# Sven's SudokuPad — user reviews > 132 indexed App Store user reviews of Sven's SudokuPad by Sven Neumann, rated 3.30/5 from 117 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/svens-sudokupad/id1570622073/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/svens-sudokupad/id1570622073.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 39 · 4★ 18 · 3★ 21 · 2★ 12 · 1★ 27 ## What do users think of Sven's SudokuPad? Overall sentiment: neutral **Pros** - 🚀 Great user interface - 🚀 Convenient for solving Cracking the Cryptic puzzles - 👍 Fantastic app for Sudoku fans - 👍 Supports various Sudoku notations **Cons** - 🐛 Bugs and glitches - 🔍 Lacking features compared to web version - 🔍 Outdated and not well-maintained - 🔍 Missing support for Sudoku variants **Commonly reported bugs** - Puzzle progress not saving properly - Puzzle instructions not transferring correctly - Buttons and controls not working consistently - Puzzle library management issues **Most requested features** - Add support for Fog of War puzzles - Implement auto-pencil mark elimination - Ability to highlight all instances of a number - Cloud sync to continue progress on multiple devices - Add more color options for accessibility ## Newest reviews (16 of 132) ### 2/5 — Gameplay disadvantages. Better to use webpage. *2026-08-04* I currently live in a very remote area and very much appreciate being able to save variant sudoku puzzles to my device; this app is wonderful for that. However, often with the variant sudokus I enjoy (ones with Fog or that require you to draw out lines) there is no feature to do that. All but one Fog sudoku I’ve played on this app shows the cleared game board which defeats the purpose. There’s also only one set of colors which doesn’t help when using them to differentiate digits and solve the sudokus. Overall, a decent app but lackluster. Would love to see improvements. Not worth the price in my opinion. ### 3/5 — Close but not quite *2026-05-20* I love that you guys have made this app. And it’s great! But I wish the line tool worked like on the web app. Color options, diagonal line drawing etc. It would be nice if it worked the same way. Great work on this though! Very helpful. ### 3/5 — Improving the app? *2026-04-20* This app is good. Sven’s can you please update it so it is as good as the one on your web page. I don’t mind paying more for an update version. I only bought this a couple of days ago and I find I am just using you website one as it is so much better. I still a beginner at these puzzles so to have a check option to see if I am on the right track, like you website has is a must. Thanks for your devotion to the sudoku community. Blessings ### 2/5 — Out of date *2026-03-21, version 1.3.1.1* This was a great app, but is so out of date now it does not support lots of tools available on the web. ### 4/5 — Almost perfect app! *2026-02-28, version 1.3.1.1* Would love to see the line drawing tool added and the ability to play fog sudoku puzzles from the website. Other than that great app that I love! ### 3/5 — Expected a little more *2026-02-08* Have been using your website for months now. And theres a lot of stuff not present in the app which I just downloaded and paid for. 1) no alphabet tool? 2) cant change the colour set (for somebody who’s colourblind, to be able to choose his own colour set which he/she is comfortable with would work wonders) 3) on importing a sudoku from logicmasters, the rules dont get imported, so if you’re playing after a break you wont be able to read the rules again. 4) cant change pen tool colour? ### 4/5 — Almost perfect *2026-01-13* Would give 5 stars but lately whenever I import a puzzle from the cracking the cryptic team the puzzle instructions, or notes, defaults to a standard set of instructions, rather than the bespoke rule set. Hopeful for a quick fix on this. ### 2/5 — Fewer features than free web version *2025-11-28* Excited to buy this app as I’m a big fan of cracking the cryptic, and use the web version of this app a lot. I assumed the app version would be at least as featured (in gameplay), but it is massively behind. The only benefit of the app that was clear to me is that you can save the puzzles you play ### 2/5 — Used to be a sudoku app without peers *2025-10-22* Unfortunately, cages are broken since the most recent update (over three years ago now) I’d given up and hadn’t played for years because of this problem. I tried again today and it looks like the dev gave up, too. ### 2/5 — Great when it opens, but has trouble opening *2025-10-14, version 1.3.1.1* Very good app for adding and solving puzzles, BUT the app freezes most of the time on the loading screen, and I have to close/reopen many times or start it and then leave it for several minutes before it will open. ### 3/5 — Great Sudoku app, but DESPERATELY needs an update *2025-07-31* This is a great app for creating and solving hand-crafted puzzles. Puzzles are stored locally, offline, and completion times are stored, so you can build up a nice library of puzzles, abandon a puzzle and pick up where you left off weeks or months later, and compete against your best times. The app offers three kinds of in-cell notes, one using color and two different ways of notating numbers. However, this iOS app has fallen far behind the web app in features, and some of the puzzles available for download into the app are much harder to solve in this version. Additionally, some features appear to be broken. Most seriously, the feature that shows the defined rules for a particular puzzle rarely transfer over to the app, leaving the user guessing what the correct rules is. Unfortunately, the web app does not scale nicely to mobile touch interfaces and provides no mechanism for saving puzzles. This app needs an update. ### 3/5 — No Rules for Variants! *2025-07-03, version 1.3.1.1* You can upload puzzles from the website to play, which is super-cool, but the rules specific to each puzzle don’t follow. It’s a bummer. ### 2/5 — Instructions are bugged *2025-05-05, version 1.3.1.1* Quite often when opening a puzzle from the web into the app, the instructions/rules are lost and revert to a default. Please please fix this if you can. ### 3/5 — Puzzle names don’t always import *2025-05-02, version 1.3.1.1* Sometimes puzzles lose the name and description when you import them into the app, and there is no way to change the name of puzzles that you didn’t create. ### 3/5 — Missing a Key Feature *2025-04-23* I saw the reviews, decided to try anyway because it’s the only Sudoku app I’ve seen that lets you create games. The problem is that with ever other Sudoku app, they let you mark down all possible numbers for any given spot. This is usually why I like Sudoku apps over pen and paper because I’m not marking up my pages just to keep track. This one, for whatever reason, doesn’t seem to have that? I don’t know if I just can’t find it or if it’s just not there, but I’m going to assume if they aren’t going to make it obvious how to find it, then it’s likely not there. If it’s added, then I would be all for it, buuut it somehow feels incredibly lacking for an app with a price point. ### 2/5 — Hints don’t make any sense *2025-02-11, version 1.3.1.1* No explanation as to what the hints mean e.g. a quadruple will develop in row 8 🤷‍♂️ ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Disappointed *2026-02-19, version 1.3.1.1* I’m very disappointed in this app compared to the free website. When entering pencil marks they are not flagged as conflicting. a vital part in learning sudoku. I hope this is resolved soon ### 1/5 — Desperately needs update *2025-12-25, version 1.3.1.1* Rules never transfer over to app; And fog sudoku is not supported in the app. I just wouldn’t use this over the webpage. ### 1/5 — Disappointing this isn’t maintained like the web app *2025-10-25, version 1.3.1.1* Most of the features on the FREE web app don’t work in this. Really disappointing. ### 1/5 — Uh, Oh! *2025-08-28, version 1.3.1.1* I started using this puzzle at the beginning level. My first puzzle had 8 numbers already added to one square. When I added the only number possible and clicked the check mark button, I get “Uh, Oh! That doesn’t look quite right”. That is a REAL PROBLEM. ### 1/5 — Doesn’t work on Mac *2025-08-11, version 1.3.1.1* This shows as an option to install on a Mac from the store so I tried it after seeing some cool puzzles on YouTube that linked to this app. However it is VERY buggy on Mac and the controls just go crazy sometimes. Most recently I couldn’t click in a cell no matter what I tried even after restarting the app. ### 1/5 — Disappointing *2025-06-17* Feeling a bit scammed, this app is far behind the functionality of the web app to the point where I don’t see any point of using this app, let alone charging extra. If it’s not meant to be updated it should be taken down, it is dishonest to continue advertising this considerably less functional version alongside the web app ### 1/5 — A waste of money *2025-05-01* Frustratingly abandoned by the developer who has continued to work on the web app, I’m annoyed I spent money on this when opening links in a browser is a better experience. For example Fog Of War puzzles don’t work, there’s no letter tool for A/B marking If you’re tempted because of Cracking The Cryptic DO NOT BUY IT, JUST USE THE BROWSER ### 1/5 — Terrible *2025-03-07, version 1.3.1.1* As others have said I wanted to like this app but it just barely better than writing by hand. Very disappointing. Hopefully someday this is resurrected and improved. ### 1/5 — Nearly unusable *2025-02-15* I downloaded it today and found that it regularly freezes, not allowing me to enter any numbers. Sometimes it allows me to use the keypad and sometimes not. Also, the selected box does not remain selected when changing the input type, making entries long winded. I have enjoyed cracking the cryptic on the phone but found it unusable on my Mac. ### 1/5 — Horrible *2024-12-26* Big fan of cracking the cryptic and wanted to use this to play the same sudoku puzzles they play and feature on the channel. Trust me when I say, I really really want to like this app! But I can’t! It’s so bad! The UX of solving puzzles in this app is atrocious. Falls LEAGUES behind other sudoku apps, such as logic wiz. Examples of missing basic functionality: - can’t save progress of one puzzle and start another puzzle - can’t convert from corner pencil marks to center pencil marks. Leads to wild amounts of repetition and key presses and wasted mental cycles - can’t draw lines or do any advanced coloring or marking at all - no way to highlight all digits/pencil marks of a certain digit to help with scanning The list of missing functions goes on and on. Think of any function you would want a sudoku app to have and it’s almost guaranteed to be missing in this app. If the app gets these missing features I would happily rate 5 stars. Please update. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Can’t wait to try this out! *2026-02-27, version 1.3.1.1* I really like the CTC web interface, my problem is that those puzzles are a bit too hard for me. This interface is by far the best for working sudokus that I’ve found on the App Store, and it works really well on a phone. ### 5/5 — Favorite Sudoku App *2025-12-20* Obviously if you have this app, you know cracking the cryptic. I find that most of the complaints are that there is only a limited set of puzzles (true) but since its more of an importer app for cracking the cryptic + a few puzzles, this isn’t really a problem. I’ve solved hundreds of puzzles because the UI for this app is just simply perfect. The fact that you have two versions of notes, you can color the boxes, you can highlight multiple numbers at the same time.. to die for! I’ve genuinely ely had no regrets buying this and have been using it for years lol. This is also my first app review (at least from what I remember) but I feel the need to review because I love love this app so much. ### 5/5 — Fog *2025-12-09, version 1.3.1.1* Will there be an update for fog sudoku’s. Web app is very good but I can not track the puzzles I’ve solved. May be a simple upgrade about membership (google log in etc) in web app and keep track of puzzles solved. Thank you for your effort Sven 👏🏾👏🏾🤘🏾 ### 5/5 — Fantastic *2025-07-07, version 1.3.1.1* It supports Snyder notation and cell notation. I was getting stuck using the NYT games app, which doesn’t let you have do both. ### 5/5 — Ty for app *2025-03-24* 5 Star on star, but pls add features from web to app. ### 5/5 — Great app. Needs few more options *2023-11-21* Dear developers, please add option to keep puzzles in folders. ### 5/5 — Good app but now there’s an issue *2023-09-20, version 1.3.1.1* Hi Sven, liked your app for a long time, but now anytime I try to load the sudoku from YouTube channel, it says that the link is broken. How can I fix this? ### 5/5 — Incredible *2023-06-08* This is hands down, bar none the most exceptional Sudoku app on the market. As a daily solver of complex variant Sudokus, I can say that the tools in this app allow me to solve puzzles that, for me, would be otherwise unsolvable. If you’re interested in Sudoku, you should definitely pay the few bucks for this app, and check out Cracking the Cryptic on YouTube, Patreon, and the other apps Cracking the Cryptic has released in the App Store (particularly, in my opinion, the Arrow Sudoku app). ### 5/5 — Phenomenal app! Hopefully more features from the web version are implemented! *2022-10-12* I've had a lot of fun using this app, it makes solving sudokus much easier. However the web version still has more features that I hope will be implemented like being able to use letters, and cage sums calculators etc. Also please add more colors! ### 5/5 — Love it! *2022-10-01, version 1.3.1.1* Terrific app. Such a great experience for such a tricky situation— solving sudoku variants on your phone. I’ve gotten hundreds of hours of enjoyment out of it with no end in sight. I only wish this app had the letter option that the webapp has! Sven? Any chance? Thank you for a really great 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 2026-09-06.*