The New Sudoku Players' Forum

[giogiovi]

Hi su doku players,
could You tell me if 16x16 is easier or more difficult than "superior" (ultra-fiendish)?
I really thank You
Gio

[afjt]

It will depend on where you are getting these 16x16 from - obviously not the Times. They are almost certainly not more difficult (in terms of techniques to be used), but they are definitely much more tedious.

[giogiovi]

Thanks,
I got in the "Ultimate su doku"'s book.
I would like to know if it takes more time to solve a 16x16 than a superior(ultra-fiendish) one.
You are really helpfull
gio

[PaulIQ164]

Yes, 16x16s can be made just as hard as 9x9s. The problem is, a 16x16 that's technically the same difficulty as a 9x9 will seem much harder, simply because it's bigger.

By the by, this ultra-fiendish/superoir label is confusing. My understanding is that the hardest puzzles in the Ultimate book are equivalent to Sunday Times Superiors (Pappocom V.HARDs), whereas what have been called 'ultra-fiendish' before (the Championship puzzles) were merely particularly fiendish fiendishes (i.e., still Pappocom HARDs). But then, the blurb I just read on Amazon calls them 'ultra-fiendish' as well.

[Pi]

Some 16X16's may be possible to solve just with Naked Singles and Hidden Singles whereas a superior sudoku or a papocomm "very hard" requires more advance techniques. If you are experienced at more difficult sudoku's then you may be able to solve a superior in around ten minutes, however a 16X16 is around 3 times bigger than a 9X9 and so requires more numbers and so may take much longer

[afjt]

Not only that, but the number of candidates is usually much larger too. So we have twice the number of squares, each with twice the number of candidates, so it's 4 times as tedious !

[Bigtone53]

Not only that, but the number of candidates is usually much larger too. So we have twice the number of squares, each with twice the number of candidates, so it's 4 times as tedious !

And I think that this is a factor. I have switched off from Samurai Sudokus because they do not seem to be intellectually more challenging, just more tedious. On Saturdays, I cart the kids around and this takes up the time. Superiors are a different matter. The house goes quiet!