The Hardest 16 Piece Puzzle ever made (Jigsaw 16 by Yuu Asaka)

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Watch all of my other brain teaser puzzle videos:
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Solving a LEVEL 10 PUZZLE (The hardest jigsaw puzzle in the world?)
• Solving a LEVEL 10 PUZ...
The Hardest 9-Piece Puzzle in the World
• The Hardest 9-Piece Pu...
Can I solve this 10 piece puzzle? (Oleo 10 Puzzle)
• Can I solve this 10 pi...
This one isn't by You Asaka, but in this video, you can see my sister and I race at the same brainteaser:
Racing my sister at a 9 Piece Puzzle (Who can solve it faster?)
• Racing my sister at a ...
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Watch Chris Ramsay attempt the Jigsaw 16 by Yuu Asaka:
The Surprisingly Difficult Jigsaw Puzzles of Yuu Asaka
• The Surprisingly Diffi...
Chris Ramsey takes on another Yu Asaka puzzle:
Solving The HARDEST JIGSAW PUZZLE!! - LEVEL 10!
• Solving The HARDEST JI...
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#jigsawpuzzles #puzzle #jigsaw 🧩🧩🧩🧩🧩

[@KarenPuzzles]

What other strategies can you think of? Don't forget to head over to Patreon if you want to watch me solve this puzzle in real time!

[@austinbellach1025]

Your strategy was awesome. I heard you talking about it and thought “no way that’s crazy” and then watching you do it I was like “YESSSS 14 fits 14 fits get it!”

[@Chaotic_Pixie]

I thought the sudoku approach was genius! I always appreciate a methodical approach to something like this.

[@OrigamiMarie]

I liked the sudoku strategy!

[@alanar8046]

Karen, can you use a boom stand instead of a tripod for high angles and for top down shots of your worktable?

[@jillmartin8255]

Sudoku

[@JulieSchulerVideos]

I NEVER would have thought of approaching this like sudoku! Even if it took longer, that was a genius play!

[@iamsam6111]

I love sudoku so if the only way I could figure it out is this way, I’d have a lot of fun

[@JamieCormier]

I thought of it immediately. Isn’t that cool how everyone’s brains work differently? We need all kinds of thinkers in the world ☺️

[@jcortese3300]

Frankly, I think coming up with a 100% trustworthy algorithm is worth a lot more than just throwing stuff at the wall and seeing what stuck. You've probably come up with an algorithm that can be used for quite a few of these kinds of puzzles that guarantees a solution.

[@TassieLorenzo]

I think doing it by trial and error is pretty much impossible. Since Karen worked out that on average about six pieces fit in each spot, I think "if we do a little math" there would be about 6^11*5*4*3*2*1=43 billion possibilities. Yikes! Karen came up with a great system.

[@MyFictionalChaos]

I think humans innately come up with algorithms to figure out things. I'm not sure how many people would have figured out that, mathematically, it would take a LONG time to just "throw it at the wall and see what sticks." There are methods to puzzle solving that are different than this but i would have made a list, too, because it seems literally impossible (too long for a human to do) if you dont have an algorithm. But of course this is just me and my computer science brain having that intuition

[@sehrgut42]

Yep! Enumerating constraints and then testing configurations that satisfy them, starting with those that have the fewest legal placements, is how exact cover problems are solved. Every constraint-satisfaction algorithm I know does basically that, and most of them vary only in how they deal with ambiguity and backtracking.

[@codyedgington3897]

This algorithm is a variation of wave function collapse, which was only discovered a handful of years ago

[@kitlith]

@@codyedgington3897 for certain computer usecases, maybe? but this type of algorithm has been used for sudoku for ages.

[@Sarahr98998]

I honestly don't care about the time at all, I just like watching you solve them. I feel like the time element just adds pressure to something that's supposed to be fun!

[@psyckwhoever4197]

A little challenge can be lots of fun, but sometimes it's hard to realize that the fun ended and just became an "addiction to overcome hardships" :/ Be careful Karen. We all love your videos, but we don't want you to suffer for them :D

[@martihurford]

I love Sudoku. While I’m no where near the level “Cracking the Cryptic” guys are at, I nevertheless enjoy watching these two Brits solve them. Plus, they always acknowledge the puzzle creators which I think is the honorable thing to do. I also found Chris’s channel a few weeks ago and have been binging his videos. I’m now following Mr. Puzzle based on your mentioning him today. Thanks Karen ✨

[@psyckwhoever4197]

I like "cracking the cryptic", too! Solving this puzzle with this strategy reminded me a lot of those step by step solutions. I'm happy that I'm not the only one who thought that :D

[@schoo9256]

Let's get cracking!

[@user-himenes]

I love em, didn't watched for so long

[@Jessica_Costantini]

Some of those puzzle boxes Chris solves are absolutely insane!!!

[@PokhrajRoy.]

Karen, after solving the Minions Puzzle: “Whew! That was fun. I want to try something more chill.” The 16 Piece Puzzle: “CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!”

[@banana9494]

I just wanna say that this puzzle is so amazingly creative....whoever came up with it is an evil genius designer.

[@VisualMind]

I would've started with the pieces that have the most "outs" since my theory is that they fit in the least spots and then worked towards the pieces with no "outs" ... don't know if that would work but it would be my strategy 😅 ... i would not do it like Sudoku 😁

[@sleighaaa]

I was also thinking this!

[@brattrox2939]

Yeah that's my strategy too lol I would've turned to her strategy if that didn't work out for me

[@jurgnobs1308]

either that or starting with the holes with the least "outs" essentially, just like in hard sudokus, you start with the things that are the most heavily restricted

[@margretsnae]

I was just thinking that I would label the pieces and write down where they could fit, and then you did it! Love your brainteaser videos.

[@misshelvedMLIS]

Am I the only one who gets anxiety seeing the timer running while Karen explains something to the camera? I don't wanna be the thing slowing her down. 😋

[@KarenPuzzles]

In my first few brainteaser videos, I stopped the timer while talking to the camera and every yelled at me because none of the other solvers on KZbin do that so it skews the time comparison 😂

[@SecretSquirrelFun]

@@KarenPuzzles Personally, and in my humble opinion, I thought that your original timer/timing method was preferable and more accurate - it’s the data collector in me, I just prefer knowing exactly how much time I was actually working - i.e hands on the actual puzzle…or whatever the activity.

[@novacorponline]

@@SecretSquirrelFun explaining the thought process you are using actually helps you think through the puzzle, so talking to the camera about what you are trying to do is part of the solving process.

[@Curt_Sampson]

@@novacorponline Exactly. This is a well known technique in computer programming, too. When you start running into trouble and can't figure out what's not fitting together in your program, you haul out a rubber duck and explain your problem to it, and you and the duck together will often come to a solution. This is called "Rubber Duck Debugging." (Yes, really! Look it up on Wikipedia!)

[@ysucae]

@@Curt_Sampson i'm sorry this is the greatest thing i have ever heard. i will have some rubber ducks for my programmer friends soon

[@lemmingyellow3888]

Oh my goodness. That last reveal by Editing Karen was heartbreaking!! It's so easy to second guess yourself on these. I think you did a great job. The Sudoku strategy was brilliant.

[@TrunksWD]

Solving the puzzle logically similar to a Sudoku is smart thinking. Versus just randomly trying pieces until you get it.

[@TheZotmeister]

Nice work - not only did you solve the puzzle, but the *way* you solved it like a _Sudoku_ means that you proved the solution is unique! It's not unlike the methods I've had to use in making puzzles for the USPC. Very impressive!

[@WylliamJudd]

One strategy I would have tried would be to place the pieces with the most out-prongs first progressing down to the least prongs. Not sure that would have worked, but it would be something to try that might not be as time consuming.

[@PuzzlingBees]

Sudoku! Ah man it took you 15 minutes to figure out how to solve it, and it took me almost 2 hours to get there. This was my first Yuu Asaka puzzle so I think I was looking for a 'trick'. I actually said to my partner 'his puzzles are supposed to have a trick but I'm starting to think it might just be brute force!' I ended up trying each piece. If it fit in more than 1 spot, it was put aside, once I got through all the pieces, I think there were two or three that fit, and I just kept doing that until I got them all! In the end it only took me 30 minutes to solve it that way, plus the 2 hours of faffing about beforehand.

[@Laserstormelpies]

I looove the way you solved this. I love brute-forcing with things like these, not because I'm not good at logic but rather doing the brute-force in an intelligent way of logic. I think I wouldn't have gotten such a clean idea as yours is why that video has been a literal upgrade to my puzzle-solving-ideas-repertoire.

[@E5va]

as a sudoku person, i really like the strategy you came up with haha. so satisfying! you doing your yuu asaka puzzles is my favourite, cant wait for the next one!

[@yokonamigaara]

Chris ended up also figuring out that certain pieces can only fit in one spot and was able to solve from there, so you kinda had the same strategy!

[@sweetea3272]

I love this!! Congrats on solving it! I’m going to watch the other ones you’ve done of his. He seems to have an incredible sense of humor to be making puzzles like these.

[@alchemyqueen2764]

What a crazy puzzle!! Glad the Sudoku method worked in the end. Can't wait for more!!

[@petrescuework-difficultcas6581]

Love your methodical approach! That way it looks way easier than the puzzles where you have to free form where the pieces go.

[@MarielaDavina]

I enjoy Sudoku but I don't think I have the patience required for this type of puzzle....great video though! Happy to watch Karen solve it :-D

[@cori2356]

I totally thought that a Sudoku strategy would work when you first started, so when you decided to try it I was excited!

[@DonYagamoth]

Neat, I like your approach a lot for how you solved this puzzle. Instead of giving up, you found a concept that worked, I highly respect that

[@danniellebrown8996]

You are so incredibly patient and clever. I’ve been impatient my whole life, and your videos have helped me a great deal. Thank you

[@barbara7452]

the grid solution method was pretty satisfying, even if it may have taken longer

[@vaniaguillen9718]

I love doing sudoku puzzles. I can't say I would have thought about treating this puzzle in this way but it was such a brilliant idea.

[@eluspets]

First time seeing a Yuu puzzle. Never would have thought that a 16 piece puzzle could actually be challenging. The fact that pieces should actually fit where they don't was mind blowing in itself.

[@ashlitchi]

Love that you used one puzzle methodology to solve another puzzle!! So cool

[@mariana6557]

That was genious! Congrats Karen, amazingly done

[@kellster2193]

Honestly, to tell you the truth Karen. I think you honestly had the smartest way of solving it. I think I would have given up. Great job solving it in the end.

[@Alicenwndrlnd]

I just want to compliment on your smart thinking, it was great to watch and hear how your thoughts are working out as you come up with solution!

[@benjamin9901]

Very cool puzzle! You sent me down a rabbit hole of Yuu Asaka puzzles

[@KarenPuzzles]

He designs good ones!

[@bunpeishiratori5849]

You are such a kind soul, Karen. It is a pleasure to watch your videos. Sudoku!

[@PretzelBS]

I immediately thought of making a giant 16x16 matrix and filling in the square of it fit, super happy that you ended up using a similar method!

[@PokhrajRoy.]

This is such a lovely brain teaser. The acrylic pieces look awesome 👏🏽

[@cmulliner8985]

As a huge fan of the sudoku channel cracking the cryptic, this was a lot of fun to watch!

[@Thylonicus]

Ramsay and Mister Puzzle might have done the puzzle in less time, but your video was the better one. You displayed a methodical, logical approach, and when you thought you'd made a mistake, you approached that mistake logically as well. The only real flaw was that you doubted yourself, which is a shame. You're much more intelligent than you seem to give yourself credit for. The only real mistake--not flipping the number-six piece around--was a simple error in perception that anyone would have made. I think your "Sudoku" strategy was quite good, and demonstrated well enough to, again, make your video the better one.

[@etherealalienn]

the fact that i was imagining writing it out like a sudoku and then you actually did it!!!!!! so satisfying!

[@chibinecco1981]

I am SO glad that the method you ended up using to find the answer is EXACTLY what I wanted to do from the start XD

[@alelicgd]

I love these sundays mornings puzzle videos

[@rishibeauty8889]

Sudoku Strategy! The long way, but the tried & true way. Can’t wait for your next video!

[@josephbrenz5394]

I'm just starting to watch the video and this is the first post since I subscribed I'm excited

[@KarenPuzzles]

Welcome! I'm glad you're here!

[@BrittaStokes]

Clever approach! Makes me want to try this puzzle now. Sudoku!

[@johnjwedrall4290]

Karen you always meet the challenge and I'm liking your upbeat personality 👍😎

[@LockPickingCuber]

I love it! I sometimes find these kinds of puzzles frustrating, as they tend to involve more luck and persistence than logic, but this was truly a logic puzzle, like a sudoku, as you said! Great video! I was particularly impressed by the patient way you dealt with the setback towards the end, needing to redraw your chart... [Edited to add the code-word in!]

[@pattiwicksteed3731]

Thank you for the Sudoku parallel. I've done 12 and 16 box sudoku and literally that is my strategy. Boy do they take time!

[@celloafterdark4173]

I wonder if you were able to put it together in a square if that might be the correct order for the pieces in the tray? Loved the video!

[@SmartHobbies]

Oh wow. I didn’t realize that the pieces didn’t match the shape exactly until you started. Quite the challenge. I loved the Sudoku shout out as well:)

[@pvic6959]

hahah wellll, if it _did_ fit exactly, then it becomes that game for 2 year olds of fitting the right peg in the right hole LOL

[@smarterthanawaffle]

That was so much fun. Thank you.

[@Chipayon]

I think I would use the same strategy, maybe with excel and run some macro so I don’t accidentally cross off my work (paper sudoku can get super messy for me 😭 ink everywhere)

[@SecretSquirrelFun]

That’s totally taking it to the next level 😀 I like the idea of running a macro 👍 Respect. 🙂🐿

[@DanaCook60]

Loved this video! Using sudoku to solve was definitely a wise strategy. ❤️

[@keladry12]

This was a great puzzle solution and I object to you calling it a "brute force" solution. You 100% had a strategy and thought behind what you were doing, and I would argue that a brute force for this puzzle would be testing every single piece, position AND ORDER, whereas you just did the first two parts and used logic to determine the order. Nice sudoku application.

[@commoncomplication]

I don’t like puzzles. But I can’t stop watching these videos.

[@joneskamikaze6228]

Nice to see you doing logic puzzles, +1 for mentioning chris, you found a clever solving strategy! i enjoyed watching your thought process!

[@piplup10203854]

I love Sudoku! I got my dad into it and we enjoy comparing times with puzzles and sharing strategies and all that :D

[@elitettelbach4247]

The sudoku strategy was very clever! If you had realized that from the beginning your time would’ve been much quicker, since you were almost a half hour into it before you switched to that method.

[@bluetealturquoise]

6:40 That was EXACTLY what I was thinking! I was like: “she should get some paper, number it, tape it on, get another paper and draw a box with more boxes on the inside that is 4x4 to represent the puzzle piece spots, then go from there.

[@FOJO27]

Sudoku 🀄 Really cool to see your strategies when puzzle solving. Another enjoyable video 👏

[@chiaramoffa8506]

I've really liked your logic approach to the problem, definitely more interesting than watching you rearranging the pieces for 20 minutes until they fit!!

[@MelanaC]

I love sudoku so I thought your strategy was very clever! That seemed like a really hard frustrating puzzle but you powered through! Love your channel 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🧩🌟💜

[@HarryJSmith]

I’m never really that good at sudoku, but you did a great job at this puzzle!

[@maisonneuve]

This is amazing Karen. I just do not have the patience for something like this. I’d need to be stuck in a room for days before I wanted to keep going. lol. Good for you!!!

[@fakjbf3129]

I’m a big fan of the channel Cracking the Cryptic which does a lot of variant rule sudoku puzzles, so writing down all the possible solutions was my first guess on how to proceed. Now I really want to see Simon or Mark have a go at solving this, I think they would either instantly see that same solution or they’d be stuck staring at it for hours.

[@AznRUs]

When you first said sudoku I was super confused but It was so satisfying seeing you solve the puzzle so mathematically.

[@PepeHerreraH]

Love the Sudoku strategy!

[@DusanPavlicek78]

That's a smart way of solving it 😀👍

[@AuntGrace]

💕love the post it note technique.

[@markdukeshire4812]

brilliant design!

[@CiszHelion]

Great job, very satisfying to watch. :D

[@Finny_finn_finn]

I love watching your brain work 😊🧠

[@glendapeterson2537]

Hi Karen great video, I don’t have the patience for this type of puzzles. Sudoku!

[@ceemay3981]

I loved your Soduku method very smart

[@collectivelight]

Good puzzle! That was very tricky.

[@NinaThoren]

Seen a couple of your videos and these puzzles seem like such a brain tease! I would have started with the pieces with the most prongs and tested each hole for each piece so if I would need to switch I know which ones that can't fit anywhere else, almost like the sudoko method you came up with

[@metallsnubben]

I think my strategy (starting out) would be a similar "sudoku checklist" but not exhaustive of where every piece can fit but assuming "nothing goes where it looks like it should" and split the pieces/spaces into categories that way

[@PotatoRed148]

Sorry Karen but we love to see you struggle and suffer on this kind of puzzle. But seeing you complete it gives me so much joy

[@minion7342]

I'm so tempted to get this sudoku myself!!

[@rbontrup]

Your Sudoku strategy was brilliant.

[@hecate9659]

How strange! I didn't know that a 16 pieces puzzle could be so tricky! It's a real brain teaser (in French we say: ", ça fait des noeuds au cerveau : it makes knots in the brain"!) thanks for the discovery and the video! I subscribe to your channel, it seems to be full of other nice nuggets!

[@lays9972]

You make me so happy!!

[@pvic6959]

20:56 Noooo Karen!! we love that the videos dont end lol and the awkward good bye makes it relatable because, boy, do I know _I_ talk for too long while the other person is like "uhh.. ok Im going to leave now" Love your videos Karen

[@Chgtuber]

I liked that you thought to compare other's times to yours. Such an excellent idea. Also enjoyed and would have liked more of putting the pieces together afterward to make a shape. You did a great job and made it enjoyable :)

[@landsgevaer]

With these puzzles I always like it if you can not only solve the puzzle, but also prove the solution to be unique. This systematic SUDOKU approach allows just that (mistakes excluded), although I would have drawn a 16x16 grid; however, trial and error until you find a solution doesn't. That is well worth the extra half hour!

[@Psuemno]

A friend of mine got me this puzzle, and just two days later your video shows up in my recommendations. What a coincidence! After you brought it up, I decided to attempt the "assemble it like a normal puzzle" idea that you mentioned, and it actually is possible. I'd share an image but apparently you can't do that in a youtube comment. Assuming I didn't mess up the numbers, if you go back to your number system for the pieces the solution is: 16, 9, 11, 15 7, 2, 4, 10 12, 3, 1, 6 13, 5, 8, 14

[@Vickymakesandbuilds]

It was clever to use the Su Doku strategy, I never would have thought of it, this looked fun 😃

[@darylmorse7337]

That was fun & very interesting to watch. : )

[@fancydeer]

the sudoku approach was great.

[@gailshaughnessey8914]

Sudoku - Loved your strategy - whatever works is good.

[@lyllies1130]

I stopped the video and screenshot your little card and I did it with you. so much fun.

[@pegatheetoo1437]

I love watching her solve her hard puzzles. It always amazes me. But I'm a bit more of a stickler when it comes to timing. If I'm going to time the process, I would have included all the time in starting over as part of the process also.I just fell that whatever is involved at reaching the solution as part of the process and if I'm working on anything to further that solution, I would have to count it as part of my process. Lol

[@potaoishpotato4172]

The moment she placed that first piece and let that there I knew it was going to take a while XD good job!

[@gogonsrimulat6971]

its ok karen, the longer you solve the puzzle the longer the video ❤️

[@SecretSquirrelFun]

Ok ok sheesh, I admit it, I was really excited when I saw your notification pop up on my phone screen 🙂 I was watching another random video, but I didn’t want to wait so I immediately smashed that link and……well, here I am 😀 21 minutes of puzzling goodness. Thanks for sharing, such fun 🙂🐿 P.s just for a little more context, it’s 3:30 here in Sydney Australia 🇦🇺…that’s 3:30 AM!!! Your “Sudoku method” to help keep track was a really clever idea

[@cherrykissrvr]

So smart how u solved it. Thats pretty cool 😎

[@ladymonstergirl]

I don't know how I happened upon your channel but I love the vibe.

[@victor_hernandez_g]

Very interesting puzzle.

[@JudithARobinson]

Oooh, this was so frustrating to watch!!! Well done on completing it! It would be interesting to know how long it took once you'd come up with this strategy, as it would be much closer to the target. I love how you worked it out in the end, as I love logic puzzles. That said, it's only within the last year that I have finally managed to complete a sudoku!!! Somehow, for years, my brain just couldn't get to grips with them.

[@traceyhill4929]

i love this kind of stuuff.....thanx

[@Boxofcare666]

As you were trying the pieces before sudoku, i was waiting for you to pick up the second in the top row, the piece you put down and never really picked up, i think if you tried to move it to other spots, you might have been able to solve it quicker without the sudoku approach