Sudoku Made and maintained by Brian Hamilton and Karan Hamilton.
Brian builds the playable puzzle tools, while Karan helps test clarity, difficulty feel, and the player experience.
Playable puzzles and controls are tested in the browser for rule accuracy, usability, and a clear solving experience. See how we make and test puzzles, our editorial standards, or report a problem.
4th of July Sudoku: Something for the Wait Until Dark
4th of July Sudoku is classic Sudoku in red, white, and blue — flag, fireworks, star, eagle, barbecue, balloon, sunglasses, ice cream, and sparkler. Displayed as pictures or as plain digits, every tile takes exactly one place in each row, column, and box.
Fireworks run on darkness
The Fourth has a built-in intermission that no amount of planning removes: the cookout winds down mid-afternoon and the fireworks cannot start until the sky cooperates. Those hours — everyone full, nobody ready to leave — are this board's natural habitat. A 6x6 on the porch holds a couple of players and an advisor; the long 9x9 is for whoever claimed the hammock.
From the flag to the sparkler
The tiles arrive roughly in the order the day does. The 4x4 board is the ceremony — flag, fireworks, star, and eagle, which is of course on the beginner board; it is that kind of holiday. The barbecue and balloon make it a party at 6x6. And the hot-afternoon survival kit — sunglasses and ice cream — joins at 9x9 alongside the sparkler, handed out last, exactly as at a real cookout.
The other fireworks board
Sharp-eyed regulars will notice the fireworks, sparkler, star, and balloon all also work our New Year's board. Same pyrotechnics, different climate: that one is midnight in winter with champagne; this one is daylight, charcoal, and a bald eagle. The sunglasses and ice cream, meanwhile, are on loan from Summer Sudoku, which covers the whole season rather than its loudest day.
Last player to finish a 4x4 fetches the next round of drinks. Disputes are settled by rematch, as the founders intended.
Eighty-one cells, one union
Each puzzle resolves to a single solution, with no tile repeated in any row, column, or box — a rule that has never once been amended. Grading, hints, and notes are documented on the Themed Sudoku page, where the full collection parades past.
4th of July Sudoku FAQ
They share the fireworks, sparkler, star, and balloon, but the mood is opposite: New Year's is a midnight-in-winter set with the clock and champagne, while this is the daytime cookout set with the flag, eagle, and barbecue.
No — only the sunglasses and ice cream overlap. Summer Sudoku is the beach set, with waves, shells, and palm trees; this board is the ceremony and the cookout, built around one specific day.
The 4x4 board uses the flag, fireworks, star, and eagle; the barbecue and balloon join at 6x6; and the sunglasses, ice cream, and sparkler only appear on the full 9x9.