Traveling long distances can get really boring, especially if you’re going to sit on a plane or train seat for hours on end without anything to do. While watching videos on your phone, gazing out the window or taking a nap may work for a few hours, it can get old fast. And if you’re going somewhere that doesn’t have good phone reception, like high above the clouds or camping somewhere remote, the usual online surfing won’t work too.

During these times, the classic Sudoku puzzle is the ideal solution for you and even for those you’re with! Here are several reasons why:

1. You Can Play It on Your Own or With Others

A Sudoku puzzle is a game you can share with everybody. While most people prefer playing the game independently, it can still be played with a number of people too. You can choose to either compete with others around you or work together to complete a Sudoku grid. We’ve seen a number of grandparents fill in a column and a row or two with their grandkids on a long train ride ourselves, and even from afar, we could see how significant that interaction was for them.

2. People of All Ages and Skill Levels Can Play It

Since the game was made to be solved with logic alone, anyone who can count and write a number can play it, regardless of their skill level and age. From easy Sudoku grids for kids to medium Sudoku puzzles for adults, everyone can enjoy the game! Some hardcore Sudoku players even created their own puzzles and have others solve them, creating a tight-knit community of Sudoku enthusiasts that trade Sudoku tips, notes and games with one another.

3. It’s Free. Sudoku Puzzles Are Playable Almost Anywhere

The classic pen-and-paper Sudoku puzzle is completely free and can be played virtually anywhere, as long as it’s not raining around your site or the surface you’ll use is wet or too uneven. You can solve a puzzle from the comfort of your seat on a plane, on a corner table of an outdoor cafe, and even while you’re in a bathroom cell if you want to! You just need to have a writing tool like a pen or a pencil for putting down the grid and the numbers, and a writing surface you’re comfortable writing on, like a piece of paper or a used paper bag from your groceries.

4. You Can Pause and Play Whenever You Want

Unlike a large number of modern online competitive games and subscription-based entertainment, a classic Sudoku game doesn’t need internet connectivity, and you can play and pause it whenever you want. Feel like you’ve progressed enough on your current column or row and can’t go any further for the day? You can tuck it in your pocket and solve it later. Nearing the completion of your easy Sudoku game but your bus or train stop is next? Cap your pen, bring your sheet then finish the Sudoku puzzle later when you’re free again.

With a Sudoku puzzle, you can choose the pace of how you want to go through it. Just don't forget to check your current surroundings as you play to avoid going beyond your intended stop, and choose the right place to put your Sudoku puzzle into.

5. Free Sudoku Puzzles Are Perfect for Passing Time

One of the biggest problems with traveling very long distances is the travel time. Even if you’re just sitting around in a car or a train, it can be mentally draining waiting for your arrival while doing nothing. A primary feature and crucial factor to why Sudoku is such an ideal travel game is because of how much it engages you. It’s not like those phone games you can finish in two to three minutes, as it requires analysis, careful observation and working with logic.

Rushing to fill it with numbers randomly all day will just end up in failure and frustration. To fill in the cells is to dedicate your concentration and time to the puzzle, as you'll need to check each digit and make sure there are no duplicate numbers.