# Killer Sudoku CTC — by Cracking the Cryptic > Killer Sudoku puzzles with sum cages, crafted by expert creators. (iPhone/iPad app by Nick Carney.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/killer-sudoku-ctc/id1544165118 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Nick Carney](https://appshunter.io/developer/1434235673) - Category: Games, Board, Puzzle - Price: $4.99 - Rating: 4.60/5 from 78 App Store ratings · 60 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 11.0 · 48 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2020-12-14 - Data updated: 2026-09-04 - Monetization: free - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/killer-sudoku-ctc/id1544165118/reviews.md ## What is Killer Sudoku CTC? ***** APRIL UPDATE ***** 40 new standard puzzles + 15 bonus beginner puzzles ------------------------------------- Presented by Cracking The Cryptic, YouTube’s most popular Sudoku channel, comes a new game based on our most requested variant: Killer Sudoku. In Killer Sudoku, every puzzle features cages that tell you the sum of the numbers inside. This extra information leads to beautiful logic that you will master as you progress through our handmade puzzles. The puzzles in Killer Sudoku are created by Simon and Mark as well as a large number of guest creators. Fans of Cracking the Cryptic's YouTube channel will recognize many of these authors as some of the most talented creators working today! As with our other games (‘Classic Sudoku’, ‘Sandwich Sudoku’, ‘Chess Sudoku’, 'Thermo Sudoku' and 'Miracle Sudoku'), Simon Anthony and Mark Goodliffe (the hosts of Cracking The Cryptic) have written all the hints for the puzzles. So you know that every puzzle has been play-tested by a human being to ensure that each sudoku is interesting and fun to solve. In Cracking The Cryptic’s games, players start with zero stars and earn stars by solving puzzles. The more puzzles you solve, the more stars you earn and the more puzzles you get to play. Only the most dedicated (and cleverest) sudoku players will finish all the puzzles. Of course the difficulty is carefully calibrated to ensure lots of puzzles at every level (from easy through to extreme). Anyone familiar with their YouTube channel will know that Simon and Mark take pride in teaching viewers to be better solvers and, in these games, they always craft the puzzles with the mindset of trying to help solvers improve their skills. Mark and Simon have both represented the UK many times at the World Sudoku Championship and you can find more of their puzzles (and lots of others) on the internet’s biggest sudoku channel Cracking The Cryptic. Features: 100 beautiful puzzles 15 bonus beginner puzzles Hints crafted by Simon and Mark! ## Key features - Killer Sudoku variant - Sum cages for logic - Handmade puzzles - Expert creator puzzles - Star-based progression - Adjustable difficulty levels - Human-tested hints ## Chart rankings - #182 in Top Paid · Board (US App Store) ## What do users think of Killer Sudoku CTC? Overall sentiment: positive **Pros** - ✨ Beautifully crafted puzzles - 🧠 Logically satisfying deductions - 👍 Intuitive and well-designed interface - 💡 Excellent hint system for learning - ✅ Handy calculator and combination lists - 🚀 Smooth gameplay experience - 💯 High-quality app overall - ⭐ Great value for money **Cons** - 🤔 Puzzles can be very difficult - 🐛 Hints sometimes lack clarity - 🐛 Typos and unexplained leaps in hints - 🔋 App can be battery draining - 🔄 Progress lost on reinstallation - ⏳ Slow update frequency - 🤔 Some puzzles require brute force/guessing - 🎨 Limited theme options **Commonly reported bugs** - 🐛 Timer jumps up hundreds of minutes - 🐛 Unusable in landscape mode - 🐛 Puzzles can be unsolvable (e.g., Game #2) - 🐛 Syncing progress resets completion times - 🐛 Undo/redo history lost when exiting game to settings - 🐛 Some themes don't show completed numbers - 🐛 Corner pencil marks display inconsistently **Most requested features** - Ability to reset puzzles - More puzzles needed - Cloud sync feature - Option to view hint and grid simultaneously - Explanation of sudoku terms - Inclusion of list exclusion in undo stack - Darker theme options - Larger buttons for input - Option to see small numbers in order typed - Option to reduce and drag calculator/combinations screen - Shading of cells within the same cage in a different color - Row and column numbers displayed - More color options for cells ## Recent user reviews (10 of 60) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/killer-sudoku-ctc/id1544165118/reviews.md ### 1/5 — Great games but… *2024-11-09, version 1.2* It’s annoying having to replay the same puzzles every time I redownload the app. Sometimes I delete it if I’m spending too much time on it and then I lose all progress. Would much rather have access to all the puzzles at once. ### 5/5 — Real Excellence! *2024-09-13* After watching the YouTube channel for guidance, I was looking for an app that matched what I saw on the channel as the mobile app I was using was good, but wow…not this good. These puzzles just keep on giving right to the very end! The interface (you can quickly get used to it) is very good indeed, allowing you to focus on the puzzle and not get sidetracked with addition & subtraction. As such, I cannot recommend this app highly enough. ### 5/5 — Best killer audio app I have found *2024-08-12* Great app, hours and hours of curated individual, special puzzles to learn from that get gradually harder with loads of puzzles on the really very hard end of the spectrum. One of my favourite discoveries which I don’t find with any other killer siding puzzles is the realisation that each puzzle has an angle, a thing it is trying to teach you, a technique or an attitude towards solving the puzzles. The interface is very well thought out too. ### 4/5 — Almost perfect *2024-08-07, version 1.2* The puzzle clears itself the moment you finish it so there’s no time to screen shot the solution. ### 5/5 — Very Enjoyable *2024-07-17* A nice twist on classic Sudoku. I really enjoy the App, the puzzles and the YouTube channel. Lovely. I have spent hours on these wonderful puzzles and they are a bargain all things considered. Thank you CTC and Mr. Carney. ### 5/5 — Great series- but timing bug fix needed *2023-08-05* Love love love the CTC puzzles, but there seems to be a bug with this one where the timer suddenly jumps up 100’s of minutes! Please fix! ### 5/5 — such fun but i need new puzzles *2023-03-26* please release more puzzles i completed them all in an obsession and miss playing so much ### 5/5 — 90 - “Bloom” by Clover *2023-02-24* This puzzle is an absolute work of art. ### 5/5 — Is it possible to reset the puzzles to play them again? *2023-01-29* Love the app, but can’t find a way to reset it and start over again ### 5/5 — The best! *2023-01-26* Hands down the best sudoku app I’ve ever used! Easy, intuitive, and fun!!! ## Frequently asked questions about Killer Sudoku CTC ### What is Killer Sudoku? Killer Sudoku is a variant of the classic Sudoku puzzle. In addition to the standard Sudoku rules, each puzzle features cages with a number indicating the sum of the digits within that cage. This additional constraint provides a unique logical challenge. ### Who created the puzzles in this app? The puzzles are created by Simon and Mark from Cracking The Cryptic, YouTube's most popular Sudoku channel, along with a team of guest creators. They are known for their talent in crafting interesting and fun Sudoku puzzles. ### How does the progression system work? Players start with zero stars and earn them by solving puzzles. The more puzzles you solve, the more stars you accumulate, which unlocks more puzzles to play. This system rewards dedication and skill. ### What difficulty levels are available? The app offers a carefully calibrated difficulty range, from easy through to extreme. This ensures that players of all skill levels, from beginners to advanced solvers, can find engaging challenges. ### Are there in-app purchases or ads? Based on the provided information, the app does not feature in-app purchases or advertisements. It is offered as a free game. ## Version history (last 3 releases) ### 1.2 — 2022-04-06 - 40 new puzzles - 15 bonus beginner puzzles All 100(+) puzzles are out now, thank you for playing Killer Sudoku! ### 1.1 — 2021-06-21 20 new puzzles! Smart Hints (beta) ### 1.0 — 2020-12-14 No release notes. ## Apps similar to Killer Sudoku CTC | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Sudoku: Variants & Classic](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sudoku-variants-and-classic/id1530683853) | 4.8 (1,588) | Free | Games | | [Sudoku : Daily Fun Puzzle Game](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sudoku-daily-fun-puzzle-game/id6450412432) | 4.9 (2,336) | Free | Games | | [Killer Sudoku - Brain Games](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/killer-sudoku-brain-games/id1532397340) | 4.7 (26,586) | Free | Games | | [Sudoku ∙ Classic Sudoku Games](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sudoku-classic-sudoku-games/id1522685808) | 4.7 (23,088) | Free | Games | | [Sudoku Quest - Puzzle Games](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sudoku-quest-puzzle-games/id671755288) | 4.7 (1,855) | Free | Games | | [Sudoku \| Puzzle Brain Games](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sudoku-puzzle-brain-games/id6473121764) | 5.0 (3) | Free | Games | ## More apps by Nick Carney - [Achromatic!](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/achromatic/id1434235674) - [Sandwich Sudoku](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sandwich-sudoku/id1476116705) - [Classic Sudoku!](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/classic-sudoku/id1488838275) - [Chess Sudoku](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-sudoku/id1500654482) - [Thermo Sudoku](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thermo-sudoku/id1513994223) - [Miracle Sudoku](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/miracle-sudoku/id1527363795) All apps by Nick Carney: https://appshunter.io/developer/1434235673 ## Related topics [killer sudoku ctc](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/killer-sudoku-ctc) · [cracking the cryptic](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/cracking-the-cryptic) --- *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 2026-09-04.*