# Hintoku: Your Sudoku Coach — user reviews > 36 indexed App Store user reviews of Hintoku by hlm solutions, rated 4.80/5 from 43 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hintoku-your-sudoku-coach/id6744828400/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hintoku-your-sudoku-coach/id6744828400.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 39 · 4★ 2 · 3★ 1 · 2★ 1 · 1★ 0 ## Newest reviews (16 of 36) ### 5/5 — Great app to learning and improving Sudoku *2026-05-06, version 1.6.5* I like this app. It’s easy to use and helps me learn Sudoku step by step. I’ve improved since I started and enjoy playing it. I would recommend it to others. ### 5/5 — Great *2026-04-28, version 1.6.5* Great ### 5/5 — Great *2026-04-24, version 1.6.5* I’m learning so much!! ### 5/5 — Excellent layout and design *2026-04-19, version 1.6.3* I downloaded this app because I wanted to improve at Sudoku and not get stumped by the more difficult levels in magazines and such. This app did teach me a lot of techniques that I didn’t know before, and if you’re willing to use the hints, the hints are very well-done and informative. I’ll be honest and say I haven’t been able to understand or apply much beyond the Core Chaining Techniques, but what I’ve learned from just the first few techniques has helped immensely, and I rarely get stumped by commercial puzzles these days, even ones marked as Hard. But what I’d really like to compliment, is the layout and design of the puzzles and keypad. There’s a little bit of a learning curve, getting used to the format, but after a minute or two, the gameplay is so fast, logical, and efficient, I’m actively irritated by the formatting of other Sudoku apps now. I strongly recommend this app just for the ease of play. I’d like to make the suggestion that the keypad numbers could be darkened out as they’re completed, but besides than that one small thing, all the other Sudoku apps could learn something about facilitating smooth gameplay. ### 5/5 — Drawn to make a review *2026-03-29, version 1.6.3* I’ve never written a review for any of the many apps I’ve used, but this app is just too good not to share! This is the handhold and guidence that I was imagining when seeking an app to learn Sudoku, and it is even better than I imagined! I’m 5 strategies in and am certain that I’ll be becoming a Sudoku master! ### 5/5 — A brilliant app! *2026-03-26, version 1.6.3* I discovered this app from an AI search engine. It is the best one I have come across. It teaches you many basic to very advanced Sudoku solving techniques. It does this by taking you through different levels of technique with demonstrations, several (free) example boards per technique and an impressive hint system that really works without getting out of step or simply taking over. The free boards per section allow plenty of time to practice each technique you are on. Also, you can get stars for solving a board with a low or zero use of hints and mistakes, if that sort of thing helps your motivation (it did me). What I don’t understand is why it doesn’t have lots of reviews. This is a real gem, in my opinion. After getting to the end of the 10 free games in the section on XY-wings, I bought the game (£4.99) so that I could practice the technique further, even though I had lots of free sections on even more techniques still to go. ### 5/5 — Drawn to make a review *2026-03-24* I’ve never written a review for any of the many apps I’ve used, but this one is just too good to share! This is the handhold and guidence that I was imagining when seeking an app to learn Sudoku, and it is even better than I imagined! I’m 5 strategies in and am certain that I’ll be becoming a Sudoku master! **Developer response:** Wow, thanks! I really appreciate you taking the time to write your first review 🙂 I’m glad the guidance and step-by-step approach match what you were looking for, that’s exactly what I had in mind when building it. And nice progress already - 5 strategy groups in is a great start. You’ve got a few more level 4 groups ahead, and mastering those will let you solve the vast majority of human-solvable Sudokus. Hope you enjoy the journey 🙂 ### 5/5 — Absolutely the best! *2026-03-15, version 1.6.0* I’ve been playing sudoku on NYT and getting frustrated when I get stuck. This app gives you exact techniques for when you’re stuck and even the complex tutorials become digestible. Absolutely love this app! ### 5/5 — Very helpful *2026-03-14, version 1.6.0* This is perfect for learning new techniques. ### 5/5 — Helpful walkthroughs *2026-03-12, version 1.6.0* Thanks for creating this! I’ve been looking through youtube to understand the concepts, but this made it a lot easier to understand. ### 5/5 — Most helpful *2026-02-26, version 1.6.0* This app has the best drills, more that any other it is really helping me Improve my skills ### 5/5 — Best iOS Sudoku App *2026-02-14, version 1.6.0* I’ve been looking for a sudoku app that rivals absolute on android, and this is finally that app. Thankyou so much!! ### 5/5 — Just what I was looking for and more *2026-01-17, version 1.5.1* Would give this app 6 stars if I could. I recently rediscovered my love for sudoku puzzles, and wanted to try more challenging ones but would occasionally get stuck. I knew there were more advanced strategies than the ones I had figured out on my own, but I didn’t understand how to use them. This is a very well-designed and thoughtfully created app. Not only did it coach me step by step through more intermediate and advanced strategies so I now have the tools to conquer any sudoku I attempt, but the interface is better than any other I’ve used. The ability to highlight all cells that have a number as a candidate and/or solved is extremely helpful, as is the ability to color code candidates. And as a bonus, if I’m trying to solve a puzzle elsewhere and I get stuck, I can plug it into this app and it will coach me through the specific strategies I should use to solve it. Thank you, developer! Well done. ### 5/5 — Brilliant training for Sudoku! *2026-01-04, version 1.5.0* I’ve been “solving” Sudoku puzzles for years, but found myself hitting a plateau on more challenging difficulty levels. This app in just a few short hours not only meaningfully introduced the ways to solve these puzzles but managed to give instant feedback when I needed it the most. The initial gameplay feels cumbersome in the first couple rounds - don’t let that be a reason to set it down - it’s by design (I think) for beginners… As you advance and learn it opens up and is truly wonderful. Cannot recommend enough. Will be paying for the app, no question. ### 5/5 — Just what I was looking for! *2025-12-30, version 1.4.2* I have loved sudoku since I was a kid but could only ever solve mediums… most of the time. So I loaded up this gem! It takes a lot of concentration and practice to truly understand the techniques; though a few days of utilizing the tips and tricks here, mediums are a cinch, I can solve most hards and I’m after those experts! Great step-by-step, hold-your-hand app! ### 5/5 — Love it *2025-12-30, version 1.4.2* I used to play an amazing sudoku game on here and it was taken down. Luckily I found this from a post by the developer on Reddit!! I love the way the hints are presented. My only one minor “complaint” is auto-deleting candidates. But it’s not majorly important. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Too buggy to play *2026-01-26* Consistently blocks moves that are correct making the game completely useless. **Developer response:** This sounds like a misunderstanding of how Sudoku rules and logical solving work. In Sudoku, a move is not considered correct just because it doesn’t immediately break a row, column, or box. A move is only correct if it keeps the puzzle solvable all the way to the end. Hintoku checks moves in two ways: - If a move clearly violates Sudoku rules (for example, placing the same number twice in a row/column/box, or removing the last possible candidate from a unit), the app will block it immediately and explain why (e.g. “There’s no room for 8 in row 9”). - If a move doesn’t look wrong at first, but logically leads to a dead end later (making the puzzle impossible to finish), Hintoku will also block it and explain that the move would break the puzzle later on. This is intentional and prevents unsolvable grids. In both cases, the move is undone to keep the puzzle valid. If you believe a move was blocked incorrectly, I’m happy to investigate. Please send the puzzle grid and the exact move you tried to developer@hlms.cz - if it’s an app issue, I’ll fix it; if not, I’ll explain why the move isn’t logically valid. ### 3/5 — Restarts puzzles *2026-02-16, version 1.6.0* Great coaching but it restarts/refreshes puzzles I’m in the middle of if I leave the app. ### 4/5 — No like light tap heavy tap *2026-01-03, version 1.4.2* I like the concept where I can learn the different techniques but I hate the quick tap to set a note and long press to place the solving number. I have played a few games in this app and would rather have a notes on/off button to use instead of the short/long tap. I have played over a thousand games in a different app and I’m used to the notes on/off button. I have another app that tells me what technique I’m looking at to get past a difficult play. I’m not sure if I will keep this app or delete it. What can you do to convince me? Another thing I have come across while playing is when I know the number to place and I forget to hard press I get an error message if there’s other candidates in the cell. If my number l’m placing is the only candidate I get a message to long press. It would be nice if I get the message no matter how many candidates are in the cell. ### 4/5 — No like light tap heavy tap *2025-12-27* I like the concept where I can learn the different techniques but I hate the quick tap to set a note and long press to place the solving number. I have played a few games in this app and would rather have a notes on/off button to use instead of the short/long tap. I have played over a thousand games in a different app and I’m used to the notes on/off button. I have another app that tells me what technique I’m looking at to get past a difficult play. I’m not sure if I will keep this app or delete it. What can you do to convince me? **Developer response:** Thanks a lot for taking the time to write such detailed feedback, I really appreciate it, especially since you clearly know what you like after playing so many Sudoku games. About the tap / long-press behavior: I completely understand why this feels uncomfortable if you’re used to a notes on/off toggle. That muscle memory is strong, and switching interaction models can definitely be frustrating. Before anything else, one quick question - have you tried enabling Auto-Solve Singles (and Auto-Eliminate Candidates) in Settings? With those turned on, you usually don’t need to long-press very often, and the solving flow becomes much faster. Many players miss these options at first, but they make a big difference. That said, I’ll be honest about why I designed it this way. I actually consider the tap / long-press approach an advantage - for the very same reasons you currently see it as a drawback 🙂 My goals were: - to keep the UI cleaner (no extra mode toggle to manage), - to make the most common action (removing candidates) a simple tap, - and to make placing a final solution feel more deliberate, which naturally fits better with mobile UI than another button. Promoting a candidate to a solution is a more “final” action, so I wanted it to feel intentional rather than accidental. This design choice also comes from my own experience: I originally built Hintoku for myself years ago, and I kept making mistakes in other apps simply because I forgot to switch between notes and solution mode. That said - your feedback is completely valid. You’re not the first experienced player to mention this. Interestingly, most similar feedback I’ve received was along the lines of “it took some time to get used to, but once I did, I actually prefer it”. Still, I’ve added a notes on/off toggle to my list of things to seriously consider. I can’t promise when (or if) I’ll implement it, but feedback like yours genuinely influences what I prioritize. Thanks again for giving Hintoku a try and for being honest about your experience. If you’re curious about the “why” behind other design decisions in the app, feel free to email me at developer@hlms.cz - I’d be happy to share more (including a short write-up on why I built Hintoku). I really appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts. ### 5/5 — Great for practicing! *2026-08-03, version 2.1.0* I really have liked it in my first work with it, but I’d really also like a way to hone in on intermediate and hard concepts in a more focused way - for example, I’d love to be able to drill xy-wing recognition. An iPad adaptation with more space would also be nice - I had eye strain from it being so small. (I am using it on the iPad but some more room would be really nice for older eyes!) ### 5/5 — Intuitive and unique *2026-07-18, version 2.1.0* A great way to learn or get better at sudoku. I thought i was pretty decent, but I’ve been able to learn interesting ways to get better. ### 5/5 — Learn strategies *2026-07-07, version 2.1.0* I was solving medium level sudokus but was getting stuck on harder ones. I looked up videos and tutorials on advanced strategies but it was hard to follow them and understand. This app teaches you the strategies and lets you practice those strategies and understand them before moving on to the next one. The hints are great and walk you through the techniques step by step. Awesome app and highly recommend to up your sudoku skills. ### 5/5 — Excellent *2026-07-04, version 2.1.0* An outstanding and truly professional app! It’s incredibly educational and easy to use. I’ve tried many Sudoku-solving apps before, but this one is on a whole different level. It’s by far the best one I’ve used. Highly recommended to anyone who enjoys Sudoku ### 5/5 — Great *2026-06-11, version 2.0.2* I like all the functions and ways to learn new techniques. Highly recommended for sudoku fans wanting to improve their skills ### 5/5 — Improve you soduko *2026-05-30, version 2.0.1* Excellent functions, clear tutorials, auto candidate option ## Most praised reviews (4 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Great game *2026-05-24, version 2.0.0* Love how you can enter a sudoku puzzle. Love how it automatically puts in the hints after you have entered your puzzle and takes away. The hint marks after you placed a for sure number. ### 5/5 — Easy Learning *2026-05-18, version 2.0.0* Friendly learning at your pace ### 5/5 — Great features *2026-05-17, version 2.0.0* I’ve tried a lot of different apps to improve my pattern recognition for solving harder puzzles, and I really like the way this app works. Definitely download. ### 5/5 — Nice teaching aid! *2026-05-10, version 1.6.5* Teaches you all the techniques needed for solving difficult puzzles. I especially love the feature where it tells you the “next technique available” without giving away too much. Great job, developer! --- *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 2026-08-24.*