Explaining Puzzle Solutions in Natural Language: An Exploratory Study on 6x6 Sudoku

The success of Large Language Models (LLMs) in human-AI collaborative decision-making hinges on their ability to provide trustworthy, gradual, and tailored explanations. Solving complex puzzles, such as Sudoku, offers a canonical example of this collaboration, where clear and customized explanations often hold greater importance than the final solution. In this study, we evaluate the performance of five LLMs in solving and explaining \sixsix{} Sudoku puzzles. While one LLM demonstrates limited success in solving puzzles, none can explain the solution process in a manner that reflects strategic reasoning or intuitive problem-solving. These findings underscore significant challenges that must be addressed before LLMs can become effective partners in human-AI collaborative decision-making.

@article{maiya2025_2505.15993,
  title={ Explaining Puzzle Solutions in Natural Language: An Exploratory Study on 6x6 Sudoku },
  author={ Anirudh Maiya and Razan Alghamdi and Maria Leonor Pacheco and Ashutosh Trivedi and Fabio Somenzi },
  journal={arXiv preprint arXiv:2505.15993},
  year={ 2025 }
}