Dadu has completed the Times of India sudoku every morning for fifteen years. When her granddaughter showed her Kidoku Live, she studied the screen for ten seconds, then said: "I'll beat you." She was right. She also demanded a rematch.
verified_user No app, no account, no data — just a link and a code
PRIVATE ROOM
DADU-99
Sunday 6 PM
Week 7 ✨
FAMILY ROOM
9×9 Classic · Dadu leads the series 4–3
Dadu's routine has included the same page of the Times of India every single morning since before Meera was born. Pen. Never pencil. Top-left corner first. She finishes in under twelve minutes most days.
Meera has watched her do it for as long as she can remember. She always assumed it was a grown-up thing. Something serious. Not a game.
The first time Meera beat Dadu at anything was on Kidoku Live. She'd been playing the 6×6 for three weeks. She had fast fingers. Dadu had technique but she was new to the live format — no coffee, no pen, no page to turn.
Dadu lost the first game by thirty-two seconds. She studied the screen for a moment. Then: "Again."
She won the next four in a row. Meera genuinely tried. Dadu just knew where the numbers had to go. Fifteen years of pattern recognition transferred immediately.
But Meera put up a fight on the 9×9. And now it's 4–3 in Dadu's favour, with game 8 this Sunday at 6 PM. The code is already saved in the family WhatsApp.
Nobody planned this to be a ritual. It became one anyway.
No tech skills required on either end.
Send kidoku.app/live in the family chat. That's the whole instruction manual. It opens in the browser on any phone or tablet or computer — no download needed.
One person creates the room and shares the code. Choose the grid size — 4×4 for a quick game, 9×9 if Dadu wants a real challenge. The room waits for everyone to join.
Same grid. Same start time. First to finish wins. The scoreboard holds the series record if you keep the room code. The standing argument about who is actually better now has evidence.
Grandparents often have superior puzzle intuition. Grandchildren have faster reflexes. Neither advantage is absolute. It makes for genuinely fair competition and real surprises.
Children explain techniques they've discovered. Grandparents share logic methods they've used for decades. The game creates conversation across the most difficult communication gap.
A standing game at a fixed time. Something to look forward to on both sides. Keeps the relationship active between visits. Weekly rematches become a measure of closeness.
Family Series — Week 7
WiseOwl_Dadu
Series lead: 4 wins
SwiftMeera12
Series: 3 wins
9×9 Classic · Game 8 is Sunday evening
Dadu doesn't want to create an account or download anything. She shouldn't have to.
Browser only — opens on any phone, tablet, or computer. No app, no install, no account.
Large, readable grid — responsive design works at any text size or device resolution
No data collected — not from elderly relatives, not from children, not from anyone.
Every parent and grandparent who does the daily newspaper puzzle is secretly a Kidoku Live player who hasn't had the link yet.
Everything you need to know about Kidoku Live for this use case.
Yes. Both players visit kidoku.app/live, the grandparent creates a private room, and shares the room code. The grandchild joins from any device. Both solve the same puzzle simultaneously — grandparent on a laptop, grandchild on a phone or tablet — and the live leaderboard shows both positions in real time.
Not on Kidoku Live. Different players can choose different grid sizes within the same room. The grandchild plays 4×4 or 6×6 while the grandparent plays 8×8 or 9×9. The time-based leaderboard is fair across grid sizes. A grandchild on 4×4 can legitimately beat a grandparent on 9×9 — and often does.
Yes. Kidoku Live is fully online. The grandparent and grandchild only need to share the 4-letter room code — by phone, text, or video call. No geographic proximity is needed. Families separated by distance use Kidoku Live as a shared weekly activity.
Kidoku Live works in any browser and requires no installation or account setup. Most adults who are comfortable using a smartphone or laptop can navigate the game with no tutorial. The interface is visual and clean. Many grandparents describe it as easier to start than a newspaper crossword.
The 6×6 Classic is the recommended starting point for adults new to sudoku. It is complex enough to be interesting but short enough to complete in under 15 minutes. Adults who already solve newspaper sudoku can jump straight to 9×9.
Yes. Kidoku Live collects zero personal data, has no chat feature, and contains no external links or advertising. The private room is accessible only to people who have the 4-letter code. Children of any age can use it unsupervised — the design is explicitly child-safe.
One link. One room code. The series starts the moment the first game finishes. The rematch will already be booked.
No account · Works on all devices · Grandparent-tested