Minimum-Clue Guide
A 17-clue sudoku starts with only 17 filled cells. Those cells are the initial values, or givens, that make the puzzle uniquely solvable.
Sudoku Evil has a dedicated play page for sparse evil sudoku boards with 17 initial values.
In sudoku, a clue is a number already placed in the grid at the start of the puzzle. A 17-clue sudoku gives you only 17 starting numbers out of 81 cells. The rest must be solved through logic.
Players also search for this idea as 17 initial values, 17 givens, minimum-clue sudoku, or sudoku with 17 numbers.
Not automatically. The number of clues describes the puzzle's starting state, while evil describes difficulty. Still, many 17-clue puzzles feel evil because the grid gives so little early information and the solve often depends on advanced patterns.