I played over 100 games of Sudoku this week
I am not joking.
I played 103, to be exact.
Last Friday (March 20), I installed a Sudoku app on my phone. I've played it before, know how to play it, enjoy it, blah blah blah. But it's a game that never really stuck with me. I'd play a few games here and there and be content.
However, something changed that day.
I got hooked. Part of the reason, I think, is because the app I use has locked difficulty levels wherein you must complete a set amount of games to move onto the next. The levels are: Easy, Medium, Hard, Expert, Master, and Extreme.
In order to play on Medium difficulty, I had to successfully complete five Easy games. If I wanted to play on Hard, then five Medium games and so on. If I remember correctly, I had to complete 15 Master games to get to the Extreme difficulty.
This must've flipped a switch in my lizard brain because I blasted through those levels like no one's business. I must've played about twenty games straight late one night.
I've slowed down a bit now that I've unlocked all levels, however my lizard brain itches for a game here and there.
It's also quite fun to remember how I first started. Those first games took quite a while to complete. I would also make use of the "note" functionality. This allows you to add notes of what numbers you think may fit in a cell. Once you start getting enough numbers locked in, it gets incredibly satisfying to knock everything out in one fell swoop. Now, however, I can visualize it in my head.
Just for fun, I compiled my statistics.
| Difficulty | Games | Wins | Win % | Fastest Time | Avg. Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Easy | 7 | 7 | 100% | 2:36 | 3:37 |
| Medium | 10 | 6 | 60% | 2:48 | 5:13 |
| Hard | 8 | 8 | 100% | 3:38 | 7:02 |
| Expert | 23 | 16 | 70% | 4:41 | 8:33 |
| Master | 40 | 20 | 50% | 4:12 | 11:18 |
| Extreme | 15 | 6 | 33% | 6:56 | 10:20 |
As you can see, I've mainly played on Master difficulty. As it was the penultimate difficulty level, it required the most wins to move on. I also find it's the sweet-spot between easy and hard.
In any case, I've slowed down a bit like I said. Sudoku is one of those games where it's very easy to play when you've got a few minutes to spare. And a few minutes really is all you need once you get decent.
But I really enjoy it. I've never been one for these number games or whatever you call them.