Playing Sudoku with a screen reader
Screen reader mode makes the Sudoku a real grid: each cell says its row, column and what is in it, the arrow keys move from cell to cell, and a short spoken line follows each change. The puzzles are the same as on the drawn board, each with one solution you can reach by logic.
Switch it on
Press the Screen reader mode button near the top of the game, use the switch in Settings, or open the game with ?sr=1 at the end of the address (open Sudoku in screen reader mode). It stays on for every No Fuss game on this device until you switch it off. In Settings you can also choose short or full spoken detail.
How the game is laid out
- The grid has 9 rows and 9 columns (6 by 6 on Mini), divided into boxes of 3 by 3 (3 wide and 2 high on Mini). Boxes are numbered from the top left, across and then down.
- Given digits are part of the puzzle and can’t be changed. Every cell you fill can be changed or cleared.
Keys
| Key | What it does |
|---|---|
| Arrow keys | Move one cell. Each cell is read as, for example, “Row 3, column 5, empty” or “Row 3, column 6, 7, given”. |
| 1 to 9 | Fill the cell with that digit. The same digit again clears it. |
| Shift and a digit | Add or remove that digit as a note (a pencil mark). |
| N | Notes mode on or off: digits then add notes instead of filling. |
| Backspace, Delete or 0 | Clear the cell. |
| Shift+R, Shift+C, Shift+B | Read the row, column or box of the current cell. |
| Shift+L | How much is left: empty cells, and how many of each digit are still to place. |
| Shift+E | List the clashes: digits that appear twice in a row, column or box. |
| Shift+N | Read the notes in this cell. |
| U | Undo the last change. |
| H | Hint: the next logical step, explained. |
| V | Switch between short and full spoken detail. |
| Question mark | Say all the keys. |
What you hear
- “7. (With full detail: “7 in row 3, column 5. 4 empty in this row.”)”
- “7 clashes with the 7 in row 3, column 1.”
- “Row 3: 5, blank, 7, blank, 2, blank, blank, 9, 1. 4 empty.”
- “Note 4 added. Notes: 1, 4.”
- “Solved! Every row, column and box holds each digit once.”
On a phone or tablet
On a phone or tablet with VoiceOver or TalkBack, swipe through the cells, double-tap one to choose it, then double-tap a number on the number pad below the grid. The Notes and Erase buttons are under the number pad; Undo and Hint are in the toolbar above.
Something not working?
We have checked this mode with automated tests, not yet with screen reader users; we are looking for testers. Please tell us what works and what doesn’t at support@twindle.nl, and read our accessibility statement.