# Best Cryptic Crosswords — Relax with a puzzle > Accessible cryptic crosswords by a top setter for iOS devices. (iPhone/iPad app by Teazel.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/best-cryptic-crosswords/id1317774772 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Teazel](https://appshunter.io/developer/576525182) - Category: Games, Entertainment, Puzzle, Word - Price: Free with in-app purchases - Rating: 4.80/5 from 312 App Store ratings · 98 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 10.0 · 7 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2017-12-02 - Data updated: 2026-09-03 - Monetization: free with in-app purchases - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/best-cryptic-crosswords/id1317774772/reviews.md ## What is Best Cryptic Crosswords? 300 professional cryptic crosswords puzzles set by Michael Curl from www.bestforpuzzles.com. 12 free puzzles with all features enabled and no ads. These are accessible cryptic puzzles set by a top setter. Features: - great for iPads and iPhones - pinch and zooming grid - landscape mode with clue list - cheats and answer checking - Resume button - British style puzzles - no ads - great value ## Key features - 300 professional cryptic crosswords - 12 free puzzles - Pinch and zooming grid - Landscape mode with clue list - Cheats and answer checking - British style puzzles ## Pricing and in-app purchases Base price: Free. **One-time purchases** | Purchase | Price | Type | | --- | --- | --- | | get all 6 cryptic packs | $3.99 | one-time | | pack of cryptic crosswords | $0.99 | one-time | | pack of Cryptic Crosswords | $0.99 | one-time | | pack of Cryptic Crosswords | $0.99 | one-time | | pack of Cryptic Crosswords | $0.99 | one-time | | pack of Cryptic Crosswords | $0.99 | one-time | | pack of Cryptic Crosswords | $0.99 | one-time | ## What do users think of Best Cryptic Crosswords? Overall sentiment: positive **Pros** - 🚀 Great puzzles - 👍 Enjoyable challenge - 👍 Reasonably difficult - 👍 User-friendly interface - 👍 Good value for money **Cons** - 🐛 Clues with barely any connection to answers - 🐛 Repeated clues and answers - 🐛 Lack of explanations for clues - 🐛 In-app purchases required to unlock more puzzles **Commonly reported bugs** - Purchases disappearing after device change - App crashing issues - Anticipatory cursor movement causing unintended letter changes **Most requested features** - Clue explanation feature - More varied and challenging clues - Ability to track completed clues - Regular updates with new puzzle packs ## Recent user reviews (10 of 98) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/best-cryptic-crosswords/id1317774772/reviews.md ### 5/5 — Just right *2026-07-31* Hard enough to make you think, not so difficult it frustrates. ### 4/5 — Good cryptics, large enough grid and keyboard *2026-06-09* These are okay cryptics, and I prefer using this app to doing other cryptics in Puzzazz, in which the grid and keyboard are too small on my phone, this because Puzzazz shows multiple clues while BestCrosswordCryptics shows just one (in portrait view). ### 5/5 — Great Value *2026-03-28* Witty puzzles at just the right difficultly level. There's a slight geographical lean to the UK audience (football teams, British counties etc.) but not too much. Overall a really good, value for money app for those who enjoy a challenging but entirely doable set of puzzles. ### 5/5 — Glitch *2026-03-16, version 1.11* Puzzles appear locked I purchased this app and paid to access all the puzzles. I can see the packs however most of the puzzles are locked and only 2 puzzles are available per pack. Please can you explain how to access them. Thanks ### 2/5 — Sometimes so stupid! *2026-03-06* “Show a third of retailers in the money”. Ans: “PRETENCE”. I love cryptic. The challenge is great but when you shake your head and …. I’m sticking with the freebies, thanks! ### 5/5 — Quick and fun *2026-02-12* If you’re into a cryptic challenge, these puzzles are not it. But they’re fun to do and take little time if you’re an experienced solver. ### 5/5 — Great puzzles! *2026-02-05* Almost done with this very enjoyable challenge. Hoping there’s a new installment available! ### 2/5 — Terrible clues on some *2026-01-08* Yes, I know these are cryptic clues. However, many of them have barely the most tenuous connection to the answers. Usually when an answer is revealed to a tricky clue there is an “aaah, clever” moment, at least with the best written ones. With many here I’ve been left wondering if clues were written with AI, or someone who just doesn’t understand that cryptic clues NEED TO BE SOLVEABLE, and not just have some peripheral connection with their answers in their wording. If you have both clue and answer in front of you, in MOST cases the thinking behind the clue should become apparent. But that is not the case with far too many of the clues here to put it down to my own shortcomings. The clues in Teazel’s cryptic app are generally far better. ### 5/5 — Finally cracking it! *2025-10-23* As the only member of my family who didn’t ‘do’ cryptic crosswords I found them very frustrating. You just need to know ‘oh, that’s a signal for this’ or ‘this abbreviation means that’. I tried to learn from a book, but the ‘Learn Cryptic Crosswords app’ also from Teazel is much better and more engaging, and this app gives you reasonably easy practice. ### 4/5 — Cryptic crosswords I can solve *2025-09-03* I was really great to find a bunch of cryptic crosswords - my Dad and I used to the the ones in the Age back when we got hard copy papers. But only on certain days because every creator is different and some’s minds just did not work the way either of ours did. The only reason I’ve given this 4 starts, is because while I can solve the puzzles, some answers I figure out without actually understanding how it fit with the clue. I checked online and for those, they couldn’t figure it out either. Also a minor thing is the way it jumps around assuming where you are going next, which if you’ve made a mistake, trying to go back, you end up changing letters where you do ‘t mean too. ## Frequently asked questions about Best Cryptic Crosswords ### What is Best Cryptic Crosswords? Best Cryptic Crosswords offers a collection of 300 professionally set cryptic crossword puzzles by Michael Curl. It aims to provide accessible yet challenging puzzles for users on iPads and iPhones. ### What are the key features of this app? Key features include a pinch and zooming grid, landscape mode with a clue list, cheat and answer checking functionality, a resume button, and British-style puzzles. The app also offers 12 free puzzles with all features enabled and no ads. ### Is Best Cryptic Crosswords free to use? The app offers 12 free puzzles with all features enabled and no ads. Additional puzzles or content may be available through in-app purchases, making it a free-to-start experience with optional paid content. ### What devices is Best Cryptic Crosswords compatible with? The app is designed to be great for both iPads and iPhones, offering a seamless puzzle experience across these Apple devices. ### Who would enjoy playing Best Cryptic Crosswords? This app is ideal for puzzle enthusiasts, particularly those who enjoy cryptic crosswords and are looking for a user-friendly experience. It's suitable for both casual players and dedicated crossword fans seeking a quality challenge. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 1.11 — 2026-01-26 Minor bug fixes ### 1.10 — 2024-09-15 Backup/restore now uses a secure connection. ### 1.9 — 2022-08-15 Puzzle corrections & improvements ### 1.8 — 2020-06-27 Restore feature now works in iOS 13.5 onward. ### 1.7 — 2020-06-17 Puzzle fixes. Correction to Backup/Restore. ## Apps similar to Best Cryptic Crosswords | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [10 Seconds: Word Search Puzzle](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/10-seconds-word-search-puzzle/id1448229660) | 3.8 (4) | Free | Games | | [Word Universe - Word Game](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/word-universe-word-game/id1444727060) | 4.8 (6,806) | Free | Games | | [QXZ: Word Search Puzzles](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/qxz-word-search-puzzles/id1437694980) | 4.3 (3) | Free | Games | | [3D Number Puzzle](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/3d-number-puzzle/id1435819000) | 4.7 (23) | Free | Games | | [Merge Plus](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/merge-plus/id1443717240) | 4.6 (10,267) | Free | Games | | [Word Search: Hidden Words](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/word-search-hidden-words/id1443448520) | 4.5 (3,383) | Free | Games | ## More apps by Teazel - [Crossword](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crossword/id576525179) - [Cryptic Crossword](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cryptic-crossword/id661608021) - [Crossword US](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crossword-us/id666558770) - [Codewords](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/codewords/id682094723) - [Coloring for Adults](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/coloring-for-adults/id1019326219) - [Best Quick Crosswords](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/best-quick-crosswords/id1253492609) All apps by Teazel: https://appshunter.io/developer/576525182 ## Related topics [best cryptic crosswords](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/best-cryptic-crosswords) · [cryptic crossword](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/cryptic-crossword) --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-03.*