Technically speaking, Sudoku is not a math game, even though it uses numbers. It's a sorting game. It could use shapes or letters, and the strategies will still be exactly the same. While the numbers have no arithmetic relation to one another (like 9–2=7), the game is ultimately about logical, deductive reasoning, which is what makes it great for training your brain to think logically. Improving your deductive reasoning skills can help you do better on all multiple choice tests too, for that matter, in any subject, where B is a better answer than C, but you need to figure out why. If you can deduce that the answer you choose "cannot be anything but this," and you're certain of it, it can help eliminate much of the guesswork.

​

Sudoku is a sorting puzzle with Japanese roots that has taken the world by storm in the last quarter century for some reason. It uses a 9 x 9 grid that is also subdivided into nine 3 x 3 grids. Each row and column has nine spaces, and each 3 x 3 grid also has nine spaces. Each row, column, and 3 x 3 grid contain the digits 1 though 9 only once. This is key. That's 81 spaces to fill, and the difficulty level of the puzzle is based on how many spaces have already been filled in for you. These are your clues — very important. Also, there is only one correct solution for each Sudoku puzzle, which is good if you tend to like things neat and orderly in your life. 

​