DOGEPY · HOUSE RULES
Sudoku candidates and conflict checks
Narrow candidates using rows, columns and boxes. The absence of a red conflict does not prove a guessed number is correct.
Before you play
- Each row, column and 3×3 box contains 1–9 once.
- Starting clues cannot be edited.
- Easy, medium and hard puzzles retain a unique solution during generation.
- Pencil notes are candidates, not filled values.
- Fill every cell without conflicts to win. There is no immediate loss after a fixed number of mistakes.
Playing a hand
- Choose a difficulty and an empty cell.
- Eliminate values already in its row, column and box.
- Record candidates in note mode; disable notes to enter a confirmed number.
- Use erase or undo. Keyboard: 1–9, arrow keys, and Delete/Backspace/0 to erase.
A worked play example
- 1 2 3 | 4 5 6 | 7 8 ?
- The missing row value is 9
- Check column and box before entering
Start with a single missing value
A row containing 1 through 8 with one empty cell needs nine. Check its column and box too. A contradiction can mean an earlier user entry was wrong.
If a cell has candidates two and seven and another confirmed seven appears in its column, only two remains. Notes are manually managed, so revisit neighboring notes after new entries.
What red conflicts actually prove
Conflict highlighting detects repeated values in rows, columns and boxes. It does not compare every guess against the solution to certify correctness.
Look for a cell with one candidate or a box with only one possible location for a digit. A new game or difficulty change generates a fresh board, so avoid it when you intend to continue the current puzzle.
Rules checked: 2026-10-23. These describe Dogepy’s implementation, which may differ from other tables.
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