Sumplete Solver - Free Online Sumplete Puzzle Solver
What Is Sumplete?
sumplete is a number-logic puzzle played on an N×N grid. Every cell contains a number, every row shows a target sum on the right, and every column shows a target sum along the bottom. Your goal is to delete numbers from the grid so that the numbers left over in each row add up to that row's target, and the numbers left over in each column add up to its target. The name is a blend of SUM and deLETE - precisely the two things you do.
The puzzle was created in March 2023, when a Reddit user challenged ChatGPT to invent a brand-new logic puzzle that had never been played before. The result became an overnight hit: it takes the familiar grid of Sudoku, mixes in the arithmetic of Kakuro, and adds a deletion twist of its own. Small boards take seconds, but the number of possible deletion patterns grows explosively - a 9×9 grid alone has more than 10²⁴ (a septillion) of them - which is exactly why a solver comes in handy.
Sumplete Rules
Row targets. The numbers you KEEP in each row must add up to the target on the right of that row.
Column targets. The numbers you keep in each column must add up to the target at the bottom of that column.
Delete freely. You may cross out any numbers you like - there is no limit on how many, and any cell can go.
Exact match wins. The puzzle is solved only when every row AND every column hits its target exactly - not one below, not one above.
How to Use the Sumplete Solver
Choose a grid size. Tap 3×3 up to 9×9 in the toolbar. Start with 4×4 if you are new - it is the classic starting point.
Enter the grid numbers. Type the puzzle numbers into the white cells, one per cell.
Enter the row targets. Each row's target goes into the blue cell on the far right of that row.
Enter the column targets. Each column's target goes into the blue cell along the bottom.
Press Solve. The numbers you should delete turn red with a strikethrough; everything else stays. The solver verifies that every row and column lands exactly on its target.
Reset or explore. Clear wipes the board for a fresh entry, and Example loads a random, guaranteed-solvable puzzle so you can see a full solution in one tap.
What the Solver Tells You
When a solution exists, deleted numbers appear crossed out in red and the status line confirms the result. In the solved 4×4 below, six numbers are struck out and every remaining row and column sums exactly to its target:
When no solution exists, the solver says so and highlights the guilty row and column targets in red. A target turns red when no combination of its own numbers can ever reach it - for example a row of 5, 5 and 5 can only total 0, 5, 10 or 15, so a target of 1 is impossible - or when it conflicts with the other targets. Checking the red cells is the fastest way to spot a typo:
How the Sumplete Solver Works
Behind the scenes the solver runs a two-stage search that mirrors how strong human players think. First, for every row it enumerates all 2ⁿ possible keep/delete combinations (up to 512 subsets on a 9×9 row) and keeps only the ones that hit the row target exactly. A row with no valid combination is reported immediately - that is what the red row highlights come from.
Second, it combines the candidate rows with a depth-first search, tracking a running total for every column. As soon as a partial board makes any column target unreachable - even if the column is not finished yet - the whole branch is abandoned. This prune-early strategy cuts the search space from up to 10²⁴ possible deletion patterns on a 9×9 grid down to something that resolves in milliseconds in your browser. If several solutions exist, the first one found is shown; every solution the solver returns is fully verified before it is displayed.
Worked Example: Solving a 4×4 Sumplete
Here is a complete 4×4 puzzle. The four row targets are 7, 5, 13 and 24; the four column targets are 11, 6, 17 and 15:
| 7 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 7 |
| 3 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| 3 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 13 |
| 8 | 3 | 9 | 7 | 24 |
| 11 | 6 | 17 | 15 |
Deleting the six struck-out numbers solves it. Verify with addition: row 1 keeps 1+5+1 = 7; row 2 keeps only 5; row 3 keeps 3+3+7 = 13; row 4 keeps 8+9+7 = 24. The columns then confirm it - column 1 keeps 3+8 = 11, column 2 keeps 1+5 = 6, column 3 keeps 5+3+9 = 17, and column 4 keeps 1+7+7 = 15. Notice that row 1 alone had two candidates (keeping the 7, or deleting it), and only the column targets decided which one was right - exactly the kind of cross-checking that makes Sumplete satisfying.
Tips for Solving Sumplete by Hand
Start with forced deletions. Any number larger than its row or column target can never stay - cross it out first.
Lock the extreme rows. A row whose target is 0 means everything is deleted; a row whose target equals the sum of all its numbers means everything stays. These rows are free information.
Hunt unique subsets. If a row has only one combination that reaches its target, that row is decided - mark it and move on. Rows with few distinct numbers (lots of 1s and 2s) usually have many options; rows with large numbers usually have few.
Track both directions. Every deletion affects one row AND one column. Keep a running total for both, and a violation in either direction tells you instantly that a choice was wrong.
Use the contradiction trick. Assume a number stays. If that forces a column over its target no matter what else you delete, the number must go.
Shrink the grid. Once a row and a column are fully decided, ignore them - a 6×6 with three solved rows is really a 3×6 puzzle. Big boards feel manageable one slice at a time.
Is Sumplete Good for Your Brain?
Yes - Sumplete is a compact mental workout. It drills mental arithmetic (rapid subset sums), working memory (tracking eight running totals at once on a 4×4), and deductive reasoning (eliminating combinations the way you would in Sudoku). Because the 3×3 grid uses small numbers, it scales gently from kids practising addition to adults who want a two-minute logic break. Pencil-and-paper fans can print a grid and play it offline just as easily.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Sumplete?
Sumplete is a grid-based number puzzle where you delete numbers so that the remaining numbers in every row and every column add up to the given target sums. It combines Sudoku-style grid logic with Kakuro-style arithmetic.
Who invented Sumplete?
Sumplete was created in March 2023, when a Reddit user asked ChatGPT to design a completely new puzzle game. The AI proposed the delete-to-match-the-sums concept, and free versions appeared online within days.
How do you win at Sumplete?
Cross out numbers until the remaining numbers in each row equal that row's target AND the remaining numbers in each column equal that column's target - all at the same time.
Can a Sumplete puzzle have more than one solution?
Yes. Many grids allow several valid deletion patterns that all hit every target. This solver returns the first valid solution it finds and verifies every row and column before showing it.
Why does the solver say my puzzle is impossible?
Either one or more row/column targets cannot be reached by any combination of their own numbers (those targets are highlighted in red), or the targets conflict with each other. Double-check the red cells first - a mistyped number is the most common cause.
What grid sizes does the solver support?
3×3, 4×4, 5×5, 6×6, 7×7, 8×8 and 9×9 - the same range the daily Sumplete games use. Larger grids solve just as instantly thanks to the pruning search.
Is this Sumplete solver free?
Completely free with no sign-up. Once the page has loaded, solving runs entirely inside your browser - no server round trips, so it even works offline.
Is Sumplete good for kids?
Yes. The 3×3 and 4×4 grids are essentially addition practice in disguise, and the delete rule adds a logic layer that grows with the player. It is a popular classroom warm-up for mental math.
Play Sumplete Online
Prefer playing to solving? Try our free Sumplete game with unlimited puzzles and multiple difficulty levels, or explore more tools like the Sliding Puzzle Solver for when a tile puzzle has you stuck.