tops out at 6, so it is almost always 1+2+3. That gentle ceiling is exactly what makes Mini Arrow the fastest way to learn the variant.
What is Mini Arrow Sudoku?
Mini Arrow is a 6x6 Arrow Sudoku. You fill the grid so that every row, every column, and every 2x3 box contains the digits 1 through 6 exactly once, and every arrow's path sums to its circled cell. The circle is the small ring at one end of the arrow; the path runs along the shaft to the arrowhead. Each puzzle has a single logical solution, and — unlike Killer cages — a digit may repeat along a path as long as Sudoku allows it.
Mini Arrow Rules
- Standard mini Sudoku rules: Every row, column, and 2x3 box must contain the digits 1–6 exactly once.
- Arrow sum rule: The digits along an arrow's path add up to the digit in its circled cell.
- The circle is the total: The circled cell holds the sum, so it is always the largest digit on its arrow.
- Repeats allowed: A digit may appear more than once on a path if the row, column, and box rules still hold.
Path Sums on a 6x6 Grid
| Path length | Smallest circle | Largest circle | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 cells | 3 | 6 | Circle 5 = 1+4, 2+3, or 4+1 |
| 3 cells | 4 | 6 | Circle 6 = 1+2+3 (in some order) |
Two facts fall straight out of the table: the circle is never 1 or 2 (a two-cell path already needs at least 3), and a three-cell path with a circle of 6 is forced to the digits 1, 2, and 3. On six digits, deductions like these appear on almost every arrow.
Solving Strategies
1. Read the circle first
The circle is both a Sudoku digit and the path total, so it is the most constrained cell on the arrow. A low circle over a long path is nearly solved — a circle of 6 across three cells can only be 1, 2, 3 in some order. Start there.
2. Bound the path from both ends
Every path cell is at least 1, and the circle caps the total at 6. Combine the two: if a two-cell path has a circle of 5 and one cell is already a 2, the other must be 3. Bounding shrinks the options to almost nothing on the small grid.
3. Keep repeats in mind
A path may reuse a digit if the cells sit in different rows, columns, and boxes. A circle of 4 over two cells could be 1+3, 3+1, or 2+2 — don't discard the double just because it repeats.
4. Finish with classic scanning
Arrow sums narrow candidates; rows, columns, and boxes place them. Every technique from classic Mini Sudoku — cross-hatching, naked singles, pairs — applies unchanged.
Tips for Beginners
- The circle is never 1 or 2. Any cell inside a circle drops those two immediately.
- Three cells, circle 6 = 1,2,3. Memorize this one — it appears constantly on the mini grid.
- Repeats are legal. Unlike Killer, keep 2+2 and 3+3 in your candidate list.
- Update the circle and path together. Each constrains the other; revise both after every placement.
- Step up when ready. The full 9x9 Arrow Sudoku uses the same logic on a wider range.
Mini Arrow is one of the best puzzle-per-minute values in the Sudoku family: a self-contained sum system you can learn in a single solve and enjoy for years. Master the small path sums, and the 9x9 version becomes a natural encore.