Wow! Playing real-time Sudoku against totally live and very direct competitors is a blast! This 2 player app is fast, frantic and fierce so if you’re looking for a new Sudoku challenge you should definitely get over to: the facebook page or web page and give it your best shot. I guarantee you will not be bored! Watch a demo game and you’ll see what I mean!
Challenger Sudoku is the brainchild of Simeon Williams, a very brainy guy from London UK, who has been developing the idea and app since 2007 but it has taken until now (2012) to get it up and running! “It’s been a real labour of love to develop a 2 player app,” adds Simeon. Who could disagree with that! “This is the first time where you can battle someone on the same board at the same time at a game of Sudoku.”
Challenger Sudoku works this way: screen colours show what you’ve won (blue), what your challenger has won (red) and where the remaining points are (in grey). The game is over when all the points are taken. You need to focus on grey areas – and expanding your blue areas! – to gain bonus points although you might have to work in red areas to find the info you need to get ahead in blue/grey areas where there are more bonus points on offer. “As you play, it makes a lot more sense,” comments Williams.
“My Sudoku skill level has increased from what it was when I played ‘normal’ Sudoku. I can now complete harder puzzles faster. It’s only when you push yourself, you challenge yourself, that you become better”.
There are five levels of player (Minerai, Senpai, Sensei, Grand Master, Sudoku Samurai) and you rise up the levels by winning consecutive games. Games are fast – generally over in 1-3 minutes. Williams adds: “Please try Challenger Sudoku – just don’t challenge a Grand Master or a Sensei. lol. I don’t even try against these professionals! And I’m keen to hear feedback so please leave comments!”
This is just the beginning for Williams: “Within 2 years I want to have face-to-face national championships to find the best players in the UK, then Europe, then the World. We are developing iPhone/iPad and Android Apps which will be ready in Spring 2013. But if you’re online you can play right now so there’s no need to wait…”
Simeon has just entered a correct number which got him +9 points. That number also completed the main square (a main square is 9 individual squares) which gave him a bonus of +30 points and highlighted that main square in a bright blue (red on my challengers screen). That same number also completed a row, which becomes highlighted in blue (red on my challengers screen) and gave me another 15 bonus points. So for one correct entry I got 9+30+15= 54 points! Bonus points go to the first person who gets there! His challenger’s screen changing to red shows that Simeon grabbed the bonus points in this case.
