Library of Ruina is the longest strategy video game that takes 118 hours to complete. While Minesweeper and Sudoku levels usually take less, they might be even more fun and beneficial for your brain.
Minesweeper is a classic game that has been around for over 35 years. It tests players’ logic, risk assessment, and probability reasoning. Sudoku is also a logical game. However, it’s focused more on logical deduction and the number memory of a player.
In pursuit of finding the best logical game, players worldwide have had heated discussions about Sudoku and Minesweeper. Each of these games has its strong sides. Minesweeper is more random and dynamic, while Sudoku’s complexity will make you think harder.
In this article, you will learn which game is the hardest puzzle game of all time, and which is the best at helping you develop logical reasoning skills.
The Challenge of Minesweeper: Can You Escape the Hidden Mines?
The goal of Minesweeper is to find all mines hidden in the field. The field itself is a grid with cells. Each cell hides a number, a blank space, or a mine. By clicking on a cell with your mouse cursor or using keyboard keys, you can open this cell and find what lies beneath.
There are three standard levels in Minesweeper:
- Beginner: 9×9 grid with 10 mines to flag.
- Intermediate: 16×16 grid with 40 mines to flag.
- Expert: 30×16 grid with 99 mines to flag.
You can create a custom grid, too. While the first move is always safe, you have to learn Minesweeper patterns like 1-2-2-1 to move through the grid without blowing up on a mine.
Each number from 1 to 9 indicates how many neighboring cells with mines there are. Players use patterns to deduce safe moves. For example, if you see a cell with the number “1” and 7 cells around it are already opened, you understand that the one unopened cell is the cell with a mine — you flag it by clicking the left button on your mouse.
The Minesweeper online game tournaments will test your deduction speed and logic skills against a competitive field of players worldwide. The record time of completing all three levels subsequently is 38.6 seconds.
Minesweeper can put you in a position where you will need to take risks. For example, you can often end up in a situation with two unopened cells in a corner of a grid, with only one containing a mine. The risk you need to take is 50/50 and often depends on your luck.
The Challenge of Sudoku: Can You Solve All Levels?
The goal of Sudoku is to fit all numbers from one to nine in nine 3×3 grids. The important rule is not to repeat any number in each 3×3 grid. You also can’t put the same number in horizontal and vertical lines twice.
The fewer numbers you start with, the harder it is to solve a Sudoku puzzle. There are no strict rules as to how many clues a player should be given in Sudoku. However, one can outline several Sudoku puzzle difficulties:
- Easy puzzle: 30–40 clues out of 91 cells are already given.
- Medium puzzle: 24–29 clues out of 91 cells are given.
- Hard puzzle: only 17–23 clues out of 91 cells are given.
The average time it takes a person to solve a Sudoku puzzle is 20 minutes. The fastest time anyone has ever solved a Sudoku puzzle in a competitive setting is 54 seconds.
Unlike Minesweeper, Sudoku is less about dynamic moves and risk-taking. The game is more about the player’s deduction skills and the ability to remember numbers.
In Sudoku, you will find yourself looking for a solution around the grid more often. For example, to find the correct number for a bottom left cell, you will have to:
- Scan numbers from 1 to 9 in cells above it.
- Do the same for cells to the right.
- Analyze what number is missing in the bottom left 3×3 grid.
If after elimination there is only one number out of 1-9 missing (e.g. 3), then you found the right number for that cell.
In the Sudoku online game, any risk-taking can be critical. One mistake, in the beginning, can lead you to hitting a dead end after 10 minutes of solving. That’s why there are some risk mitigation techniques that every player uses.
You can use a candidate listing to indicate several possible number options in each cell. Once you place 100% correct numbers, you can return to marked cells. Writing numbers makes it easier to remember them, instead of keeping everything in your head.
Online training Sudoku sites offer players a chance to make a few mistakes. Instead of ending the game if you hit the mine in Minesweeper, you are notified that you have placed a wrong number in Sudoku. It’s less traumatic on the unseasoned minds of newbies.
Key Differences Between Minesweeper and Sudoku
As you have probably noticed by now, Minesweeper and Sudoku share some similarities. However, there are even more aspects that make them different.
Logic and Probability
While both games are logical, Minesweeper involves the aspect of guesswork and probability. Sudoku, on the other hand, doesn’t require guessing from players because there are no hidden tricks.
Puzzle Mechanics and Rules
Sudoku has more strict rules since every puzzle has only one possible solution. Players have to scan the whole grid area all the time to find the most fitting numbers. In Minesweeper, players also have to scan the grid area. However, they rarely have to move their attention from one grid area to another.
Game Strategies
In Minesweeper, players rely on pattern recognition. They use flags to mark cells with mines and risk assessment to find the safest choice. Sudoku players, however, use techniques like candidate listing, scanning, and elimination.
Learning Process
Both games take time to learn. With an AI assistant, you can learn Minesweeper patterns and Sudoku elimination techniques faster. It takes practice and consistency to master those games.
Which Game Improves Cognitive Skills More?
Minesweeper is perfect for teaching you risk assessments and fast decision-making. Sudoku tests your memory and number elimination skills. Both games train pattern recognition and mind agility. You might want to play both for optimal improvement of cognitive skills.
Try Both Games and Test Your Skills!
Sudoku and Minesweeper are logic puzzles that require your full attention to complete. While Sudoku takes more time to complete due to constant revisions of available numbers, Minesweeper is a more fast-moving and risk-taking game due to its unpredictability.
Both games include numbers and logical reasoning from players. You should try them both and choose the one that suits you best, which depends on your playing style.
