Difficulty Levels

Our puzzles come in six difficulty levels. Each requires progressively more advanced techniques to solve.

Easy

Givens: ~35 cells filled Techniques needed: Scanning, naked singles

Perfect for beginners or a relaxing solve. Most cells can be filled using basic scanning—looking at what's missing in each row, column, and box.

Typical solve time: 3-8 minutes

Medium

Givens: ~30 cells filled Techniques needed: Singles, simple elimination

Requires more careful attention. You'll need to track candidates and look for hidden singles. A good stepping stone before tackling harder puzzles.

Typical solve time: 8-15 minutes

Hard

Givens: ~25 cells filled Techniques needed: Pairs, pointing, box/line reduction

Now we're getting serious. You'll frequently need pencil marks and must spot patterns like naked pairs or pointing pairs to make progress.

Typical solve time: 15-30 minutes

Expert

Givens: ~22 cells filled Techniques needed: X-Wing, triples, advanced patterns

These puzzles require patience and systematic technique application. Expect to use advanced strategies regularly.

Typical solve time: 30-60 minutes

Master

Givens: ~20 cells filled Techniques needed: Swordfish, XY-Wing, chains

Near the limit of comfortable solving. Multiple advanced techniques in combination. Not for the faint of heart.

Typical solve time: 45-90 minutes

Evil

Givens: ~17-20 cells filled Techniques needed: All techniques, possibly trial and error

The ultimate challenge. These puzzles push logical techniques to their limits. Some may require bifurcation (educated guessing) to solve.

Typical solve time: 60+ minutes

Which Should You Choose?

  • New to Sudoku? Start with Easy until it feels automatic.
  • Comfortable with basics? Move to Medium and learn notes.
  • Ready for challenge? Hard will teach you real techniques.
  • Seeking mastery? Expert and above will test your limits.

There's no shame in dropping down a level if you're stuck. The goal is to enjoy the puzzle!