Suguru (Tectonic) Puzzle

What is Suguru?

Suguru, also known as Tectonic or Number Blocks, is a quietly addictive logic puzzle that sits somewhere between Sudoku and a jigsaw. The grid is split into small outlined regions called cages, and each cage must be filled with the numbers one up to the size of that cage. A cage of five cells holds the numbers 1 to 5, a cage of three cells holds 1 to 3, and so on. The twist that makes Suguru distinctive is the touching rule: no two identical numbers may ever be next to each other, including diagonally. Because every number guards the eight cells around it, the puzzle rewards careful, spatial thinking rather than the row-and-column scanning of Sudoku.

This generator builds a fresh, branded Suguru every time. Each puzzle is constructed from a complete, valid solution, so the clues you see and the answer key always agree. Choose the grid width and the difficulty, preview the live PDF, and print as many unique sheets as you like.

The rules in full

There are only two rules, which is part of Suguru's charm. First, fill each cage with consecutive numbers starting at one: a cage of size k contains exactly the numbers 1 through k, each used once. Second, identical numbers may never be orthogonally or diagonally adjacent — if a cell contains a 3, none of the up to eight cells surrounding it may also contain a 3. Together these rules mean that a number repeated across the grid must always be kept apart by at least one cell in every direction, which is what gives Suguru its satisfying chain of forced deductions.

How to solve a Suguru

Start with the smallest cages. A cage of size one can only hold a single value, so it is filled the moment you spot it, and that value immediately blocks the eight cells around it. Cages of size two are nearly as helpful, because once you place one number the other is forced. From those anchors, work outward using the touching rule: if a neighbouring cage already shows a 2 next door, the cell beside it cannot be a 2, which often leaves only one legal value. Pencil in candidates lightly, eliminate the ones that would touch an equal number, and look for cells where only one candidate survives. Good Suguru puzzles unravel one forced move at a time, with no guessing required.

Why it is great for classrooms and at home

Suguru needs no arithmetic beyond counting to five, which makes it ideal for younger solvers, yet the spatial logic stays interesting for adults. It builds concentration, pattern spotting and the habit of justifying each move — perfect for a starter activity, an early-finisher task or a calm few minutes at home. Because the numbers are small, the puzzles also work well for learners building confidence, and the answer key lets a teacher or parent mark a whole set in seconds. Print a different sheet for every child by changing the seed, or run the same puzzle across a class for a shared challenge.

Customising your puzzle

• Grid width — choose a narrower or wider grid to suit the age group and the time available.
• Difficulty — easy leaves more numbers on the board, while hard reveals fewer clues and demands longer chains of reasoning.
• Answer key — add a second page showing the full solution for fast marking.
• Name and date — include header fields for classroom use.
• Seed — type any word or number to reproduce the exact same puzzle, or leave it blank for a fresh one each time.

Everything prints through the shared branded template on A4 or US Letter, so your Suguru sheets match every other printable on the site.