Analog Bag30 Free Printable Medium Sudoku Puzzles (PDF)
Free printable medium sudoku puzzles with solutions. 30 starting clues, one step up from easy. Download as PDF and print on US Letter paper.
How to download: Click any puzzle below to open the PDF (puzzle + answer key) in a new tab. Print on US Letter paper. No signup required.
At a glance
- Puzzles
- 30 free
- Format
- PDF (US Letter, 8.5×11 in)
- Difficulty
- Medium (30 clues)
- Solution
- Unique, on page 2
- Price
- Free, no signup
- License
- Personal & classroom use
All 30 Puzzles
How to Play
The objective
Fill every row, column, and 3×3 box with the numbers 1–9. No number repeats in any row, column, or 3×3 box. Same rule as easy sudoku — what changes at medium is how much you have to dig.
Start where the clues cluster
Medium puzzles give you 30 starting clues, so fewer rows and boxes are nearly done. Find the box, row, or column with the most numbers already filled and finish it first — those forced cells unlock their neighbors.
Scan first, then switch to pencil marks
Begin like easy: pick a number, scan every row, column, and box, and place it wherever it's forced. When the obvious placements run out — and on medium they will — start penciling small candidate numbers into each empty cell. Most medium puzzles can't be cracked by scanning alone.
Use candidates to find the breaks
- •Naked single — a cell with only one candidate left: fill it in immediately.
- •Hidden single — a number that fits only one cell in a row, column, or box, even if that cell shows several candidates.
- •Pairs — when two cells in a unit share the same two candidates, those two numbers can't go anywhere else in that unit. Erase them from the other cells.
When you get stuck
- •Update your pencil marks every time you place a number — a stale candidate list hides the next move
- •Work one unit at a time instead of staring at the whole grid
- •If two numbers seem to fit one cell, one is wrong — every puzzle has exactly one solution, so re-check your candidates rather than guessing
- •Take a break; medium puzzles reward fresh eyes more than easy ones do
Make it screen-free
- •Print the puzzle and slip it into your bag for the commute, the cafe, the waiting room
- •Bring a pencil with a good eraser — pencil marks are the whole game at this level
- •The answer key is on page 2 of every PDF — flip when you're done or stuck
Frequently Asked Questions
How hard are these medium sudoku puzzles?
Each puzzle gives you 30 starting numbers (clues), versus 38 for our easy set — a clear step up. You'll get through the opening with plain scanning, but most puzzles then require pencil marks and basic logic like naked singles, hidden singles, and pairs. No guessing and no advanced chains, though. They're aimed at solvers who've finished a few easy grids and want more of a workout.
What's the difference between easy and medium sudoku?
Difficulty in sudoku comes from how many clues you start with: fewer clues means more deduction. Easy gives 38 clues and can be solved by scanning alone. Medium gives 30 clues, so after the easy placements run out you'll need to pencil in candidate numbers and use simple techniques to find the next move. The rules are identical — only the depth of reasoning changes.
Are these sudoku puzzles really free?
Yes. Every puzzle is free to download, print, and use for personal enjoyment, classroom use, or with friends and family. No signup, no email, no account. We just ask you not to resell them or strip the watermark.
Is each puzzle different?
Yes. Each of the 30 puzzles is a unique grid generated specifically for this collection. Every puzzle also has exactly one valid solution — you'll never hit a dead end where two numbers both seem to fit, so any contradiction means a pencil mark went wrong earlier.
Where are the answers?
Each PDF is two pages: page 1 is the puzzle, page 2 is the answer key. If you download the bundle PDF (all 30 puzzles at once), all puzzles come first, followed by all 30 solutions in the same order.
Do I need to use pencil marks for medium sudoku?
For most of these, yes. Scanning alone will fill the first several cells, but medium puzzles are built so the rest depends on tracking candidate numbers. Lightly pencil the possible values into each empty cell, then look for cells with a single candidate (naked singles) and numbers that fit only one spot in a unit (hidden singles). Bring a pencil with a good eraser.
Can I print these on A4 paper?
Yes. The PDFs are sized for US Letter (8.5×11 inches), but most printers can scale to A4 automatically — check the 'fit to page' option in your print dialog. The grid prints at about 97% of its original size on A4, still plenty large for penciling in candidates.
Will you add hard and expert puzzles?
Yes — hard and expert sudoku collections are on the way. The generator that made these can produce any difficulty on demand, so it's just a question of which to publish next. If you've already finished easy and medium and want something tougher, drop us a note and we'll prioritize it.
