Sudocats is a charming Sudoku game with the unique premise that the numbers are replaced with drawings of cats. It’s a simple but well-executed idea, one that does exactly what it promises to do. There’s a high chance that you’ll enjoy your time with it if you particularly like brain teasers and/or kitties.
A big reason that I think Sudocats succeeds is its heart. It’s obvious that the devs enjoyed developing the game, and even more-so that they have a real passion for cats; it’s the complete antithesis to the soulless (albeit free) hidden object schlock such as 100 Asian Cats that I’ve covered in the past. Even if it’s not exactly an original concept, they took the time to make their product fun for players and full of love for felines.
In fact, Sudocats’ eponymous cats are largely based on the team’s own pets! This is definitely my favorite part of the entire game, as it made the atmosphere feel all the more cozy and lovingly-crafted. Best of all, after completing a set of three levels, you’ll unlock a picture and a small blurb about one of them that includes their name, age, breed, and personality. It’s honestly a great incentive to play through the entire game, at least for cat lovers like me.
The general art style is very cute, too! The menus are presented as an adorable notebook covered in cat-related stickers, along with an “adopt don’t shop” bookmark. The cats remind me of Neko Atsume a bit, with their round shape language, bold line art, and bright colors. They each have unique poses (and even facial expressions), which creates a great deal of variety amongst them - an important detail so that you can easily differentiate between them on the board.
Aside from the cats themselves, my favorite visual feature of Sudocats is definitely the player’s ability to customize their in-game look. There are a variety of board colors and patterned, textured, or solid backgrounds to mix and match. I only wish that your choices carried over between levels, so that you wouldn’t have to change it back every time if you found a particular combination you liked (I largely preferred the darker palettes as it’s easier on the eyes.)
Along with this visual freedom, there’s also an in-game option to easily switch between the three music tracks. The first serves as the main menu’s theme as well; it’s a jaunty piano tune that, while definitely a cheerful introduction to the game, is ultimately my least favorite of the three. The other two tracks are similarly led by piano, yet they’re much more low-key and relaxing - a style that I feel suits Sudocats’ cozy atmosphere much better. Each of them are licensed music instead of original content, but I think the team at least did a decent job with their selections.
As for the gameplay, well… if you know how to play Sudoku then you’ve already got it! There are three different stages of puzzles, each with nine levels - 4x4, 6x6, and 9x9. I found the 4x4s and 6x6s painfully easy, as I’m sure most people with any Sudoku experience would. Still, these simpler levels serve as a good introduction if you’re unfamiliar with the puzzle format. Another thing to note is that you actually have every single level unlocked from the very beginning (there’s even a ‘random level’ button), so you could entirely skip the easy ones if you wanted to! The 9x9s are definitely the most fun and challenging, but I don’t begrudge the others for being here. I could especially see a child engaging with and learning from them.
Aside from the cat blurbs I mentioned earlier, you actually unlock one other thing while you progress. This time, it’s an instructional guide on how to introduce a new cat into your home when you already have resident cat(s). You’ll unlock each step over the course of the first ten levels you complete. This obviously won’t be as fun of a reward for a lot of people, but I think it’s really cool that the team went out of their way to teach pet owners something beneficial for their current and future kitties.
Of course, there’s only so much enjoyment you can get out of Sudoku at the end of the day. Fans of brain teasers will surely play it more often - doubly so if they’re a cat person - so it really just depends on each player’s taste. Either way, the inclusion of daily and randomly-generated levels means you’re always guaranteed a new puzzle, giving you infinite value from this two-dollar game! That’s a big point in its favor.
It’s just so nice to have a casual, cute, and well-made puzzle game like this on my Steam, waiting there for whenever I feel like picking it back up. It’s free from the pesky ads plaguing similar phone apps, and even has its own unique little gimmick - better yet, a gimmick based on something I personally love!
So, even though it may not have the most original concepts, Sudocats builds upon its foundation in some very charming ways. I’m sure I’ll boot it up every once and a while to play a few levels. It’s easily worth the price, and if it sounds interesting to you, I’d definitely recommend checking it out. I have no doubt you’ll enjoy it!

Visuals: 3.5/5
Sound: 3.5/5
Gameplay: 4/5
Replayability: 3.5/5
Overall Game Score: 3.5/5 [3.6/5]