Sudoku Difficulty Levels Explained

Not all Sudoku puzzles are the same. On Gridcore, a puzzle’s difficulty comes down to one thing: how many numbers you are given at the start. Fewer givens mean longer chains of deduction before each placement becomes certain.

There are five levels — Easy, Medium, Hard, Expert and Master — starting from roughly 40 givens down to about 22. Every puzzle at every level has exactly one solution and can be reached by logic alone, so a harder level means a longer solve, never a guess.

New to Sudoku? Start with our beginner guide on how to play Sudoku to learn the rules and the simplest solving strategies first.

Easy Sudoku

Easy puzzles contain many pre-filled numbers. Most solutions can be found using simple scanning and basic elimination.

Try it here: Play Easy Sudoku

Medium Sudoku

Medium puzzles reduce the number of starting clues. Players must use more consistent elimination and sometimes note-taking.

Try it here: Play Medium Sudoku

Hard Sudoku

Hard puzzles require deeper logical thinking. Simple scanning is often not enough, and structured deduction becomes necessary.

Try it here: Play Hard Sudoku

Expert Sudoku

Expert starts you with around 24 givens. Careful candidate tracking matters here — with less to anchor to, a single wrong placement can take a while to notice.

Try it here: Play Expert Sudoku

Master Sudoku

Master is the leanest level on Gridcore, starting from roughly 22 givens. It rewards patience and methodical notes more than speed — and like every other level, it is still guaranteed to have exactly one logically reachable solution.

Try it here: Play Master Sudoku

Which Sudoku Level Should You Choose?

Beginners should start with Easy or Medium. As you improve your pattern recognition and logical speed, gradually move toward Hard, Expert, and Master levels.

For a fresh challenge every day, try the Daily Sudoku.

Frequently Asked Questions