KenKen

Sudoku-plus-arithmetic — fill a grid so each row and column contains 1-N; cage clues give a target and an operation.

🌤indoor

What is KenKen?

KenKen is a logic-and-arithmetic puzzle invented by Japanese maths teacher Tetsuya Miyamoto in 2004. Solvers fill an N×N grid so each row and each column contains 1 through N with no repeats. The grid is divided into 'cages' (small groups of cells) each with a target number and arithmetic operation — cells within a cage must combine to the target using that operation. Published globally including by the New York Times.

Quick facts

Category

Puzzle Games

Type

Individual

Players

1–1

Where played

indoor

Country of origin

🇯🇵 Japan

Estimated origin

2004, Tetsuya Miyamoto (Japan)

Olympic

No

Popularity

regional

Sources & provenance

Last verified 2026-08-24.verified