What is a Kakurasu puzzle?

Kakurasu is a shading logic puzzle. Each column is worth its position number toward its row total and each row is worth its position number toward its column total. You shade cells so each row and column of shaded squares sums to the target printed on that edge.

Is this Kakurasu generator free?

Yes. Pick a difficulty, generate a puzzle and print the grid plus its answer, with no sign-up and no watermark. It is free for classroom, home and personal use.

Does every puzzle have one solution?

Yes. Every puzzle is generated and checked by the same solver our Publisher Studio uses, so the edge targets fix exactly one shading. A puzzle is never ambiguous or unsolvable.

Does it include the answer?

Yes. Every puzzle prints as two pages: the grid of targets on page one and the shaded answer on page two, so you can check your work.

What size are the pages?

The free tool prints at 8.25 by 11 inches, a popular large-print size. Our Publisher Studio will export the same book at any KDP trim, from 5.06 by 7.81 up to 8.27 by 11.69, as a print-ready 300 DPI interior.

Free tool

Free Kakurasu generator, with the answer

Pick a size and generate a sum-logic puzzle, then print it with its answer. Every puzzle has one solution, with no sign-up and no watermark. It runs on the same engine as our KDP Publisher Studio.

Difficulty

Larger grids have more cells to weigh. Every puzzle has one solution.

5×5 grid. Shade cells so each row and column of shaded squares sums to its edge target.

Two pages: the puzzle and its shaded answer. Every puzzle has one solution, checked by the same engine as our KDP studio.

Want the whole book?

This makes one puzzle. Sign up to turn it into a full Kakurasu book for Amazon KDP: hundreds of graded puzzles at any trim, as print-ready PDFs.

Build the full book

Free to build · pay once to export

Preview

The puzzle and its shaded answer, as they print.

Kakurasu Medium

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Kakurasu Medium · Solution

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How to make a Kakurasu puzzle

1Pick a difficulty. Choose a grid size from a gentle 4 by 4 up to a 7 by 7. Larger grids have more cells to weigh, so the solve takes longer.
2Generate the puzzle. Press Generate puzzle. You get a fresh grid with the weights 1 to N along the top and left and the target sums down the right and along the bottom. Every puzzle has exactly one solution.
3Print the two pages. Press Print / save PDF. You get two pages: the puzzle with its targets on page one and the shaded answer on page two.

How to solve a kakurasu

Shade squares so the weighted totals along each row and column match the numbers on the edges.

The method

1Know the weights. In each row a shaded square is worth its position from the left, 1, 2, 3 and so on; in each column, its position from the top.
2Hit each target. The shaded squares in a line must add up to that line edge number. Find the combinations that reach it.
3Use the extreme totals. A small target keeps the big-weight squares blank; a target near the maximum shades most of them. Start where the choice is forced.
4Cross rows with columns. A square must satisfy both its row target and its column target. Where only one choice does both, lock it in.

The one rule: Shade squares so each row and column of shaded weights adds up to its edge target.
What the answer page shows: The solved shading is printed at the back.
How the grades differ: Larger grids bring bigger targets and more combinations to weigh.
Good for: Solvers who like a little arithmetic with their logic.

Publishing a whole book?

This tool makes one puzzle for home or the classroom. To make a Kakurasu book you can sell on Amazon KDP, Publisher Studio generates hundreds of graded puzzles across a difficulty curve, at any KDP trim, as a print-ready interior and solutions PDF.

See the KDP Kakurasu maker

Questions

What is a Kakurasu puzzle?: Kakurasu is a shading logic puzzle. Each column is worth its position number toward its row total and each row is worth its position number toward its column total. You shade cells so each row and column of shaded squares sums to the target printed on that edge.
Is this Kakurasu generator free?: Yes. Pick a difficulty, generate a puzzle and print the grid plus its answer, with no sign-up and no watermark. It is free for classroom, home and personal use.
Does every puzzle have one solution?: Yes. Every puzzle is generated and checked by the same solver our Publisher Studio uses, so the edge targets fix exactly one shading. A puzzle is never ambiguous or unsolvable.
Does it include the answer?: Yes. Every puzzle prints as two pages: the grid of targets on page one and the shaded answer on page two, so you can check your work.
What size are the pages?: The free tool prints at 8.25 by 11 inches, a popular large-print size. Our Publisher Studio will export the same book at any KDP trim, from 5.06 by 7.81 up to 8.27 by 11.69, as a print-ready 300 DPI interior.

Short of ideas? Browse our ready-made printables for this puzzle and print one today.