How to play Tubedoku — the addictive new puzzle game for commuters

Ever found yourself sitting on the Tube, aimlessly staring at the different stops because you forgot to download a new series on Netflix or bring a book?

Well, thanks to a new addictive word puzzle, your bored commute daydreaming might be about to pay off.

Introducing Tubedoku, a new puzzle game which tests players knowledge of the London transport network – specifically the capital’s 430 Underground, Overground and DLR stations – in a Sudoku-style grid format.

From the aforementioned numerical brainteaser to pandemic smash Wordle, people love puzzle games. In fact, 10 million people downloaded the New York Times games app in 2023 alone, reaching over 8 billion plays over the same time period.

Given this success, more and more developers are putting their own spin on these addictive, one-a-day games, hoping theirs will become the next viral sensation.

Sam Dawes, creator of Tubedoku and AI engineer by trade, tells Metro the idea came from his long-time love of word puzzles, trivia and quizzes.

‘I regularly play Wordle, mini crossword, Connections and attempt cryptic crosswords,’ he says. ‘There is also a flag daily puzzle similar to Tubedoku which some inspiration was drawn from.’

It’s already proving a fan favourite, with hundreds of dedicated followers on Reddit, Instagram and X who share their wins and ask for clues. So if you fancy giving it a go yourself, here’s everything you need to know.

How to play Tubedoku

As the name suggests, Tubedoku takes inspiration from the traditional Sudoku layout – and it’s just as simple to grasp, only without the numbers.

Each day, players go to the website, and are presented with a new 3×3 grid that you have to fill with six different TfL stations that fit the descriptions of both the row and the column.

But what makes this game unique is that there can be multiple correct answers.

When you click on each square a drop box will pop up with all of the stations listed. Simply make your pick and wait, then if the box turns green, you’re bang on the money, or if it turns red, you can try again.

There’s also the option to switch to ‘hardcore mode’, but don’t beat yourself up if you can’t take on that challenge right away – there’s nothing wrong with knowing your limits, right?

The best players should be able to identify the ‘golden station’ – a stop that ticks all six boxes and will pop up in a yellow box if found. If you crack that code, you’re either a puzzle whizz or a Tube driver.

For Sam, the best part of building Tubedoku is ‘coming up with different criteria to separate the stations.’

‘It’s a great opportunity to be creative and think outside of the box,’ he explains. ‘I love it when I add in something a bit tricky or funky and see how players react.’

And his favourite Tube line? That would be Northern.

‘It’s my local line, is speedy and gets me anywhere I want to go,’ Sam adds. ‘It has been letting us down this week though!’