Preview
What is Hive Nines?
Hive Nines is a browser sudoku game in which you fill honeycomb grids so every row, column and box holds each number exactly once. Its 30 rounds grow from 4×4 grids with 10 printed numbers to 9×9 killer cages where only a few numbers are printed and the cage sums do the work. A wrong number counts as a slip instead of landing on the board, so new players can learn on the small grids while sudoku fans head for the Honey Cages.
Key facts
- Genre
- Puzzle
- Players
- 1 (single player)
- Rounds
- 30, on 4×4, 6×6 and 9×9 grids
- Slip limit
- The 3rd wrong number ends a round
- Stars per round
- 3, minus 1 per slip or extra hint
- Final chapter
- Killer cages, 0–5 printed numbers
- Session length
- 5–10 min
- Platform
- Web browser
- Devices
- Desktop, tablet, mobile
- Price
- Free
- Sign-up
- Not required
How do you play Hive Nines?
Pick an open square, then tap a number on the pad or type it. In the end every row, column and thick-edged box must hold each number once: 1–4 in Clover Meadow, 1–6 in Apple Orchard and 1–9 in The Big Hive. In Honey Cages, dotted cages also show a sum, and the numbers inside must add up to it without repeating. A wrong number is not written; it counts as a slip, and the third slip ends the round. Fill every square to win. Turn on Notes to jot small candidates; a right number wipes itself from the notes around it.
Tips & strategy
- Start with the number that has the fewest copies left on the pad: when 8 of the 9 are placed, the last one has a single spot.
- On 9×9 rounds, note squares down to two or three candidates; right numbers clear themselves from nearby notes, so pairs appear.
- In killer cages, find sums with one split: a 2-square cage of 3 is 1 and 2; a 2-square cage of 17 on a 9×9 grid is 8 and 9.
- Keep hints for real dead ends: the first hint in a round is free, but each one after it costs a star, just like a slip.
- Read the hint steps before pressing Write: they show which row, column, box or cage decides the square, so you spot it next time.
- Playing with a young child? Turn on Gentle mode in Settings: slips are still counted, but the round never ends early.
What are the controls in Hive Nines?
| ACTION | INPUT |
|---|---|
| Pick a square | Tap the square |
| Write a number | Tap a number on the pad |
| Pick a square and write | Click the square, then a number |
| Write small notes | Notes button, then numbers |
| Move between squares | Arrow keys |
| Write or erase | 1–9 · Backspace, Delete or 0 |
| Notes, undo, hint | N · U or Z · H |
| Start the round over | R or Start over when paused |
| Pause | P, Esc or the pause button |
Plays with keyboard, mouse, and touch. Fullscreen works in desktop and mobile browsers.
Hive Nines FAQ
How do killer cages work in Hive Nines?
Each dotted cage shows a sum in its top-left corner, and the numbers inside must add up to that sum with no number repeated. The usual rules still apply, so every row, column and box holds each number once. Rounds 25 to 30 print at most 5 numbers, so the cage sums are your main clues.
What happens when you enter a wrong number in Hive Nines?
The wrong number is not written. It counts as a slip, one drop at the top goes dark, and the third slip ends the round. Each slip also costs one of the round's 3 stars. Gentle mode in Settings keeps counting slips but never ends the round, which suits younger players.
How many stars do slips and hints cost in Hive Nines?
Every round starts at 3 stars. You lose one for each slip and for each hint after the first, and finishing always keeps at least 1 star. A round solved with one hint and no slips still earns all 3, while two slips leave you with 1. Replay any round later to raise its stars.
What does a hint show in Hive Nines?
A hint reads the numbers you have already written and walks through the reasoning to the next square, up to four steps, lighting up the row, column, box or cage involved. The last step offers a Write button that fills the square for you. Steps range from a single fitting number to cage sums and pairs.
How hard do the Hive Nines rounds get?
Difficulty climbs over 30 rounds. The 4×4 grids open with 10 printed numbers, the 9×9 grids drop from 38 to 25, and rounds 22 to 24 need pair techniques. The last six rounds are killer sudoku with 0 to 5 printed numbers. Every round has one answer and can be solved by logic, without guessing.
What do Notes do in Hive Nines?
Notes let you write small candidate numbers in an empty square. Tap Notes or press N, then tap numbers to add or remove them; Erase clears a square's notes. When you write a right number, it disappears from the notes of every square in the same row, column, box or cage, and Undo takes back note changes too.
Does Undo take back a slip in Hive Nines?
No. Undo takes back your last written number or note change, but slips stay counted, because a wrong number is never written in the first place. Undo is for changing your mind about a move, not for clearing the slip counter. Starting the round over from the pause menu resets slips and hints.
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