ABC Shapes: form9 Goes Back to School
Short version: form9 now has a third symbol set — the letters A to I — joining the classic shapes and the summer set. It’s free for everyone, it ships with version 1.1.1, and you can switch any time in Settings → Appearance → Shapes.
Same puzzles, new alphabet
form9 has always been sudoku without numbers: nine shapes, one solution, no arithmetic pretending to be involved. The ABC set keeps all of that and simply draws the nine pieces as letters. A row that used to read circle–square–triangle now reads A–B–C. The logic doesn’t change; every row, column and box still needs each symbol exactly once.
The letterforms are hand-drawn geometric capitals, built in the same design system as the shapes — so they stay crisp in the smallest pencil-mark notes, and even the balloons at the end of a special win wear the new look.
Why letters, why now
It’s back-to-school season, and letters are the most familiar symbols there are. If you’ve ever handed your phone to someone who found the shapes charming but unfamiliar, the ABC set is the gentlest possible on-ramp: everyone already knows the alphabet’s order, so scanning a row for the missing letter feels instant.
Screen reader support follows the set too — with ABC active, cells and the input bar are read as “A” through “I” rather than shape names.
How to switch
Open Settings → Appearance → Shapes and pick ABC. Switch back to classic or summer whenever you like — the choice is purely visual, and your puzzles and progress stay exactly where they were.
form9 1.1.1 with the ABC set is rolling out now on the App Store and Google Play.
Frequently asked questions
What is the ABC set in form9?
It's a third symbol set that draws the nine puzzle pieces as the letters A to I instead of shapes. The puzzles themselves don't change — only how the pieces look and how they're read aloud by the screen reader.
Is the ABC set free?
Yes. Like the classic and summer sets, the ABC set is free for everyone. Switch any time in Settings → Appearance → Shapes.
Does letter sudoku play differently from number sudoku?
No — the logic is identical. Every row, column and box must contain each of the nine symbols exactly once, whether they're digits, shapes or letters.