Kakuro
Cross-sums number puzzle — fill in digits 1-9 so each row/column sums to the clue, no repeats within a run.
🌤indoor
What is Kakuro?
Kakuro is a logic number-placement puzzle originally invented as 'Cross Sums' by Jacob E. Funk for Dell Magazines in 1966 and popularised globally under its Japanese name from Nikoli in the 1980s. Solvers fill a crossword-like grid with digits 1-9 so that each vertical or horizontal run sums to the clue printed in the black cell at its start — and no digit repeats within any single run.
Quick facts
Category
Puzzle Games
Type
Individual
Players
1–1
Where played
indoor
Country of origin
🇺🇸 United States
Estimated origin
1966, Jacob E. Funk (Dell Magazines) — popular in Japan since 1980s
Olympic
No
Popularity
regional
Sources & provenance
Last verified 2026-08-24.verified