# Learn Cryptic Crosswords — user reviews > 119 indexed App Store user reviews of Learn Cryptic Crosswords by Teazel, rated 4.80/5 from 448 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/learn-cryptic-crosswords/id1281120570/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/learn-cryptic-crosswords/id1281120570.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 397 · 4★ 38 · 3★ 5 · 2★ 1 · 1★ 7 ## What do users think of Learn Cryptic Crosswords? Overall sentiment: positive **Pros** - 👍 Excellent step-by-step guide - 🚀 Comprehensive and informative - 💡 Interactive and engaging learning - 👍 Helpful and clear explanations - 👍 Structured and logical progression - 👍 Great value for money - 👍 Effective teaching method - 👍 Fantastic learning tool - 👍 Brilliant for beginners - 👍 Superb app design **Cons** - 🐛 Occasional technical issues - 🔒 Lack of cross-device progress sync - 💰 Paywall after initial free content **Commonly reported bugs** - Menu button freezing the app - Inability to fill in answers directly **Most requested features** - Ability to take notes within the app - Integrated anagram solver and reference tools - Option to skip ahead to practice puzzles ## Newest reviews (18 of 119) ### 5/5 — Great app *2025-03-08, version 1.14* Well written to teach the beginners and those who have a basic knowledge. Not too simple or patronising, but engaging and informative! Thank you ### 5/5 — Excellent app *2025-01-25, version 1.14* A very structured way to learn methods for solving cryptic crosswords. Although the app has a bit of a clunky feel the content itself is excellent. ### 5/5 — Excellent app for an introduction to cryptic crosswords *2025-01-17* This app is worth every penny of the money you spend on it. It truly demystified Cryptic Crosswords for me. The creator does an excellent job of explaining the concepts in an easy to digest manner and builds up on the skills needed to solve a full grid. At the end of this course, cryptic clues that never made sense to you in the past will make sense and you may even be able tackle the not so easy puzzles in newspapers. Highly recommend this app to anyone who is interested in learning about cryptic crosswords. ### 5/5 — Great resource *2025-01-17, version 1.14* Useful and well made ### 5/5 — Worth every penny and more *2024-12-28* After doing the crossword pretty much every day for years I wanted more of a challenge. Cryptic crosswords seemed the next step but after several tries to figure it out on my own I became frustrated and gave up. This app helped me understand by providing excellent information and examples. Invaluable resource. Thank you! ### 5/5 — Addictive *2024-12-15, version 1.14* Always wanted to learn how to do cryptic crosswords, but the amount of tricks you need to learn seemed overwhelming - but this app breaks it down perfectly and at such a good pace. It’s awesome! ### 5/5 — Best app on the Internet *2024-10-09, version 1.13* It’s so good. ### 5/5 — awesome! *2024-09-29, version 1.13* really great for learning crosswords :) ### 5/5 — Teaching perfected *2024-08-16, version 1.13* Subjects gently introduced then simple and then harder exercises. This is super. ### 5/5 — Excellent *2024-08-10* I’ve wanted to learn cryptic crosswords since watching Inside no.9’s Riddle of the Sphinx. This really is the perfect solution for learning cryptic crosswords. I’ve tried a few sources but none are as comprehensive as this. Each topic is gradually introduced and many opportunities are given for you to put your newly learned skills into practice. I see a few review complain at the cost…. For me a fiver is excellent value. It’s essentially an interactive book. There is also a brilliant feature which will explain the answer if there is a clue you can’t solve. ### 5/5 — Great *2024-07-27, version 1.13* Great ### 5/5 — Awesome *2024-06-08* I was so happy to find this. The interactive examples really help simplify learning. I love cryptics, but haven’t done any for years, and this was a perfect app to get back into them. Worth it. ### 5/5 — Great little app. Worth it! *2024-06-01* I’m loving this app. It explains cryptic crosswords from basics, layering learning to the more complex clues. I feel so accomplished when I’m able to solve the practice puzzles in each chapter. I started with the free version and thought not much would be free, but it’s quite a comprehensive introduction - I was hooked! I’ve spent $8 on less (not to mention a book on cryptic crosswords that didn’t help me learn at all :p). My wife also got hooked watching me learn and bought the app too! ### 5/5 — Great stuff! *2024-04-07* I'm loving this app, it's really clear and simple to understand, helping step me through the different types of clues and providing an excellent tool to practice at each stage. I was very happy to pay $7.99 for this (the first chapter is free so you can decide if the style of learning suits you). Highly recommend!!! ### 5/5 — Great app *2024-01-20, version 1.13* Very well put together and informative guide to cryptic crosswords. Definitely worth the small amount to unlock the full app. ### 5/5 — Structured lessons *2024-01-05, version 1.13* Provides graded lessons to teach how clues are constructed. Then a series of opportunities to use this knowledge. Good for adults or older children. ### 5/5 — Cryptic Crosswords Revealed *2023-09-18, version 1.13* Very enlightening. Understandable. Engaging and enjoyable. ### 5/5 — Really helpful, wish I had found this sooner! *2023-05-22* Growing up, I'd watch in awe as my dad solve cryptic crosswords effortlessly. The answers never made sense to me. So one day he showed me how an anagram works in a clue. Later I tired on my own and other clue types made no sense to my young mind. This app will teach you the tricks, hidden meanings, structures used in cryptic crosswords in fun and engaging way. It's like having my dad explain it to me! :) Highly recommend. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Doesn’t work *2024-08-17, version 1.13* I didn’t realise this app hadn’t been updated for years until I bought it. You can’t fill in any of the answers as the interactive element of the app no longer words. I fear I’ve wasted my money. ### 1/5 — Great content hidden cost *2021-01-14* App is free to download but to get content requires a purchase. Wouldn’t be a big deal if a) they’d been up front about it or b) didn’t already have a bunch of other apps out there. Seems self defeating to charge people money to enable them to spend more money on your other products ### 1/5 — Impossible to use *2018-10-25* The guide seems useful, but completing the exercises is impossible because there is no keyboard l. ### 2/5 — OK if you want to pay *2019-03-28, version 1.10* Good app...for the first chapter, after which you have to pay if you want to go any further....deleted. ### 3/5 — Money *2022-07-23, version 1.13* Have to pay to continue after chapter1 ### 3/5 — Needs fixing *2020-10-22, version 1.13* This is a very good app and I am really enjoying it, however, the menu button (which supposedly gives you access to lots of explanations and hints etc) seems to freeze the whole game whenever I press it. Please could this be fixed in an update as it really limits what you can get from the app? ### 4/5 — Don’t like to pay *2026-08-03* You have to pay for chapters 2-6 to keep on going with your learning process, but overall it’s interesting and fun to do if you’re bored instead of doing something you aren’t interested in. ❤️😋 ### 4/5 — A great app for cryptic crosswords *2022-05-11* Now I’ve read through this app, I never ever want to do or see a cryptic crossword again! A pointless waste of valuable lifetime. A well designed and thorough app though. ### 4/5 — Steve *2021-01-26* If you use across two different devices, your progress is not synced and it asks you to pay twice. I have on phone when out and about but use I pad at home and paid on I pad, but need to pay again on phone☹️ so stopped at end of free section. Shame. otherwise superb, great clarity of explanation and can use app as reference for breakdown of 2,3 and 4 letter elements within clues without providing the whole answer, this was my breakthrough moment when the penny dropped. I found I knew more than I thought I did, this app helps you to understand the construction and type of clue that allows you to then deconstruct to get the answer. If it was a single payment for both devices then it would have been 5 stars ### 4/5 — Thank you *2020-05-24, version 1.11* A quick and easy way to start delving into cryptic crosswords. Teazel....any connection with Trig pointing? A direct question not a cryptic one. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Excellent lessons *2026-05-01, version 1.17* Great tutorials and worked examples. A great way to develop and learn a new hobby ### 5/5 — Just what I needed *2026-02-01* I’m new to cryptics and was looking for ways to learn their tricks. This app was exactly what I needed! Well worth the small purchase to unlock the full set of tutorials. I love how it builds the lesson from the trivial to the practical. Thank you. ### 5/5 — Helpful *2026-01-27, version 1.14* This is actually really bloody helpful if you are leaning, or a beginner cryptic crossworder ### 5/5 — Beautifully done *2026-01-02* I’ve never written a review for an app before but I had to write this one! I truly believe I would have given up on cryptic puzzles believing them not for me without this app. I tried to find ways to learn but felt like I had gaps in my knowledge that left solving puzzles impossible. This interactive introduction has been fun and informative and I know by the time I reach chapter 7 I’ll be completely confident in tackling cryptic puzzles!! Great work and thank you for my new hobby! ### 5/5 — Great way to learn!! *2025-10-23* I’ve always been frustrated by not knowing the ropes for solving cryptic crosswords and found this app is a great way to learn. I’ve also downloaded the ‘Best Cryptic crosswords’ app from the same developer to give me some practice before hitting the newspapers!! ### 5/5 — Good app. *2025-09-30, version 1.14* Use to struggling with cryptic crosswords. This app is a great help in solving complex clues. ### 5/5 — Great intro to cryptic crosswords *2025-09-02, version 1.14* I’ve been wanting to get into cryptic crosswords for ages but never knew how to learn. This app is just what I was looking for. All lessons cost £5 but for the amount of content and effort that’s gone into the app this seems very reasonable ### 5/5 — Brilliant learning tool *2025-06-12, version 1.14* This makes learning such fun! I can’t stop… but it is expertly designed with a beautiful logic. ### 5/5 — Excellent *2025-04-14, version 1.14* Well worth the one off subscription. Good explanations, exercises and helpful advice. Really appreciate the tuition this offers, only on chapter 2 and it’s proving very helpful with clues already! ### 5/5 — Thorough and fun *2025-04-13, version 1.14* It’s the first time I’ve used this app, the instructions and interactive training is excellent. I completed my first cryptic crossword without any issues at all. --- *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 2026-09-10.*