14 Sudoku Benefits: Importance of the Game

Playing Sudoku is a fun way to relax and unwind after a stressful day. But, solving a Sudoku puzzle requires logic, extreme focus, and mental concentration. It may sometimes be time-consuming (in the case of challenging puzzles), which can be frustrating. So, why play Sudoku? Because of its benefits. 

People who frequently complete solving Sudoku puzzles have significantly increased performance across tasks such as attention, assessing memory, and reasoning. In this article, we have listed 15 benefits of playing Sudoku. So, let us get started!

14 Sudoku Benefits

Here are the main benefits of Sudoku:

1. Boosts concentration
2. Teaches patience
3. Nurtures a healthy mindset
4. Improves memory and recall
5. Enhances spatial reasoning
6. Helps in thinking fast
7. Helps one relax
8. Reduces overthinking
9. Improves Problem-Solving Skills
10. Provides a healthy distraction
11. Uplifts logical thinking
12. Gives a sense of accomplishment
13. Increases productivity
14. Minimizes the negative impact of mental illness

Boosts concentration

Concentration plays a crucial role while playing Sudoku. Every time you solve a sudoku puzzle, you need to constantly think about the number placement. Where should you place the numbers without interfering with those already present in other boxes, rows, and columns?

Moreover, there are about 362,880 possible ways to arrange the numbers 1-9 in a row, column, and 3×3 square. So, it becomes vital to focus on the puzzle and fully concentrate on placing the numbers correctly on the grid. Therefore, regularly playing Sudoku will train your brain to focus and block any distractions. The more puzzles you solve, the more absorbed you will be in your task each time, further boosting your concentration.

Teaches patience

There is no guesswork in Sudoku. You need to patiently scan the Sudoku grid, think of patterns and opportunities, and logically place numbers. When solving challenging puzzles, finding out the patterns and combinations becomes difficult. 

Thus, you need to have a calm, composed, and patient approach in observing the patterns to work out the numbers that fit correctly onto the grid. Over time, solving the Sudoku puzzles will help you develop patience, which can also be inculcated into your life.

Nurtures a healthy mindset

If your brain is not challenged from time to time, it may get subdued and complacent and sometimes may even develop negative vibes. Hence, regularly feeding and exercising the brain by solving Sudoku puzzles will help nurture a healthy mindset.

Improves memory and recall

When you play Sudoku for the first time, you might note down the specific strategies to progress in the game and solve the puzzle in a stipulated time. With frequent practice, your brain will develop the power to memorize the process of your previously solved puzzle. Moreover, you will be able to recall the logic & techniques while solving more challenging Sudoku puzzles.

Enhances spatial reasoning

To complete a Sudoku puzzle, you must observe the entire 9×9 grid and place the next number correctly on a blank box. You must find a connection between the filled numbers and the empty cells to complete putting all the numbers from 1-9 within the row, column, and 3×3 square. This constant observing and analyzing helps improve your spatial reasoning over time.

Helps in thinking fast

Solving a Sudoku puzzle is generally considered an exercise that challenges your brain to think of an optimal solution quickly. Regularly solving Sudoku puzzles helps your brain process information more quickly. So, if you continue playing Sudoku, your ability to think will improve, further helping you to develop your thinking speed.

Helps one relax

Reducing stress and anxiety is one of the benefits of Sudoku. From the chaos and responsibilities of the day, you may get stressed. Playing Sudoku will help you distract your mind from the stress, as you would be concentrating on solving the puzzle. It will be a good break for your brain and can help you increase your mental well-being before facing your normal tension and difficulties repeatedly.

Reduces overthinking

Many of you might suffer from overthinking and pack your minds with negative thoughts. Sudoku can help you shatter these thoughts and bring positivity. It engages your mind to focus and think of various combinations required to place a number in a 9×9 Sudoku grid.

Improves Problem-Solving Skills

As you start solving a Sudoku puzzle, you will face challenges placing numbers in a particular box. Moreover, when you solve challenging Sudoku puzzles, where only a few numbers are revealed, you need to try out various combinations and evaluate the probability of placing a number. This process trains your brain to look into different possibilities and develop an optimal solution.

With frequent practice in solving challenging puzzles, you put your brain into more functionality, improving your problem-solving skills.

Provides a healthy distraction

Playing Sudoku provides a healthy distraction from your daily responsibilities. Some people are stressed during office hours or after returning home. For relaxation, they might either opt to go out for a smoke break, enjoy a cup of coffee, or some other common practice.

However, if these are not on your list, Sudoku solving can be included as one of the mindfulness activities. Solving Sudoku will rejuvenate your senses and refresh your mind. It brings back your focus to do your upcoming challenging task.

Uplifts logical thinking

Many people think they need to have good arithmetic skills, but that is wrong. You have to use your logical skills to arrange the numbers correctly. You must place numbers 1 to 9, without repetition, within the row, column, and 3×3 square on a grid of 9×9 spaces. Thus, you can sharpen your reasoning power with regular practice, improving your logical thinking skills.

Gives a sense of accomplishment

Solving Sudoku helps provide a sense of achievement. This small dose of dopamine helps uplift your mood and motivates you towards other goals. Having a sense of action is vital to feeling energized. This sense of accomplishment adds positivity to one’s day. It pushes them to pursue this feeling in other fields of their lives.

Increases productivity

It is evident that you can adequately focus on things when you feel happy and less stressed. Also, when positivity thrives in your mind, you tend to pay more attention and concentrate better on your task. Individuals lacking focus and concentration can take up a challenge and solve a Sudoku puzzle. It will increase their focus on solving the puzzle and refresh their mind, which will help in improving productivity.

Minimizes the negative impact of mental illness

Another essential benefit of Sudoku is that it helps fight and minimize some mental disorders. Studies show that brain exercise throughout life can help build a healthy reserve of brain cells and connections.

Further, it helps in reducing the negative impact of some mental diseases like Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and many other memory illnesses. These mental disorders cannot be nullified through brain exercises, but they can minimize their severe impact.

We hope that we have convinced you about the benefits of solving Sudoku puzzles. If you are looking to start playing Sudoku, remember to mind the above benefits of Sudoku.

Benefits of Sudoku – FAQs