4x4 Killer Sudoku Puzzles

A 4x4 killer sudoku is the smallest killer sudoku there is: sixteen cells, the digits 1 to 4, and not a single given number. The grid is cut into cages, small groups of cells drawn with a dotted line, and the number in the corner of each cage is the sum of the digits it holds. That is all you get, and it is enough to find the only solution.

These eight puzzles give you one large grid per page, with room to pencil candidate digits in the corners of the cells. They are made for a first contact with killer sudoku: an adult who has never met a cage, or a child who already solves 4x4 sudoku and wants a new twist. Print one at a time, or the whole book.

Part of the Sudoku Puzzles collection, Last updated on Tue, 27 Oct 2026 17:39:55 GMT.

Free Printables

4x4 Killer Sudoku, Puzzle 1

4x4 killer sudoku with seven cages: a single cell of sum 2, three two-cell cages (5, 5 and 7) and three of three cells (6, 7 and 8). The lone 2 and the two-cell cage of sum 7, which can only hold 3 and 4, open the grid. Puzzle 1 of 8. | zuzuzi.com

4x4 Killer Sudoku, Puzzle 2

4x4 killer sudoku with seven cages and no single cell: five two-cell cages (3, 5, 6, 7 and 7) and two three-cell cages, both summing to 6. The cage of sum 3 can only hold 1 and 2, and each cage of sum 7 only 3 and 4. Puzzle 2 of 8. | zuzuzi.com

4x4 Killer Sudoku, Puzzle 3

4x4 killer sudoku with seven cages: a single cell of sum 1, three two-cell cages (6, 6 and 7) and three of three cells (6, 6 and 8). Four cages share the sum 6, each with different digits inside. Puzzle 3 of 8. | zuzuzi.com

4x4 Killer Sudoku, Puzzle 4

4x4 killer sudoku with seven cages: a single cell of sum 1, three two-cell cages (5, 5 and 7) and three of three cells (6, 7 and 9). The three-cell cage of sum 9 holds 2, 3 and 4, in some order. Puzzle 4 of 8. | zuzuzi.com

4x4 Killer Sudoku, Puzzle 5

4x4 killer sudoku with only six cages and no single cell: two of two cells (3 and 6) and four of three cells (6, 8, 8 and 9). The cage of sum 3 holds 1 and 2; the one of sum 9, the digits 2, 3 and 4. Puzzle 5 of 8. | zuzuzi.com

4x4 Killer Sudoku, Puzzle 6

4x4 killer sudoku with a single cell of sum 1, two-cell cages of 5, 5 and 7, and three-cell cages of 6, 7 and 9: the same seven sums as puzzle 4, laid out another way, for a second run of the same reasoning. Puzzle 6 of 8. | zuzuzi.com

4x4 Killer Sudoku, Puzzle 7

4x4 killer sudoku with eight cages, three of them single cells (2, 3 and 4) that give three digits straight away: the gentlest grid of the set. Then two two-cell cages (5 and 7) and three of three cells (6, 6 and 7). Puzzle 7 of 8. | zuzuzi.com

4x4 Killer Sudoku, Puzzle 8

4x4 killer sudoku with seven cages: two single cells (2 and 4), one two-cell cage of sum 4, which holds 1 and 3, and four three-cell cages (6, 7, 8 and 9). The largest sum, 9, means 2, 3 and 4. Puzzle 8 of 8. | zuzuzi.com

How to Solve a 4x4 Killer Sudoku

Keep the four digits 1, 2, 3 and 4 in mind and look for the cages that allow only one combination: a two-cell cage of sum 3 is 1 and 2, one of sum 7 is 3 and 4, and a three-cell cage of sum 9 is 2, 3 and 4. A single-cell cage simply gives its digit. Then use the rule of ten: every row, every column and every 2x2 box adds up to 10, so when a cage fills a row but for one cell, that cell is 10 minus the cage sum.

Place a digit, cross it off in its row, its column and its box, and move to the cage that just became forced. In a 4x4 grid, two or three such steps usually unlock the whole puzzle, with no guessing at any point.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a 4x4 killer sudoku easier than a 4x4 sudoku?

A little harder at first, because the grid starts empty, then quicker once you know the forced cages: with only four digits, most cage sums allow a single combination, and the grid falls in a few steps.

What can a cage sum be in a 4x4 grid?

From 1 to 10. A single cell is its own digit, 1 to 4; two cells go from 3 (1 and 2) to 7 (3 and 4); three cells from 6 (1, 2 and 3) to 9 (2, 3 and 4); and a four-cell cage always adds up to 10, since a digit never repeats inside a cage.