1. Does "KenKen" mean anything?
2. What numbers can I use in the puzzle?
3. What is a “target number”?
4. What is a "cage"?
5. Can I repeat a number within a cage?
6. Does it matter what order I put the numbers into the cage?
7. If there is only one box in a cage what do I do?
8. Why are some lines dark and some lines lighter or dotted?
9. Is it possible to enter choices of possibilities when playing online?
10. How do I enter a candidate number from the keyboard?
11. Why does a square show up as yellow, sometimes purple? And when I click on a square, an "X" and "C" appear. What do they mean?

1. How do I start solving a puzzle?
2. Can a puzzle always be solved without guesswork?
3. Do I need math skills to solve a puzzle?
4. Is there only one unique solution to a KenKen puzzle?
5. There appears to be a mistake in a puzzle. Is that possible?
6. Is there a tutorial to make KenKen easier to understand and play?
7. Where can I play puzzles online?
8. How can I get tips for solving harder puzzles?

1. Does "KenKen" mean anything?
"KEN" means wisdom in Japanese. KenKen means "wisdom squared," but you'll also gain some square wisdom as you solve our puzzle blocks!

2. What numbers can I use in the puzzle?
For a 3x3 puzzle use the numbers 1-3.
For a 4x4 puzzle use the numbers 1-4.
For a 5x5 puzzle use the numbers 1-5.
For a 6x6 puzzle use the numbers 1-6.
For a 7x7 puzzle use the numbers 1-7.
For an 8x8 puzzle use the numbers 1-8.
For a 9x9 puzzle use the numbers 1-9.

3. What is a “target number”?
The target number is the number in the upper left corner of a heavily outlined group of boxes (called a cage), and it is generally followed with a math symbol. So, for example, the notation 6+ means that the numerals in the box should add up to 6, and the notation 48x means that by multiplying the numbers in the box you will get 48.

4. What is a "cage"?
A cage consists of the boxes within the heavily outlined group of boxes. Every cage has a target number in the top left corner. Cages (other than a singleton cage) generally have an arithmetic operation indicated that should be used to produce the target number.

5. Can I repeat a number within a cage?
A number may be repeated within a cage as long as it is not being repeated within a row or column.

6. Does it matter what order I put the numbers into the cage?
The order does not matter. If the target number is 3 and the operation is subtraction, 1 and 4 can be placed in any order. The 1 can be on top or on the bottom, on the right or on the left.

7. If there is only one box in a cage what do I do?
For a singleton cage, the target number in the top left corner is the number that answers that box.

8. Why are some lines dark and some lines lighter or dotted?
The dark lines outline a cage. The light or dotted lines separate boxes within the same cage.

9. Is it possible to enter choices of possibilities when playing online?
Yes, these are called “candidates.” After a box is selected, a number wheel will appear, and a list of possible candidates. Select a candidate with your cursor, and it will appear in the box in small print. Please see the “help” button on the interactive screen for further information.

10. How do I enter a candidate number from the keyboard?
Please hold down the shift button and select the candidate.

11. Why does a square show up as yellow, sometimes purple? And when I click on a square, an "X" and "C" appear. What do they mean?
The yellow square shows the location in KenKen when using keyboard controls (versus a mouse), and the yellow/purple squares show location when using a mouse. "C" is for clear and removes everything including candidate numbers; click on the "X" and it deletes the number ring, leaving any numbers already entered.

1. How do I start solving a puzzle?
Every KenKen puzzle is unique. The best way to start to solve a KenKen puzzle is to look for combinations of numbers that must produce a certain result. For example, a 10+ cage with four squares in the same row must use the numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4. Therefore, if the puzzle is a 5x5 puzzle, you know that the remaining square in the row must be a 5.

2. Can a puzzle always be solved without guesswork?
Yes, a puzzle can always be solved without random guesswork. However, there are some instances in which small samples of trial and error must be used to eliminate certain solutions. This is found mostly in larger puzzles.

3. Do I need math skills to solve a puzzle?
Basic arithmetic skills are needed to solve a puzzle. Some puzzles will only use addition, some addition and subtraction, and some will use all four operations. The beauty of KenKen is that you can pick whatever type of puzzle you like!

4. Is there only one solution to a KenKen puzzle?
Each KenKen puzzle is created with a single solution.

5. There appears to be a mistake in a puzzle. Is that possible?
Our KenKen puzzles are all composed by a computer program called the Kenerator, which has been developed using artificial intelligence techniques. The Kenerator checks every puzzle to ensure that the totals in all the cages are correct, and that no row or column has the same number more than once. The Kenerator also verifies that there is only one solution to each puzzle. Up to now no puzzle generated by the Kenerator has ever been found to have an error. It is unlikely there is an error in the puzzle, so we ask people to first check the solution to the puzzle. Then, if they still believe that something is wrong with the puzzle, they should send us full details of the puzzle before we can submit their inquiry to our human verification expert.

6. Is there a tutorial to make KenKen easier to understand and play?
Yes, for the short video by Will Shortz explaining how to play click here. Or you can view step-by-step tutorials on solving either simple or more difficult puzzles (click here).

7. Where can I play puzzles online?
There are two places for online puzzle-playing: here at kenken.com (six puzzles daily from 4x4 to 9x9) and at the New York Times website, www.nytimes.com/kenken with six puzzles daily: 4x4, 6x6 and as of March 2009, 8x8.

8. How can I get tips for solving harder puzzles?
For Tougher Puzzle Solving Techniques, click this link.