# The Big Sudoku > Challenging Sudoku puzzles including Samurai, 16x16, and auto-generated 9x9 variants. (iPhone/iPad app by Derrick Huth.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-big-sudoku/id1064047574 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Derrick Huth](https://appshunter.io/developer/375731995) - Category: Games, Entertainment, Puzzle - Price: Free with in-app purchases - Rating: 1.90/5 from 10 App Store ratings · 20 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 9.0 · 23 MB - Languages: American English, Arabic, Bulgarian, Catalan, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, French (France) and 28 more - Released: 2016-01-15 - Data updated: 2026-09-09 - Monetization: free - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-big-sudoku/id1064047574/reviews.md ## What is The Big Sudoku? Samurai Sudoku and 16x16 'Super' Sudoku. For those that want a puzzle that lasts more than a few minutes. And now an unlimited supply of automatically generated 9 x 9 Sudokus for when you want a quick puzzle. The Samurai and Super Sudokus come in three levels of difficulty, none of them are trivial or easy. These are Sudoku that will take a bit of time to solve. And if you complete one you will have solved it. There are no cheats or hints to allow you to carry on if you get stuck. The 9x9 Sudoku come in four levels of difficulty with the most difficult requiring slightly harder solving techniques than the larger puzzles. There are aids to help with some of the legwork though, the Sudoku will auto fill and update pencil marks showing all of the possible numbers available in each square and you can highlight all squares that can hold a possible number allowing patterns to be seen. But, there is nothing in the Sudoku to shortcut the mental process required to complete it. The list of Sudoku now shows whether automatic pencil marks or number highlighting have been used and the best time for each Sudoku will reflect this, if you complete a Sudoku without using assistance this will be recorded as your best even if it was slower than a previous attempt where assistance was used. The Sudoku auto save so you can have several on the go at any time. Also for traditionalists or the masochistic you can email a Sudoku to your computer to be printed out and solved the hard way with no highlighting assistance using a pen and paper. Because of the size of the Sudoku this app will work best on a tablet or large screen phone. However, the grid can be zoomed so play on almost any device should be possible with a pit of patience. ## Key features - Samurai Sudoku - 16x16 'Super' Sudoku - Unlimited auto-generated 9x9 Sudokus - Multiple difficulty levels - Auto-fill pencil marks - Number highlighting for pattern recognition - Auto-save functionality ## Pricing and in-app purchases Base price: Free. **One-time purchases** | Purchase | Price | Type | | --- | --- | --- | | 25 16 x 16 Super Sudokus - All Difficulties - Pack 1 | $1.99 | one-time | | 25 16 x 16 Super Sudokus - All Difficulties - Pack 2 | $1.99 | one-time | | 25 16 x 16 Super Sudokus - All Difficulties - Pack 4 | $1.99 | one-time | | 25 Samurai Sudokus - All Difficulties - Pack 1 | $1.99 | one-time | | 25 Samurai Sudokus - All Difficulties - Pack 2 | $1.99 | one-time | | 25 Samurai Sudokus - All Difficulties - Pack 3 | $1.99 | one-time | | 25 Samurai Sudokus - All Difficulties - Pack 4 | $1.99 | one-time | | 25 Samurai Sudokus - All Difficulties - Pack 8 | $1.99 | one-time | | 25 Samurai Sudokus - All Difficulties - Pack 10 | $1.99 | one-time | | 25 Samurai Sudokus - FIENDISH - Pack 11 | $2.99 | one-time | | 25 Samurai Sudokus - FIENDISH - Pack 12 | $2.99 | one-time | | 25 Samurai Sudokus - All Difficulties - Pack 5 | $1.99 | one-time | | 25 Samurai Sudokus - All Difficulties - Pack 6 | $1.99 | one-time | | 25 Samurai Sudokus - All Difficulties - Pack 7 | $1.99 | one-time | | 25 16 x 16 Super Sudokus - All Difficulties - Pack 6 | $1.99 | one-time | | 25 16 x 16 Super Sudokus - All Difficulties - Pack 8 | $1.99 | one-time | | 25 Samurai Sudokus - All Difficulties - Pack 9 | $1.99 | one-time | | 25 16 x 16 Super Sudokus - All Difficulties - Pack 9 | $1.99 | one-time | | 25 16 x 16 Super Sudokus - All Difficulties - Pack 7 | $1.99 | one-time | | 25 16 x 16 Super Sudokus - All Difficulties - Pack 10 | $1.99 | one-time | ## Recent user reviews (10 of 20) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-big-sudoku/id1064047574/reviews.md ### 1/5 — Formatting on screen is terrible *2024-05-15* After enjoying the free games, I bought a set of Samurai sudoku. The formatting is terrible. In portrait mode, there are no numeral sets to select a number, and in landscape, the bottom row is cut off and the advertising is sitting behind the puzzle ### 1/5 — Terrible *2022-12-25* No way to check endlessly, you have only 3 chances. If you turn on pencil it often gets stuck and you can’t remove it, if you rotate the screen you can’t see the right column, buttons don’t make sense. Awful ### 1/5 — Fatal Flaw *2022-09-16* The sixteen-by-sixteen puzzles have a fatal flaw. When you try to remove a pencil mark, the program sometimes puts in a firm answer which you cannot then change. At first, these seemed to be “freebie” correct answers, but I just got two sixes forced on me in the same column, same 4x4 square, so that is not it. ### 4/5 — Distorted on iPad mini 6th gen *2022-09-02* I’ve been using this app for years, on my previous iPads and even my phone without a hitch, should be 5 stars for it. But just got an iPad mini 6th generation and there is some distortion with the pencil numbers and the whole thing doesn’t fit onto the screen properly. Hope it can be fixed ### 2/5 — Unable to download *2021-02-19* It would be really nice if I was able to download app as I have purchased 10 add ons. ### 1/5 — Way too expensive! *2021-01-01* The format is good, however, the 16 x 16 sudoku sometimes shows ellipses instead of numbers (has bugs). In addition, these apps typically have a free and premium version, which contains all the available sudoku. This app however, is super expensive at $3 for one pack, and there are dozens of packs, which means to purchase them all you would have to spend a ridiculous amount of money. Considering the fact that this is not a productivity app for editing for example, and is instead only an app for enjoyment and leisure, this is far too big of an investment. Not worth it. ### 1/5 — Lost $6 *2018-11-17* I paid for puzzle 6 7 and 8 of the 16x16 but they were never downloaded. ### 1/5 — Don’t bother *2018-04-26* I really enjoyed this game until they introduced ads a couple days ago. It would be annoying if they played normally, but they pop up on the middle of your game, while your timer is still going! If you swipe it back down, it comes back, and even if you watch the whole thing, it comes back anyway. It’s also only 1 ad, so if I hear the name “William Defoe” one more time I’m going to scream! Unfortunately, I’m done with this game. ### 3/5 — Great! Needs fixing... *2017-12-29* I absolutely love this app! Unfortunately every so often I am unable to enter more numbers (in pen or pencil). I then have to restart the sudoku but hate losing my progress. If this gets fixed then this is a definite 5 star app! ### 1/5 — Too many bugs *2017-10-30* Some cells don’t allow for any input (bug), which makes it impossible to work with. ## Frequently asked questions about The Big Sudoku ### What makes The Big Sudoku different from other Sudoku apps? The Big Sudoku focuses on larger, more complex puzzles like Samurai Sudoku and 16x16 Super Sudoku, designed for extended play. It also offers unlimited auto-generated 9x9 Sudokus with four difficulty levels. ### Does The Big Sudoku have hints or cheats? No, The Big Sudoku does not offer cheats or hints to allow players to get stuck. The game is designed to require mental effort to complete. ### Can I play The Big Sudoku offline? Yes, the app supports offline play for its Sudoku puzzles, allowing you to solve them without an internet connection. ### What are the difficulty levels in The Big Sudoku? Samurai and Super Sudokus come in three difficulty levels, none of which are trivial or easy. The 9x9 Sudokus have four difficulty levels, with the hardest requiring advanced solving techniques. ### Does The Big Sudoku have in-app purchases? Yes, The Big Sudoku has in-app purchases, although the description does not specify what they are for. The app itself is free to download and play. ### What devices is The Big Sudoku best suited for? Due to the size of the grids, The Big Sudoku works best on a tablet or large-screen phone. However, the grid can be zoomed, making it playable on almost any device with some patience. ### How often is The Big Sudoku updated? The Big Sudoku was last updated on October 4, 2017, with version 1.1.1. This indicates infrequent updates. ### What is the user sentiment for The Big Sudoku? The app has a low rating of 1.9 stars from 10 ratings, suggesting a generally negative user sentiment. ## Version history (last 4 releases) ### 1.1.1 — 2017-10-04 This app has been updated by Apple to display the Apple Watch app icon. Minor bug fixes. Addon purchasing repaired. ### 1.1.0 — 2017-09-13 A few minor fixes. ### 1.0.1 — 2016-02-09 In app purchase added. Minor bug fixes. ### 1.0 — 2016-01-15 No release notes. ## Apps similar to The Big Sudoku | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Sudoku 16x16 Game](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sudoku-16x16-game/id554597850) | 2.2 (15) | Free | Games | | [Sudoku 16x16](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sudoku-16x16/id406902606) | 3.8 (12) | Free | Games | | [Samurai Sudoku](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/samurai-sudoku/id594421598) | 4.6 (374) | Free | Games | | [Sudoku Generator](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sudoku-generator/id458266536) | 1.0 (1) | Free | Games | | [Flex Sudoku](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flex-sudoku/id1643590351) | 3.4 (7) | Free | Games | | [Ultimate_Sudoku](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ultimate-sudoku/id897820872) | 5.0 (2) | Free | Games | --- *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 2026-09-09.*