Jigsaw Sudoku for Seniors: How to Start (Printable Sample)

Jigsaw Sudoku for seniors works well when the page is easy to read and the instructions are short. LogikLand has a Large Print Jigsaw Sudoku assistant for this: one big grid on each page, big digits and instructions in large type. This article explains exactly what it changes, how big the numbers really are, and which level to choose.

Why Jigsaw suits many seniors

The rules need no arithmetic and no vocabulary: each row, column and region holds the digits 1 to 9 once. Because the regions are irregular, it is a fresh variation of a game that many adults already know from newspapers and puzzle books. It also asks very little reading: there are no clues to decipher, and a grid is solved by scanning one digit at a time. The same layout is used in a book that has one grid on each page, so there is never a second puzzle competing for the reader's attention.

What the Large Print version changes

The grids are the same as the ones in the standard assistant. The differences are in the layout, and they come from the code that builds the pages:

The same options remain: one level or several, the number of puzzles, 1, 2 or 4 grids per page, and the four forms of title. The default is one grid per page.

How big are the digits?

We measured the pages the assistant builds, with the default margins of 0.75 inch. A point (pt) is 1/72 inch, so a 33 pt digit is almost half an inch high.

Our suggestion, not a rule: for large print, keep one grid per page and the 8.5 x 11 size. Two grids per page are still readable, but the digits are about 40 % smaller (19.7 pt instead of 33.6 pt).

A sample page

Choosing a level

The four levels are the same as in the standard assistant. The levels give 38, 30, about 24 and about 22 digits. Easy and medium need only one technique: finding the only cell of a row, a column or a region where a digit fits. Hard needs eliminations. Our suggestion, not a rule: for a book that is meant to be enjoyed, use easy and medium for most of the pages and add a few hard ones at the end. If the reader has never seen a Jigsaw grid, start with easy and place the first three grids as a warm-up. In the assistant you can mix levels in one book by giving a number of puzzles to each level, for example 14 easy, 10 medium and 6 hard for a book of 30 grids. The assistant then orders the puzzles level by level.

Pages and the FREE plan

The FREE plan allows books of up to 50 pages. With the Large Print settings (3-page guide, one grid per page, two solutions per page), the page count is 1 title page, 3 guide pages, the puzzles, 1 page headed Solutions and half as many solution pages as puzzles. A book of 30 puzzles therefore uses 1 + 3 + 30 + 1 + 15 = 50 pages, exactly the limit. Books made on the FREE plan are for personal use; commercial rights come with PRO and EXPERT.

Comfort tips for the reader

• Our suggestion: a pencil with a soft lead and an eraser. The given digits are printed in bold, so the digits you write are easy to tell apart from them.
• Use good light. The regions are shaded in light grey and the shades are easier to tell apart on a bright page.
• Place the solutions at the back, and have the reader check one row at a time, not the whole grid.
• If the book is a gift, add a page with a short note in the editor: every text can be edited before you download.
• Our suggestion: do one grid at a time with a break between two grids. The regions need a fresh look, and a rested eye sees a shape more quickly.

Questions