# Crux: A Climbing Game — user reviews > 83 indexed App Store user reviews of Crux by Benjamin Dressler, rated 3.93/5 from 216 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crux-a-climbing-game/id1522414390/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crux-a-climbing-game/id1522414390.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 129 · 4★ 28 · 3★ 12 · 2★ 9 · 1★ 38 ## What do users think of Crux? Overall sentiment: positive **Pros** - 🚀 Intuitive controls - 👍 Realistic climbing experience - 💡 Ability to create custom levels - 🚀 Smooth gameplay - 👍 Visually appealing - 👍 Challenging and rewarding **Cons** - 🐛 Inconsistent swipe registration - 🐛 Buggy camera controls - 🕰️ Frustrating time limits - 🐛 Glitches and crashes - 🕰️ Steep learning curve **Commonly reported bugs** - Certain levels stuck in practice mode - Character falling animation bug - Unresponsive controls on some devices - Crashes on startup for some users **Most requested features** - Add left-handed control option - Implement a tutorial or better onboarding - Introduce different climbing environments - Add character customization options - Implement a multiplayer mode ## Newest reviews (14 of 83) ### 4/5 — Very fun! *2023-01-21, version 3.5* The challenge makes this game really fun. I recommend adding more features. ### 2/5 — Good concept… *2022-09-30, version 3.5* …badly executed ### 3/5 — Want to give 5 stars *2022-04-09, version 3.4* I really like the idea of this game. But the controls don’t always work’? And there are moves that are definitely possible that the avatar can’t do for some reason? I think there shouldn’t be like a chalk timer that makes it more difficult. And at every safe hold you chalk up. And or maybe idk if this is a thing yet. But have like different climbing shoes. & maybe a character customization. Like height/ weight/wingspan/foot size/ ect. I think that would make it a bit more appealing as well. 😌 And maybe real rock climbing would be a cool mode also 🪨 crack climbing. A Jumping mechanic would be nice. But all together a new control system would be great! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ### 4/5 — Great game *2021-07-11, version 2.2.1* Fun game - great puzzles. I felt a little bored of it after mastering the movement and then, wouldn’t you know it, the devs released a new puzzle piece to mix up the puzzles (directional holds). Well played devs. However, the game now feels slow and unresponsive for foot movements. My swipe input feels simply ignored. I wondered if I was trying to make illegal moves...but nope, subsequent play throughs allowed the move. Something is up with the input of the foot moves, and it’s turning this pleasure of a puzzle game into something frustrating. ### 4/5 — Early review *2021-06-16, version 2.2.1* So I haven’t been playing long but already I love this game. Sure it’s challenging at times but there is always an option for ‘practice’ mode - which I like to use for a more Zen like experience. Only issue- sometimes it doesn’t register my swipes and on normal mode this often results in falls. Wish list: Get out of the gym and give us some realistic looking mountain walls to climb. Ones that may take 20 minutes to finish (maybe procedurally generated) Perhaps add some points that clip a rope when you reach them so a fall won’t put you far back :) Keep it up Devs! Edit: Just seen a screenshot from Crux 2 on discord and we are getting out of the gym ;) ### 4/5 — Fantastic innovative game *2021-05-17, version 2.2.1* This is the first rock climbing game that I’ve seen that doesn’t look like a joke. It’s animated extremely well. It looks like a real climber. It’s basically a platform and a puzzler combined. The controls are simple to learn but difficult to master. Also it’s amazing that you can make your own levels especially on a game that is so young! Some issues that I have: the learning curve is too steep and the time limits are too short for beginners. Some of the harder levels appear earlier than they should. There is a practice mode to turn off time limits but it switches back on for every level. Swipe gestures don’t always register. This game is a perfect example of a game that would benefit from a hardware controller option. Great job. Keep up the great work! ### 4/5 — Beautiful, elegant *2021-05-13, version 2.2.1* But it’s very boring for me. I couldn’t make it past the first few levels. I think part of the issue for me is that though the mechanics are spectacular and work wonderfully, the levels are designed into an unrealistic hard grid not seen in the climbing walls and natural rock formations. I suppose it’s an abstraction. Things could have been off kilter on position but they are tightened up for playability. Still... seems like there could be an alternate mode in future where the layout doesn’t conform to a grid.... maybe either the grid gets distorted spatially, but remains a grid. Or some other solution. ### 3/5 — First among good climbing games *2021-05-13, version 2.2.1* At first the controls are less than stellar or intuitive. Feet movement while very very important to climbing with good technique. It’s frustrating to have to tap multiple times to cycle through a position from left to right without all the intermediate steps. It makes you the climber feel like they have ZERO core strength lol. The camera is where frankly the game really shows weakness. There is no point to have a locked and scroll camera options. Just have us able to swipe to change the camera pan. As well a. Option to go auto so the camera moves with your progression or a detection when you reach the top or a threahold and have the camera auto centre you. I’ve lost countless attempts due to losing the visual of my character to successfully navigate a section. Either I go through quicker than expected or it’s in the bad zone of notifications that ruin the experience by covering what I need to visually see that’s important. Errors also occur with character falling off at the very start of Zone holds without even me moving. A Beta option should also be made to see either your friends or just the key to the puzzle if needed. Would love to see more variation of moves and possible various mechanics being added. Also playing the game with the swipe on default is a poor choice and almost uninstalled until I found this option to show the arrows. Movement is already not the best in response and without those arrows it’s like taking a guess if the character will actually move at all. ### 4/5 — Great game, but needs left-handed controls *2021-03-25, version 2.2.1* Great game, but it needs a left-handed setting. I keep instinctively using the left hand to move the arms and getting frustrated when the legs move instead 🤦‍♂️ ### 4/5 — Great. But buggy *2021-03-02, version 2.2.1* Love this game. Gets progressively challenging and taxing. Nice movement and variation. Lots to play with. But... the controls get buggy on some walls, frustratingly not moving as it should resulting in you dropping off the wall. Frustrating. Could be my device of course! ### 5/5 — 👍 *2021-02-15, version 2.2.1* Добавте русский язык пожалуста))) ### 3/5 — Interesting game *2021-01-16, version 2.1* It took me about 5 min of frustrating playing before I figured out there were virtual buttons and realized that hitting “tap to play” on the homepage brings me to a V16? The UI isn’t exactly user friendly in my opinion. I feel like the first thing it should’ve brought me to was a tutorial about the controls and some gameplay tips, or at least an easy problem. I do like the graphics, and if I play some more, I can see it potentially getting more fun ### 2/5 — WAYYYY too hard *2021-01-13, version 2.1* I just want to say that this game is impossible. In the starting level, I try to move and the girl falls before I even know how to react. Often the controls don’t even do anything. This game is a waste of time ### 5/5 — Truly amazing!!! *2021-01-11, version 2.1* WOW! This game is truly amazing I’m a climber myself and I’ve been waiting for a app like this to be made. The mechanics of the work great and it’s a very enjoyable experience. I love that you can grade the climbs :) ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Can’t start the game *2024-10-07, version 3.5* How can i start the game ### 1/5 — THIS GAME IS BEYOND TERRIBLE *2022-07-19, version 3.5* Just dont waste your time, the games better off dead ### 1/5 — Not for Real Rock Climbers *2022-02-15, version 3.4* First off, I’ve been climbing for ten and half years. This game makes you climb like a newb. You have to match every hand and foot hold, and your climber never gets stronger. So, as you progress through the game, the levels get more difficult and confusing, but your climber can still only hold a small hold for a second or less. If you like doing the same thing over and over and over and over until you find the only possible path, this is the game for you. Have fun. If you actually know how to climb, this will likely be irritating, and absolutely not fun to play after the first twenty levels or so. It’s a decent talking point, a fine attempt, and maybe it’s worth a couple of bucks, but as a game, it’s really aggravating. ### 1/5 — Are this for special iPhone? *2021-03-03, version 2.2.1* The app don’t up for me my phone se2020 ### 1/5 — Bug In Opening *2021-03-03, version 2.2.1* I’ve just downloaded this game but There is a problem in opening the game and the screen will be locked on the Logo when I want to open it! What should I do to fix it? ### 1/5 — id give 0 if i could *2021-01-16, version 2.1* no instructions, my person wont hold on and the game crashes every time i fall. unplayable. ### 1/5 — Er...? *2021-01-07, version 2.1* Wired and unplayable. Sorry. ### 1/5 — Unrealistic climbing movements *2020-11-28, version 1.3.1* Tedious to move arms then legs separately your top and bottom half don’t feel like they are working together and there are no inertia type forces where you can build speed with a controlled speed and your feet can only touch the black squares without the option of using the flat wall as a kick off point. ### 1/5 — Seems like there are issues reading swipes *2020-11-11, version 1.3.1* The game doesn’t switch between the arms or legs grabbing properly so I get stuck in an endless loop of moving legs I am not trying to move. Or resetting the climbers body back to the previous position. I had to delete this as I can’t get the climber to respond except foot to the left or right. Upper body won’t budge when there are 3 options. ### 1/5 — Not so cool 😞😟🙁 *2020-11-04, version 1.3.1* Hi it was so much fun until you beat the 3 or 5 levels 😕👎 ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — best game for climbers *2026-05-25, version 3.5* i’ve been playing for a couple days now and I thought I would get bored of it after a couple hours of playing but there’s community routes you can set and publish your own and there’s many regular routes that are in the career type gameplay love this game ### 5/5 — I love climbing!!! *2025-04-18, version 3.5* I enjoy climbing loads at Boulders and Crux really helps when my climbing gym gets too expensive! It also helps loads with strategy! Love it💕 But, having the time limits on holds are just frustrating! When you’re so high up but lose the progress! AAAAHH ### 5/5 — Crux *2022-10-28, version 3.5* Would it be possible to add adaptive climbers to the climbers to pick from? ### 5/5 — Climbing Game Inspired By Rock Gyms *2022-06-09, version 3.5* Very fun for ex-climbers or those interested. Not the same thing at all. ### 5/5 — Recommended *2021-11-21, version 3.4* I don’t see a lot of climbing games like this and if I do it is really horrible. I would recommend this to all climbers. By the way, I am a climber so that is why I enjoy this game. ### 5/5 — Great abstract take on the sport of climbing *2021-10-24, version 3.4* I’m a climber and I really enjoy this game. Props to the game designer and developers. Good job! ### 5/5 — 5 stars easy *2021-08-09, version 3.3.4* This is THE rock climbing app you’ve been looking for. ### 5/5 — Amazing but one bug *2021-05-31, version 2.2.1* This is a amazing game and I’ve spent hours playing it and it hasent gotten old the only thing is there is one bug I found and I don’t know how to let you know there is a bug so I am doing a review but here is the bug if you are stuck at a part you can turn practice mode on and go through the part without a timer and then you can turn it off after you get through the part and then the timer keeps going from where you turned practice mode on and then if you let the timer go and then you fall you respawn from where you feel so it’s kinda a cheat for if you can’t get through a level I don’t know if that was intentional or not just wanted to let you know that was happening I hope that makes sense ### 5/5 — Best climbing game out there *2021-05-12, version 2.2.1* I love this gone so much. I love the route reading aspect of it and how you need to find the beta before you climb just like real life. I have noticed to bugs and I don’t know where else to report them so I’m just saying it here. 1) The route called “Going Under” will not say it is finished. It has something to do with the practice mode because whenever you start the level, the game automatically switches to practice mode. 2) Sometimes when I fall of, my character falls to the ground and just lays there like she gives up on climbing. I don’t know what causes this but it exists. Again I love this game in its entirety. ### 5/5 — Amazing! *2021-03-06, version 2.2.1* Love the game! Been playing since it’s release and the developers have been awesome! One quick question: When are you going to bring back the import gum function!!? I love creating routes and miss that feature. Also if you do bring it back can you include the ability to assign a difficulty level to your custom routes? --- *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 2026-08-21.*