How to Choose the Right Difficulty Sudoku

As with most puzzles, sudoku is available in varying degrees of difficulty. The easiest puzzles are the traditional three-by-three grids with several numbers already filled in. From there, the complexity increases, until you're up to the samurai level, which involves five connected puzzles, all of which must be properly cross-referenced.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Choose the Right Difficulty Sudoku

1. Understand every website and book has its own rating system for sudoku puzzles. What is considered intermediate on one platform may be called easy on another. Likewise, every publisher has its own name for difficulty levels. You may come across everything from simple to diabolic and fiendish.
2. Choose wisely when you're not familiar with the ratings system of a particular puzzle publisher. It's better to warm up on easy puzzles and then move on to the more challenging games once you've established the difficulty level of the website or book.
3. Select another puzzle when the difficulty is too high rather than stress yourself out over solving one above your skill level. You'll feel more confident when you forgo a challenging puzzle in favor of an easier one at the right level for your experience.
4. Be aware that changing the grid settings and format of the puzzle can greatly influence its difficulty. For example, four-by-four grids are much more complicated than their three-by-three counterparts. In addition, jigsaw puzzles, which use irregularly shaped grids, may take more time to solve than a traditional sudoku.
5. Move up to the next level gradually. After solving one intermediate puzzle, you may want to jump immediately into more advanced games. However, it may be a better idea to master intermediate-level games first so you can solidify your skills before tackling difficult puzzles.

Tips & Warnings

• Factors that can influence the difficulty level you should choose include how often you play sudoku, how long it has been since the last time you played and how well you understand the strategies of the game. In order to choose the right difficulty level, you may want to run a quick self-assessment on these points to ensure you don't select a puzzle that's too easy or too challenging.
• Choosing a difficulty level too high above your playing abilities can greatly interfere with your perception of the game. When faced with a puzzle too challenging for you to solve, you may feel like giving up on the game altogether rather than starting over at an appropriate level.