# Classic Sudoku! — user reviews > 145 indexed App Store user reviews of Classic Sudoku! by Nick Carney, rated 4.70/5 from 249 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/classic-sudoku/id1488838275/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/classic-sudoku/id1488838275.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 206 · 4★ 19 · 3★ 13 · 2★ 3 · 1★ 8 ## What do users think of Classic Sudoku!? Overall sentiment: positive **Pros** - 🚀 Excellent interface - 👍 Intuitive and customizable - 🧠 Challenging and well-crafted puzzles - 💡 Dual notation feature - 👍 Helpful hints and tips - 🧠 Puzzles designed by real people, not algorithms **Cons** - 🐛 Incorrect or confusing hints - 🔋 High battery consumption - 🔍 Difficulty finding completed puzzles - 📱 Lack of iPad support and landscape mode - 🔍 Puzzles not always unique **Commonly reported bugs** - Puzzles with multiple valid solutions - App freezing or crashing - Pencil marks not working as expected **Most requested features** - Dark mode option - Ability to input custom puzzles - More puzzles added regularly - Improved sync between devices - Graphical representation of hints instead of text - Ability to pause/resume puzzles ## Newest reviews (18 of 145) ### 4/5 — good stuff *2025-03-26, version 2.1* love it. great puzzle quality. a few glitches. for example, i finish some puzzle but then the timer keeps counting for some reason, and then there’s a white flag. what’s that mean? ### 4/5 — Not the very best *2024-08-04* I have the other app by Nick Carney: “Cracking the Cryptic curated sudoku puzzles” that I absolutely love. Was somewhat disappointed by this one as it’s not user friendly at all or perhaps I’m somehow unable to figure out how to use it. There are only three colours for shading the cells. I can’t select a number to see highlights of places I’ve noted it. Selection and deselection of cells is rather odd. I really dislike seeing the numbers in a line at the bottom. I wished I could somehow migrate these classic sudokus to the other app 😢 I can at most take off one star because to be fair it’s still way better than other apps apart from the one I mentioned. ### 4/5 — Good play, unreliable hints *2024-05-09, version 2.1* The game is well designed, easy to play, and offers advanced puzzles. However, the hints are sometimes wrong. Rather than use the r#r#c#c# schema, perhaps table headings with alphanumeric coding on the x and y axes may help prevent the hint errors. ### 3/5 — Cool but *2023-09-03, version 2.1* Cool but I lost interest too quickly ### 4/5 — Help with settings *2022-10-29, version 2.1* Have been playing Sudoku on another app but just tried this one and trying to adjust to new settings, etc. I’m unable to find a guide that explain what each setting does, which would be helpful! Looking forward to learning them one way or another and playing some HUMAN-generated puzzles. ### 3/5 — Good Game a little frustrating. *2022-09-20* I like the game but I find the hints very frustrating. They are either wildly wrong, often contradicting the given numbers or require reasoning that if you possessed you obviously wouldn’t require the hint. ### 5/5 — Perfect but … *2022-08-14* … I wish there were more sudokus to solve! ### 5/5 — Wishing there was more puzzles added *2022-08-05* Love it, just wishing there was more puzzles added. ### 5/5 — Great for an average solver *2022-07-25, version 2.1* The hints attached to each puzzle help you learn the various solving techniques. I first went through the 100 puzzles using the hints on the harder ones. Then I solved them again without using the hints. I think I am a much better solver now. ### 4/5 — Great puzzles *2022-07-18, version 2.1* I love the puzzles in here, but wish it had the option for corner and center pencil marks. Have been typing into Sven’s SudokuPad told solve then typing solutions back in here ### 4/5 — Great game *2022-07-15* Great game. I love the hand made puzzles; and simultaneously hate how hard they’re getting, lol. It could use some UI updates though. There’s a lot of dead space at the top. I would suggest moving the grid as far up as possible. That would give enough room for the numbers to become two rows as opposed to one. A lot of my errors come from accidentally taping the wrong number because the buttons are so small. Also with moving everything up, it move the number from the edge of the screen. I often come back to the game with an error of 5 because of swiping up to exit the app. It just tends to put a 5 in sometimes when leaving the game. Speaking of the number buttons, it would be nice if the buttons dimmed momentarily when pressed; just a visually feedback to know you pushed the button. A feature I’d like would be if there is only one note left in the cell, double tapping that cell would fill it in with the number of that note. I don’t know how much of this is possible, because I assume the other versions of Sudoku you guys make are built off the same base UI. ### 4/5 — Minor improvements would make it perfect *2022-07-10* I love the YouTube channel and the app is great. I’m happy to pay the app fee to support the channel and get top quality puzzles with no ads. Thank you! Minor app changes would make it 5 star for me 1. Organize the puzzles in the index in order of difficulty. 2. Position the hint box to not hide the puzzle si I can see the hint and the puzzle at the same time 3. Let me check the hints I’ve handled so if I go back into hints, I don’t have to relocate where I left off. 4. Give me a link in the hint that takes me to one of your awesome videos that explains the technique used in that step. Especially useful as we move into the more advanced puzzles. Thanks guys, I look forward to working my way through all your apps! ### 3/5 — Good puzzles, problematic function *2022-06-24* I love watching the Cracking the Cryptic YouTube channel so I had high hopes for this app. However I have had nothing but trouble with it! First, the code to supposedly transfer the app data from one device to another does absolutely nothing. I started a puzzle on one device but can’t continue on my other device. Also on several puzzles, the hints were completely wrong. One hint said that R8c9 was a 1, but the puzzle already had a 2 in that square to begin with… Also sometimes the pencil markings don’t allow both the centre numbers and corner numbers, they just switch all the marks to one or the other. Overall, pretty disappointing. ### 4/5 — Almost perfect, iPad support lacking *2022-06-14* I really like this sudoku app, it has the most effective interface and the dual notation options are wonderful. My only gripe is that there is no support for the iPad physical keyboard, which is how I do my sudokus. It would be wonderful to be able to type the number and use the arrow keys to navigate with shortcuts for different notation styles. The only other function I want would be to be able to set my own classic puzzles and then to solve them. ### 5/5 — The best, truly *2022-05-06* I had felt like I went through all the other sudoku game apps I could find and they were all too, well, predictable. Then I found this app and I'm almost sad now that I've completed all the puzzles. It's by far the best sudoku app I've ever played. Much more of a challenge without being overwhelming, and the puzzles are truly gorgeous. Highly recommended, 11/10! ### 5/5 — Awesome *2022-03-28, version 2.1* This is by far the best sudoku app just finished all the levels and loved it. The puzzles where well crafted and the hints where great when I got stuck. Getting another one of your apps now. Thanks guys!! ### 4/5 — Intéressant *2022-01-28* L’interface n’est pas des plus intuitives, mais les grilles sont intéressantes. ### 3/5 — Serious quality issues *2022-01-13, version 2.1* Given the level Cracking the Cryptic operates, I would expect a higher degree of care put on the puzzles and hints on how to solve. Puzzle #60 is not unique. Reading other puzzles are also not unique. As mentioned by others, many of the hints are incorrect as well. The app is great. The puzzles are what we’re here for, however. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — App Too Confusing *2025-02-12, version 2.1* Don’t waste your money. This app is way too confusing to use. Sudoku is a simple game. This app makes playing it almost impossible. ### 1/5 — You are only paying for 100 puzzles *2024-01-17, version 2.1* Purchased thinking more puzzles will be eventually added… NOPE!!! ### 1/5 — Save your money *2021-11-04* Some of the puzzles have incorrect hints associated with them. They are all ultra-hard and sometimes you can spend hours and hours looking for a solution that just isn’t there and only can you make progress by guessing. The functionality is absolutely fantastic, but due to incorrect hints and getting stuck on puzzles with no chance of making progress without guessing I can only give one star. I cannot justify $5 for this app. This would be better if all of the sudoku apps by cracking the cryptic were combined into one. Then I could justify $5. Maybe if they updated it and added more puzzles then I could also justify the $5. It’s just a waste and I’m sorry I blew $5 on this. I will add it seems only the cracking the cryptic puzzles seem to be flawed, the other writers puzzles are fun and solvable. ### 1/5 — Horrible User Interface *2020-11-05, version 2.0* Not like the UI from the YouTube channel at all. Can’t differentiate between given numbers and placed numbers since there’s no contrast (the places ones are charcoal grey vs givens are black). The button layout is annoying with the tiny numbers far from the board. I played a few games, but find it too annoying to keep using. sudokuexchange.com has the UI I was expecting. ### 1/5 — Very buggy on iOS. Ok on iPadOS *2020-07-14, version 1.08* Too many bugs. Unsolvable puzzles where the only number missing in a box doesn’t fit. I’ve run into this on multiple puzzles but didn’t have the same issue on the iPad. Just iPhone. Also on iPhone the numbers don’t gray out once you’ve filled in every grid with that number. Again this works on iPad. Not sure why it doesn’t come across on iPhone. ### 1/5 — Terrible controls! *2019-12-10, version 1.01* The controls are terrible. It took me the better part of 5 minutes to even get it to let me enter a firm number, not a pencil mark. Even after re-reading the instructions, I can only reliably get it to take entries if I don’t switch between options. Also after any touch of the color choice highlight tool, it simply will not let me enter anything into the boxes unless I go back to the highlight tool and toggle it around to regain any ability to continue the puzzle. I’m not sure how the 5 star reviews got here as I can’t even reliably get numbers entered into the grid. ### 2/5 — No more new puzzles? *2021-05-10* Good app with excellent puzzles but the updates stopped 5 months ago. I bought this app on the understanding that there would be 5 new puzzles each month, they stopped at 100. Such a shame, would not have minded buying the app if I had known this and could have made an informed decision. Now playing other sudoku app with daily challenge which is great. ### 2/5 — Love the software But.... NEED MORE PUZZLES !!! *2020-11-20* Love this software it’s awesome, really helps on solving the puzzles. The only downside is once you have solved all the supplied puzzles and at least half are too easy, the software is completely useless without more new puzzles or the ability to upload other puzzles either by manual entry or from photo. ### 2/5 — Awful level select screen *2020-10-20* The one before was good, like in all other apps by CTC. This one is super inconvenient! Please don’t make all other apps like this ### 2/5 — Lacks polish *2020-08-21* The app lacks a lot of polish, I would not recommend it. Hints, which are meant to teach you more, use shorthand which is not explained anywhere. They don’t even just highlight on the board, instead they cover it up so you have to remember what it says OR keep flipping between the board and the hint. And often times the hint assumes you were able to get to a certain point in the puzzle, so it might not even help. Other apps can give you a hint based on the current position in the solution where you are at. The text for instructions is too large and does not respect the default text size on the phone and the scrolling is wrong (does not behave like other windows on the phone). There is no pause button if you need to step away for a few minutes, you have to exit the puzzle. The numbers to select are smaller tap areas and feel like they are an after thought in the design. There are multiple ways to mark the puzzle and the description for how to use them talks as if you know a lot about Sudoku. Overall, does not feel like an app built for iOS and definitely not for beginners. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — This is the one *2025-06-26* Brilliant. ### 5/5 — Needs auto fill candidates *2025-04-22* For people with carpal tunnell ### 5/5 — Please add more puzzles *2024-05-04* Love the app. Really wish more puzzles would be added though. ### 5/5 — so much fun but not enough puzzles *2024-04-28* the app was great for learning y-wings, bent quadruples and empty rectangles. i just finished the last puzzle. i need more sudokus please!!!!!! ### 5/5 — The best *2023-11-21* Real puzzles created by real people, not stupid algorithms. Properly educational tips that help you develop your skills. The game play is almost perfect, just a few small niggles, like selection not being part of the undo. One big issue… only 100 puzzles. I finished them all. Please give us some more puzzles!!!! ### 5/5 — Better Tools *2023-05-30* The additional notation you can make really helps to solve the puzzles better. Bought the app after watching the YouTube channel for strategies to solve the harder puzzles. Hope they continue to add to this app. ### 5/5 — Great but some things missing *2022-11-08* I love this app! The design is easy to use, navigate and aesthetically pleasing. Two suggestions: 1) dark mode 2) upon completion some puzzles say ‘did you spit the’ and I can’t go and look at my completed puzzle to see it! ### 5/5 — More Puzzles Please!!! *2022-10-21, version 2.1* This is my favorite sudoku app of all time. I hate playing this game in others, it’s just not the same! I’ve been playing the same 100 puzzles for a few years now and am ready for more!! ### 5/5 — Love the channel *2022-10-12* Thanks for these free sudokus! I solved them all and they were really fun ### 5/5 — Absolutely outstanding! *2022-09-18* I love this app! Each puzzle is great in its own right and the options available to solve the puzzles are better or on par with anything else I have found. If there was one thing I would add to a wish list is the capacity to review the puzzle after I’m finished. As in the timer stops and I can go back on the history of actions to see what my process was. Specially to compare against the hints if I didn’t use them to see if I used what was hinted or if I came up with something else. But that is minor compared to everything else that this app gets right. If you love Sudoku definitely get this app! --- *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 2026-08-26.*