How to play Neon KenKen
Neon KenKen is the famous arithmetic cage puzzle glowing in neon on a 5x5 grid. Like Sudoku, every row and every column must contain the digits 1 to 5 exactly once — but the grid is also split into cages, and the numbers inside each cage must combine with the shown operation (+, − or ×) to hit the cage's target number. A single-cell cage simply gives you that digit as a free clue. Solve the whole grid to win, and keep an eye on the clock.
Controls
Tap or click a cell to select it, then tap a number 1–5 on the pad to enter it. On desktop you can type digits 1 to 5 directly, use Backspace or 0 to erase a cell, H for a hint, and the arrow keys to move your selection. Illegal placements — a duplicate in the row or column, or a finished cage that misses its target — are rejected and counted as mistakes, so think before you commit.
Tips & strategy
Start with the single-cell cages and two-cell cages with unusual targets like 20× or a 4− — they only fit one or two digit pairs. Small × targets (like 6×) and − cages lock down possibilities fast. Remember that subtraction and division cages have no fixed order, so test both arrangements. When a row is nearly full, the missing digits reveal themselves — use that to crack stubborn cages.
Scoring
Your score is your solve time, shown live on the timer, with a running mistake count beside it. Finish with fewer mistakes and a faster clock to beat your saved best time for each difficulty. Hard mode hides the single-cell freebies, so the real challenge is a clean zero-mistake Hard solve.