The Most Difficult Puzzle, Ranked

Voting rules: Choose the puzzle you think is the most difficult!

Updated on Apr 30, 2024 06:25

Puzzles challenge the mind and push the boundaries of our problem-solving capabilities, often leaving enthusiasts both intrigued and perplexed. Determining which puzzle stands as the most challenging is a subjective matter, influenced by individual experiences and skill levels. Therefore, a collective evaluation through voting can offer a broader perspective on which puzzles truly test the limits of our cognitive abilities. By participating in the voting process, users not only contribute to the creation of a dynamic and reflective ranking but also engage with a community of like-minded puzzle aficionados. This allows for a shared exploration into the intricacies of each puzzle, fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of the art and science behind them. Your vote helps to shape this ongoing conversation, highlighting trends and preferences within the puzzle-solving community.

What Is the Most Difficult Puzzle?

1

42
votes
Jim Sanborn · CC BY-SA 3.0

The Kryptos Sculpture

James Sanborn

A sculpture located on the grounds of the Central Intelligence Agency headquarters in Virginia, USA, that contains four encrypted messages, three of which have been solved. The fourth message has proven to be one of the most challenging ciphers ever created, with only a few words having been deciphered since its installation in 1990.
The Kryptos Sculpture is a mysterious encrypted artwork located at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) headquarters in Langley, Virginia, United States. It was commissioned by the CIA in 1988 and unveiled in 1990. The sculpture consists of a large copper plate covered with various encrypted messages spread across four panels, making it one of the world's most challenging puzzles.

Solved Sections: First three sections

Dimensions: 12 ft wide, 9 ft tall

Material: Copper

Weight: 1 ton

Number of Panels: 4
2

25
votes
The Voynich Manuscript

A handwritten book that dates back to the 15th century and is written in an unknown script that has yet to be deciphered. The book also contains illustrations of plants, astronomical and astrological diagrams, and human figures, all of which have added to the mystery of the manuscript.
The Voynich Manuscript is a mysterious medieval codex written in an unknown language and script. It is named after Wilfrid Voynich, a Polish-American bookseller who purchased it in 1912. The manuscript has puzzled both linguists and cryptographers for over a century due to its unbreakable code and the bizarre nature of its illustrations.

Language: Unknown

Script: Unknown

Date of Origin: 15th century

Number of Pages: 240

Contents: Herbal and botanical illustrations, astronomical and astrological diagrams, biological drawings, and unidentified text
The Voynich Manuscript in other rankings
- Position 1 of 10 in Most difficult to read
3

14
votes
Dave3457 · CC BY-SA 3.0

The Rubik's Cube

Ernő Rubik

A 3D puzzle that challenges the player to twist and turn the cube until each of its six faces is a solid color. While it may seem simple, the cube has over 43 quintillion possible combinations, making it a challenging puzzle for even the most experienced players.
The Rubik's Cube is a three-dimensional mechanical puzzle that was invented in 1974 by Ernő Rubik. It consists of a 3x3x3 grid of small cubes, each face of which is colored with one of six solid colors. The objective of the puzzle is to scramble the colors on each face and then restore it back to its original state by twisting and rotating the individual cubes.

Size: 3x3x3

Number of Cubes: 26

Number of Stickers: 54

Colors: 6 (typically white, yellow, blue, green, red, and orange)

Permutations: 43 quintillion (approx.)
4

17
votes
The Tower of Hanoi

Édouard Lucas

A mathematical puzzle that involves moving a tower of disks from one peg to another, following specific rules that limit the sizes of the disks that can be moved at any given time. The puzzle is deceptively simple but requires a great deal of strategy and critical thinking to solve.
The Tower of Hanoi is a classic mathematical puzzle that involves moving a stack of disks from one rod to another, following specific rules.

Number of disks: N

Number of rods: 3

Initial configuration: All disks on one rod, in decreasing size, stacked from bottom to top.

Final configuration: All disks moved to a different rod, following the same stacking order.

Rule 1: Only one disk can be moved at a time.
5

16
votes
The Enigma Machine

Arthur Scherbius

A cipher machine used by the Germans during World War II to encrypt their messages. While the machine itself is not difficult to operate, breaking the code requires a deep understanding of cryptography and a great deal of patience.
The Enigma Machine was an encryption device used during World War II to encode and decode secret messages. It was invented by German engineer Arthur Scherbius and was primarily used by the German military.

Encryption Algorithm: Polyalphabetic Substitution

Rotors: Typically three or four

Plugboard connections: Up to 10 pairs of letters

Number of possible rotor positions: Approximately 10^19

Reflector: Reflects electrical current back through the rotors
The Enigma Machine in other rankings
- Position 10 of 10 in Most difficult math equation
6

11
votes
The Crossword Puzzle

Arthur Wynne

A word puzzle that challenges the player to fill in the blanks of a grid using clues provided. While some crossword puzzles may be easy, others can be incredibly challenging, requiring extensive knowledge of obscure facts and vocabulary.
The Crossword Puzzle is a popular word game that consists of a square or rectangular grid divided into white and black squares. The goal is to fill the white squares with letters, forming words, by solving clues provided for each word in a given list.

Grid Structure: Square or rectangular

Clue Type: Cryptic or straightforward

Difficulty: Varies from easy to hard

Interlocking Words: Words in the grid intersect

Symmetry: Most puzzles are symmetric
7

13
votes
The Sudoku Puzzle

Howard Garns

A logic-based number puzzle that requires the player to fill in a 9x9 grid with the numbers 1-9, following specific rules that limit the placement of each number. While some Sudoku puzzles can be completed relatively quickly, others can be incredibly difficult and require a great deal of trial and error.
The Sudoku Puzzle is a logic-based number placement puzzle. It involves filling a 9x9 grid with digits so that each column, each row, and each of the nine 3x3 sub-grids contains all of the numbers from 1 to 9. The puzzle initially provides a partially complete grid with some digits already filled in, and the player's objective is to find the correct placement for the remaining digits.

Size: 9x9

Difficulty Levels: Easy, Medium, Hard, Expert

Rules: Numbers 1 to 9 should appear once in each row, column, and sub-grid

Solving Methods: Elimination, Naked Pairs, Hidden Pairs

Logic: Logic-based, no guessing required
8

4
votes
The Maze Puzzle

A puzzle that challenges the player to navigate a maze from start to finish, using only their memory and problem-solving skills. While some mazes may be relatively straightforward, others can be incredibly complex and require a great deal of patience and persistence to solve.
The Maze Puzzle is a complex labyrinth puzzle that challenges players to find a way out of a intricate maze.

Difficulty: High

Size: Large

Complexity: High

Number of Paths: Multiple

Number of Traps: Numerous
9

14
votes
Marekich · CC0

The Crossed Ladders Puzzle

A geometry puzzle that challenges the player to determine the height at which two ladders, each leaning against a wall, will cross each other. While the puzzle may seem simple, it requires a deep understanding of trigonometry and geometry to solve.
The Crossed Ladders Puzzle involves finding the distance between two ladders that are leaning against two walls and crossed over each other in the middle. The goal is to determine the distance between the point where the ladders cross and the ground.

Type: Mathematical puzzle

Difficulty level: Advanced

Inputs: Lengths of the two ladders and the heights of the two walls

Unknowns: Distance between the point of crossing and the ground

Constraints: The two ladders form an isosceles triangle with the ground
10

8
votes
The Einstein Puzzle

Albert Einstein

A logic-based puzzle that challenges the player to solve a series of clues to determine the color, nationality, pet, and drink of five people who live in five different houses on the same street. While the puzzle may seem straightforward, it requires a great deal of logic and problem-solving skills to solve.
The Einstein Puzzle, also known as the Einstein's Riddle, is a logic puzzle that requires players to deduce a set of facts and use logical reasoning to determine a solution. It is a grid-based puzzle that involves several variables and constraints.

Difficulty Level: Advanced

Number of Variables: 5

Grid Size: 5x5

Number of Clues: 15

Rules Complexity: High

Missing your favorite puzzle?

Graphs

Discussion

Ranking factors for difficult puzzle

Complexity

The intricacy of the puzzle's design, the number of elements involved, and the depth of logical reasoning required to solve it. More complex puzzles may involve multiple layers of problem-solving, patterns, or strategies to decipher.
Time required to solve

How long it takes for individuals to solve the puzzle, whether it's minutes, hours, or even days. Generally, the longer a puzzle takes to solve, the more difficult it may be considered.
Level of abstract thinking or creativity required

Some puzzles require a high level of abstract thinking or creative problem-solving, making them more difficult to solve than those with more straightforward solutions.
Amount of prior knowledge or expertise needed

A puzzle may be deemed more difficult if it requires specific knowledge or expertise in a particular domain, such as mathematics, language, or history.
Clarity of rules and instructions

The difficulty of a puzzle can also be affected by how clear and well-defined the rules and instructions are. If the rules are vague or open to interpretation, it may be more challenging for solvers to work out the intended solution.
Number of possible solutions

A harder puzzle may have multiple possible solutions, making it more cognitively demanding and time-consuming for solvers to find the correct or best solution.
Error margin

Some puzzles are considered difficult because they have a low error margin, meaning that making a single mistake can be costly and significantly hinder progress towards the solution.
Availability of hints or guidance

A challenging puzzle may offer little or no guidance, forcing solvers to rely on their intuition, existing knowledge, or problem-solving skills to find the solution.
Novelty or uniqueness

A puzzle's difficulty can also be influenced by how novel or unique it is. Puzzles that introduce new concepts, techniques, or ideas not commonly encountered in other puzzles tend to be more challenging.
Subjectivity of difficulty

Finally, puzzle difficulty can also be subjective, as different individuals may find certain types of puzzles more difficult based on their personal skills, background, and preferences.

About this ranking

This is a community-based ranking of the most difficult puzzle. We do our best to provide fair voting, but it is not intended to be exhaustive. So if you notice something or puzzle is missing, feel free to help improve the ranking!

Statistics

1843 views
165 votes
10 ranked items

Voting Rules

A participant may cast an up or down vote for each puzzle once every 24 hours. The rank of each puzzle is then calculated from the weighted sum of all up and down votes.

Trendings topics

Don't miss out on the currently trending topics of StrawPoll Rankings!

Brain Teasers

Problem-solving

The Most Famous Musician in Zimbabwe: A Ranking of Noteworthy Talent

Gaming

The Most Famous NASA Scientist: Recognizing Contributions and Impact

More information on most difficult puzzle

Puzzles have been a popular pastime for centuries, with evidence of puzzles dating back to ancient civilizations such as Egypt and Greece. The challenge of solving a puzzle has always been a source of fascination for people, leading to the creation of countless different types of puzzles over time. From jigsaw puzzles to crosswords, there are a variety of puzzles that people enjoy solving. However, some puzzles are notoriously difficult, requiring a great deal of patience, persistence, and creative thinking to solve. In this article, we will explore some of the most difficult puzzles ever created and what makes them so challenging. So, get ready to put your thinking cap on and dive into the world of mind-bending puzzles!