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