Sudoku Popularity
The game of Sudoku was introduced in 1979. It was played in various parts of the world and in 1984 it became very trendy in Japan. The rest of the world didn’t really know the game existed but in late 2004 the game suddenly started popping up everywhere and everyone was talking about it. By 2005, almost everyone had at least attempted to play the game of Sudoku and everyone had at least heard the term.
Sudoku games now appear everywhere. Daily newspapers publish games to complete, people take their Sudoku puzzle books with them while commuting, waiting for appointments, and even complete them while they are relaxing at the park or eating lunch. The internet also offers many interactive Sudoku games at various skill levels. Since the internet is a very popular venue for millions of people, it is expected that playing the game online would catch on. However, no one anticipated the millions of hits websites were getting of people wanting to play online.
With the increased popularity of Sudoku comes the competitive nature in most of us. There are various Sudoku competitions that one can participate in. They are in the newspaper, on the internet, held locally, nationally, and even worldwide Sudoku competitions have been taking place in the past couple of years.
Not only is Sudoku a game that requires you to think, it helps sharpen your critical thinking skills, analytical skills, and deductive reasoning skills. These are all important skills that can be used in many other areas of life so while you have fun playing Sudoku you can also make yourself smarter!
As with any other phase in society, it is hard telling how long the popularity of Sudoku will last. While there will always be people who enjoy the game, many will soon tire of it and move on to the next big thing. Yet at the rate that people are playing the game at home, on the internet, and in competitions, I think it is safe to say that Sudoku will be around for quite some time.
