The Colorful History of Sudoku

By: Terence Uniacke

Modern generations marvel at the intelligence and creativity displayed by ancient civilizations. The great pyramids of ancient Egypt are the perfect example of incredible design and unmitigated human accomplishment. In ancient times, people were dependant on their minds to create, solve, and entertain. Today, most people turn their minds off and turn on the TV or radio when it's time to be entertained.

Every once in a while, when media gets dull and our minds need sharpening, people will turn to riddles and brain twisters. It's how we explore our thought processes, and how we develop our creativity. Without puzzles and riddles, our brains become stagnant. Humans innately love and need activities that twist the mind and form new ideas.

Some of the games we play today are based on those that were played in ancient times, with innovations and changes made over the centuries. Sudoku is a game that may well have been played in ancient times, and it has a beautiful simplicity, yet can be wonderfully challenging. And the history of Sudoku is fascinating, too.

The game also has a fascinating history. First published in 1979 in an American puzzle game book, it was likely invented by veteran puzzle creator Howard Garns. Japanese publishers brought it there a few years later, and gave it a new name, meaning "the digits must remain single", which was later shortened to Sudoku. Japanese players instantly loved the game, and after 1984, it began its long rise to world domination. Millions of adherents around the world have improved their mental agility by playing Sudoku rather than staring at mindless TV shows.

Howard Garns was a retired architect who loved creating puzzles as a freelance effort, and it appears he contributed the first-known version of Sudoku to a puzzle magazine in 1979. It is similar to the Latin Square, which has been much analyzed by Euler, and is an ancient game. Garns added a third dimension, improving on the design, and he offered his version with some of the fields already filled in. It is immediately popular with puzzle players worldwide once they try it for the first time.

The history of Sudoku took another twist in Japan. After Howard Garns introduced the first Sudoku puzzle in a U. S. magazine, a person named Nikoli in Japan picked it up. While Mr. Garns had his own English name for the puzzle, Nikoli gave it the Japanese name Sudoku.

Originally, Sudoku was played manually in Japanese and American publications. In 1989, Loadstar Publishing introduced a computerized version, followed by another version by Apple. Sudoku has also been fashioned into a version of another popular 1980's puzzle, the Rubik's Cube.

In the year 1997, the popularity of Sudoku in the media had reached overwhelming heights. A Hong Kong judge named Wayne Gould became so engulfed by the game, he developed his own computerized version of a Sudoku creator.

Nationwide, newspapers would print the puzzles and sell out quickly. World media acknowledged Sudoku as the "fastest growing puzzle in the world". By 2005, Sudoku was at the peak of its popularity.

Knowing something of the history of Sudoku adds a nice touch to this enjoyable pastime. From its beginnings in the ancient world, to adaptation using modern computers, to global acceptance, Sudoku has come a long way in a short time. Thanks to Howard Garns for creating a puzzle that brings pleasure and brain stimulation to millions of people every day.

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Author Terence Uniacke writes for a variety of well-known contemporary online magazines, on garden supply and hobby supply topics.
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