SUDO-Q facts for kids

SUDO-Q was a fun British game show that mixed brainy puzzles with general knowledge. It was on TV from 2005 to 2007. The show was hosted by Eamonn Holmes. It combined the popular number puzzle Sudoku with exciting quiz questions.

How SUDO-Q Was Played

In SUDO-Q, three teams of two players competed. (In the very first series, teams had three players.) The game had four exciting rounds.

Round 1: Sudoku and General Knowledge

The first round combined a 4x4 Sudoku grid with quiz questions.

• Teams saw a Sudoku grid with some numbers already filled in.
• A square would light up, and teams had to quickly guess the correct number for it.
• The fastest team to get the right number earned one point.
• That team then got to answer a general knowledge question for another point.
• If they answered the question correctly, they could place another number in a highlighted square for one more point.
• This meant a team could earn up to three points in one go!
• The round continued until the entire Sudoku grid was finished.

In the first series, the team that won the first square could earn even more points. They got two questions and could place two more numbers, possibly earning up to five points.

Round 2: Eliminating a Team

The second round was all about finding out which team would be eliminated.

• Another 4x4 Sudoku grid was shown, again with some numbers already placed.
• Just like in Round 1, teams had to quickly lock in the correct number for a highlighted square.
• The fastest team to get it right earned one point and a general knowledge question.
• If they answered the question correctly, they got to choose a player from an opposing team.
• These two players (the one who answered correctly and the chosen opponent) would then face off in a "sudden death" challenge.
• In this challenge, the player who was fastest to give the correct number for a new highlighted square stayed in the game. The other player was eliminated!
• The first team to lose both of its players was out of the show, no matter their score.

Original Round 2 Rules

In the very first series, when teams had three players, the rules were a bit different. If a team won a square, they could pick a player from another team to try and eliminate. They would then answer a general knowledge question. If they got it right, the chosen player was out. But if they got it wrong, their own team lost a player! The first team to lose all its players was eliminated.

Round 3: Speed Sudoku Challenge

This round was all about speed! Two players, one from each remaining team, took turns solving squares on a bigger 6x6 Sudoku grid.

• Each player had 45 seconds to solve as many squares as possible.
• There were no general knowledge questions in this round.
• Getting a number right earned 2 points.
• But watch out! Getting a number wrong meant losing 1 point.
• If one player ran out of time, the other player got to use any time they had left to keep solving the grid.
• The round ended when both players ran out of time or the grid was completed.
• The team with the most points at the end of this round won the game!

If a team only had one player left after Round 2, that player had a choice. They could bring their eliminated partner back into the game, but it would cost them 10 seconds of their Speed Sudoku time (leaving them with 35 seconds). Or, they could play alone and keep their full 45 seconds. In the first series, each team had 60 seconds, and all players who had been eliminated in Round 2 rejoined their teams for this round. Also, no points were lost for incorrect answers back then.

The Final Round: Winning Big!

The winning team from Round 3 moved on to the final round. Here, they had three minutes to solve another 6x6 Sudoku grid to win money!

• Host Eamonn Holmes would ask a series of questions.
• If the team answered a question correctly, they got to try and place a number in a highlighted square on the grid.
• If they got the question wrong, they stayed on the same square until they got it right.
• If they got the number right or wrong, they moved to a new square.
• If both partners were still in the game, each got 90 seconds of the three-minute time limit. If only one player was left, they got the full three minutes.
• There were 18 squares to solve in total.
• Each correctly placed number was worth £50.
• Completing an entire row, column, or a 3x2 region earned an extra £50.
• If the team completed the entire grid, they won a £200 bonus! This meant a grand prize of £2,000 was possible.

In the first series, each of the three team members got 60 seconds. Each correct square was worth £25, and the bonus for completing the grid was £150, making the total possible prize £1,500. Also, in the first series, the teams who did best in the final could come back for a special grand final. From the second series onwards, the winning team would return to play on the next show. If a team won 5 shows in a row, they became "undefeated champions" and won an extra £500 bonus! Then, three new teams would play the next day.

Show Dates

• SUDO-Q at BBC Programmes
• SUDO-Q at UKGameshows.com