Ridiculously slow at Sudoku :(

nublikescake

Senior member
Jul 23, 2008
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I just started playing sudoku like 2-3 days ago. Never really cared what it was until I had to find something to do aboard a long flight. Well it seems pretty simple but after having solved about 10 medium puzzles, my average time's 24 mins...:( How do people do it so fast, as in under 6 minutes?

Solve a medium one here and see how fast you are.
 

nublikescake

Senior member
Jul 23, 2008
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Originally posted by: tfinch2
I didn't know that speed matter when solving Sudoku puzzles.

Well it shouldn't but when people on average solve it in 5-6 minutes and you take 4-5 times as much time ....that kinda sucks. :frown:
 

nublikescake

Senior member
Jul 23, 2008
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Originally posted by: yovonbishop
5:21

You should start with much easier puzzles.

How's that gonna help? I UNDERSTAND completely how to do them but I just can't seem to do it any faster than 24 min. for a medium one!
 

Triumph

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
15,031
14
81
8 minutes but I don't like the web based ones because you can't write notes to yourself in the blocks.
 

FallenHero

Diamond Member
Jan 2, 2006
5,659
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Originally posted by: nublikescake
Originally posted by: yovonbishop
5:21

You should start with much easier puzzles.

How's that gonna help? I UNDERSTAND completely how to do them but I just can't seem to do it any faster than 24 min. for a medium one!

just practice man. You start looking at differently as time goes on. Its difficult to explain.
 

pontifex

Lifer
Dec 5, 2000
43,804
46
91
i take forever with sudoku past easy. even then it might take me a bit.

my brain just doesn't work or see the way you need to do it sometimes, even when people have told me what the trick is.
 

TuxDave

Lifer
Oct 8, 2002
10,571
3
71
Originally posted by: Triumph
8 minutes but I don't like the web based ones because you can't write notes to yourself in the blocks.

You have to click on options and allow multiple numbers to be written in a square.

But even with that on lvl 2 I got 10:50 :(
 

habib89

Diamond Member
Jan 17, 2001
3,599
0
0
yeah, i take a while at them too... i'm not sure why, but that's just what happens, probably cause i don't do them enough
 

nublikescake

Senior member
Jul 23, 2008
890
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Originally posted by: TuxDave
Originally posted by: Triumph
8 minutes but I don't like the web based ones because you can't write notes to yourself in the blocks.

You have to click on options and allow multiple numbers to be written in a square.

But even with that on lvl 2 I got 10:50 :(

That's my average for the "easy" ones...:|
 

Injury

Lifer
Jul 19, 2004
13,066
2
81
There's a reason it's a 1 player game, and that's because it's not a competition.

As you do more you'll recognize patters faster, though.
 

bunnyfubbles

Lifer
Sep 3, 2001
12,248
3
0
Originally posted by: Injury
There's a reason it's a 1 player game, and that's because it's not a competition.

As you do more you'll recognize patters faster, though.

having two players working to solve a puzzle racing another two players trying to solve the same puzzle can actually be pretty damn fun...
 

kalrith

Diamond Member
Aug 22, 2005
6,628
7
81
Took me 12:14. I was never great at Sudoku but solved several puzzles a day for a few months about 2 years ago. I haven't played since.

I didn't see the notes option until I read the rest of this thread. Taking notes definitely helps. I guess just getting practice and looking at several different way to limit the possibilities should help your time. You might be able to use google to find some Sudoku strategies and pointers.
 

destrekor

Lifer
Nov 18, 2005
28,799
359
126
Don't worry. I visited that site a few days ago to try my hand at Sudoku for the first time. Loaded up a random Medium puzzle, because I hate starting anything out at Easy, and I like the challenge.
Well bloody thing took me an HOUR to complete! And the second one took the same amount of time!
Since then, I've done quite a few Medium puzzles and worked my time down to a personal best of about 12 minutes. :)
I'm happy. But that means, even with all the time improvements, I'm still about 4 minutes more retarded than the curve. :D
 

db

Lifer
Dec 6, 1999
10,575
292
126
Depends on each puzzle. Some are monsters. Some are so easy that you can go too fast and make careless mistakes, only to be discovered at the end.
As long as you get satisfaction when playing, that's all that matters.
 

nublikescake

Senior member
Jul 23, 2008
890
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Originally posted by: destrekor
Don't worry. I visited that site a few days ago to try my hand at Sudoku for the first time. Loaded up a random Medium puzzle, because I hate starting anything out at Easy, and I like the challenge.
Well bloody thing took me an HOUR to complete! And the second one took the same amount of time!
Since then, I've done quite a few Medium puzzles and worked my time down to a personal best of about 12 minutes. :)
I'm happy. But that means, even with all the time improvements, I'm still about 4 minutes more retarded than the curve. :D

Well 60 minutes to 12 minutes is pretty good. :thumbsup:
 

SSSnail

Lifer
Nov 29, 2006
17,458
83
86
Meh, I'm a bit rusty at 15:35. I never put multiple numbers in a squares, there are only one number that can go in any squares ;).

My average time is about 8 minutes when I was on it. I went to rehab and I've since been doing better.
 

BornStar

Diamond Member
Oct 30, 2001
4,052
1
0
5:45

I never take notes in the squares. Too much writing makes it a little too complicated to read.
 

Kelemvor

Lifer
May 23, 2002
16,928
8
81
I do those all the time. Can do easy ones in 5 minutes or so, some are harder and take a looong time. We have a Sudoku book by the toilet so I worked on them for a bit when I'm in there. Easy ones I can do in one sitting. Others take a few...