At first glance, it’s natural to assume that bigger maps are harder.
More space.
More possibilities.
More complexity.
But in Crowns & Towns, that intuition doesn’t always hold.
A small, open map can be far more challenging than a large one filled with terrain.
Why?
Because difficulty isn’t determined by size.
It’s determined by decisions.
Every valid placement is a choice.
And the more choices a player has to evaluate,
the harder the puzzle becomes.
Terrain quietly reduces those choices.
Mountains block.
Lakes limit.
Irregular shapes constrain.
What looks like a larger map may actually offer fewer meaningful options.
Meanwhile, an open map—no matter how small—can explode with possibilities.
Every placement becomes viable.
Every move must be considered.
That’s where complexity lives.
Not in space.
But in freedom.
This leads to a simple but powerful idea:
Difficulty is not about how much room you have.
It’s about how many decisions you must make within it.
Or more simply:
Constraints simplify.
Freedom complicates.
Once you see this, the way you approach puzzles begins to change.
You stop judging them by size.
And start feeling them by the weight of their decisions.