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Sudoku Hell
The continued success of Sudoku means that there's a new breed of Sudoku experienced, resourceful, and ready for puzzles that transcend the rote specimens one encounters in the daily newspaper, online, or in mass market magazines. It is this sector
of puzzle solvers that grows every day, and the sector for which Vertical has conceived its line of Sudoku books.
Sudoku is a logic puzzle that was originally created in the U.S., but which achieved its popularity in Japan. Hence the Japanese name. The goal is to fit the numbers 1 through 9 into blocks of nine squares, using each numeral only once. Until recently, these basic Sudoku puzzles have been created with simple computer software. Easy to create, yes, but formulaic
and unchallenging. The puzzles in Sudoku Hell are conceived by Japan's greatest puzzle mind, Tetsuya Nishio, who takes extreme pleasure in creating his puzzles as devilishly devious as possible. And, as with Vertical's previous collections, there are an array of Sudoku-inspired variant puzzles in Sudoku Hell , which offer unique new ways to entertain and drive puzzlers mad with pleasure.
of puzzle solvers that grows every day, and the sector for which Vertical has conceived its line of Sudoku books.
Sudoku is a logic puzzle that was originally created in the U.S., but which achieved its popularity in Japan. Hence the Japanese name. The goal is to fit the numbers 1 through 9 into blocks of nine squares, using each numeral only once. Until recently, these basic Sudoku puzzles have been created with simple computer software. Easy to create, yes, but formulaic
and unchallenging. The puzzles in Sudoku Hell are conceived by Japan's greatest puzzle mind, Tetsuya Nishio, who takes extreme pleasure in creating his puzzles as devilishly devious as possible. And, as with Vertical's previous collections, there are an array of Sudoku-inspired variant puzzles in Sudoku Hell , which offer unique new ways to entertain and drive puzzlers mad with pleasure.
160 pages, Paperback
First published March 24, 2009
2 people want to read
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
October 13, 2025
Well, they are difficult puzzles but ...
The ratings in this little gem suggest that the puzzles range from "difficult" through "very difficult" culminating with a collection of fiendish puzzles. True enough, but ...
The trouble with this set of puzzles is that Nishio's solutions focus too often on a series of the simplest of the advanced skills - box, row and column claims; and hidden doubles, triples and quadruples. Even in the "fiendish" puzzles, the solutions only rarely venture into the use of such tools as conjugate pair chains, x-wings, swordfish, or xy-chains. And, in those few instances that these tools are required to squeeze out the solution, the entire back of the puzzle is typically broken by a single application of the more advanced technique.
I confess that I haven't completed every solution in the book yet but I haven't found a single instance of a puzzle that required two really advanced techniques to reach a solution.
That said, I'm happy to recommend this particular book to advanced Sudoku freaks who enjoy a challenge. Of particular interest is the small set of Sudoku variations included at the end of the book. In the context of this review, it would simply take too long to describe the rules of the variants that Nishio has created but, (trust me here) these are far more devious and challenging than the regular puzzles.
Well done, Mr Nishio. I've still got more enjoyment to go in this book and I'd happily pick up any other puzzles books with your byline.
Paul Weiss
The ratings in this little gem suggest that the puzzles range from "difficult" through "very difficult" culminating with a collection of fiendish puzzles. True enough, but ...
The trouble with this set of puzzles is that Nishio's solutions focus too often on a series of the simplest of the advanced skills - box, row and column claims; and hidden doubles, triples and quadruples. Even in the "fiendish" puzzles, the solutions only rarely venture into the use of such tools as conjugate pair chains, x-wings, swordfish, or xy-chains. And, in those few instances that these tools are required to squeeze out the solution, the entire back of the puzzle is typically broken by a single application of the more advanced technique.
I confess that I haven't completed every solution in the book yet but I haven't found a single instance of a puzzle that required two really advanced techniques to reach a solution.
That said, I'm happy to recommend this particular book to advanced Sudoku freaks who enjoy a challenge. Of particular interest is the small set of Sudoku variations included at the end of the book. In the context of this review, it would simply take too long to describe the rules of the variants that Nishio has created but, (trust me here) these are far more devious and challenging than the regular puzzles.
Well done, Mr Nishio. I've still got more enjoyment to go in this book and I'd happily pick up any other puzzles books with your byline.
Paul Weiss
Displaying 1 of 1 review