Only a Game

I didn't say what the game is: it's SUDOKU!

A lot of people could be put off by the fact that there're numbers involved.  But none of the properties of numbers are involved at all, not the order properties, the arithmetic properties, or anything else.  You could just as well play the game with any nine symbols, like—!, @, #, $, %, ^, &, *, ÷.  (Or even nine letters, but people might think that there's some algebra hidden in there ...)  Actually, there's a little reasoning involved, but a lot less than in some other games. 

I might be punished for this, but you just can't talk about the game without an example.   I got this from a book someone gave me for a long plane ride—or flight  is the approved word:

This one is labeled 'Very Easy'.

Oho!

I see something right away: it's where a '2' goes in the bottom-left block.  Why?

Looking down the three left blocks, we notice that the only place to put a '2' in is: (can you tell?)  in the very center space.  The 2 (I gave up on the quotes) in the top block is in the left column, so that's out.  The 2 in the middle block is in the right column.  That leaves the three spots in the middle column. 

But wait, there's more!  Look all the way over to the bottom right block.  The two in the top row shuts that row out.  The bottom middle block has a two in the bottom row!  So all the squares are shut off, except the very middle square.  (I so wanted to put an exclamation point right there, but I hate when authors get too excited, so I assume you do, too.)

Now we have a problem.  Or rather I have a problem; I guess I have to put in more pictures with the 2 inserted in the right place.  But let's see how far we can go without doing that.

Oh, oh oh!!  I see something!

Where does a 5 go in the very middle block?  It can't go in column 1 because bottom middle block.  It can't go in column 2, bc/ top middle block.  There's only one open spot in the right column!  (Oops, illegal ! there), that's where we put our 5.

I'm going to give up for today; and maybe also for tomorrow; too much Sudoku, and I might have to shut down my blog altogether.

Kay.