Pokedoku

A daily 3x3 grid where every row and every column carries a Pokemon category - a type, a region of origin, an evolution stage, a Mega form - and each of the nine cells needs one Pokemon that satisfies both. You get exactly nine guesses for those nine cells and no Pokemon may appear twice, so a wrong pick permanently burns a square. Filling the board is only half the game: each answer also carries the share of players who chose it, and the running uniqueness score rewards you for finding the obscure valid Pokemon rather than the famous one.

1. Read the three column headings and the three row headings first. Today's board crossed categories like Mythical, Middle Evolution, Mega and Evolved with a region such as Kalos.
2. Tap an empty cell and type a Pokemon name into the search box that opens.
3. Confirm the pick. A guess-confirmation step is on by default, so an answer needs a second tap before it locks in, and it can be switched off in the settings.

The scoring is what makes this different from the other grid games: filling all nine squares is achievable for anyone who has played a couple of generations, but the uniqueness score means a board of Charizards and Mewtwos scores badly on purpose. That turns each cell into a question about the edges of the Pokedex rather than its centre, and it is why the game holds up for people who know regional forms, ability lists and evolution quirks. It suits that player and almost nobody else: with nine guesses for nine cells and no hints, a casual fan runs out of board long before the grid is full, and there is no partial-credit consolation. Budget three to six minutes, and note that the daily board itself needs no account - a Login sits in the corner, but you can play without it.

A correct answer drops the Pokemon's sprite into the cell with a percentage badge in the corner - the proportion of players who gave that same answer. UNIQ is the uniqueness score: the rules panel states that it adds up your answers' percentages and that lower is better, and it reads 900 on an untouched board. PTS counts squares filled and PP counts guesses left. A pick that does not satisfy both categories leaves the square empty and still takes a PP off the counter.

Today's Puzzle

The shared daily board, one attempt, refreshed at midnight US Eastern time.

Unlimited

Generate your own grids instead of playing the daily board.

Tic-Tac-Toe

A head-to-head mode: two players alternate claiming squares on a shared grid, either matched with a random opponent or in a private game shared with a friend. The site advertises customizable lobbies as live.

• Correct is not the target, rare is. Two valid answers can be worlds apart on uniqueness, so once you have a Pokemon that works, spend a moment asking whether a less famous one also fits before committing.
• With nine guesses for nine cells there is no probing. If a square leaves you hesitating, fill the ones you are certain about first - the no-reuse rule means every answer you commit narrows what is still available for the rest.