{"id":4167,"date":"2026-09-24T15:50:09","date_gmt":"2026-09-24T13:50:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/retroplaynow.eu\/arcade\/kenken\/"},"modified":"2026-09-24T15:50:11","modified_gmt":"2026-09-24T13:50:11","slug":"kenken","status":"publish","type":"rpp_game","link":"https:\/\/retroplaynow.eu\/it\/arcade\/kenken\/","title":{"rendered":"KenKen"},"content":{"rendered":"

KenKen, invented by Japanese math teacher Tetsuya Miyamoto, is often called “the puzzle that makes you smarter.” It looks like Sudoku’s mathematical cousin: you fill a grid with numbers so that each row and column contains no duplicates. But KenKen adds a thrilling twist \u2014 cages.<\/p>\n

A cage is a bold-outlined group of cells with a target number and an operation (+, -, \u00d7, \u00f7). The numbers in the cage must combine using that operation to reach the target. A cage labeled “12\u00d7” might contain cells whose product is 12. A cage labeled “3-” has two cells whose difference is 3.<\/p>\n

The puzzle starts easy with 3×3 grids using only addition, then scales up through 4×4, 5×5 and 6×6 grids that use all four operations simultaneously. The beauty of KenKen is that logic and arithmetic work together \u2014 you narrow possibilities with sudoku-style elimination, then confirm with math.<\/p>\n

Our RetroPlayNow version offers unlimited procedurally generated puzzles at multiple difficulty levels, input aids for selecting numbers, and error highlighting to guide your reasoning. Every completed puzzle submits your solving time to the leaderboard, and faster solutions earn more Retro Coins.<\/p>\n

How to play KenKen<\/h2>\n
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  1. Fill rows and columns.<\/strong> Place numbers so that each row and column of an N\u00d7N grid contains 1 through N with no repeats.<\/li>\n
  2. Satisfy each cage.<\/strong> Each outlined cage has a target and an operation. The numbers inside must reach the target using that operation.<\/li>\n
  3. Use logic to narrow down.<\/strong> Combine sudoku elimination (a number can only appear once per row\/column) with arithmetic constraints from the cages.<\/li>\n
  4. Start with single-operation cages.<\/strong> Addition and multiplication cages with few cells are the easiest to solve first \u2014 they constrain the surrounding cells.<\/li>\n
  5. Earn Retro Coins.<\/strong> Complete puzzles to score points based on difficulty and speed. Faster solutions earn more Retro Coins.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n

    More games to play<\/h2>\n