Comparison

Sudoku Master Edition vs Backshift

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Sudoku Master Edition

This app offers a comprehensive Sudoku experience with numerous customization options, multiple game modes, and difficulty levels. It features a minimalist design, daily challenges, and Apple Pencil integration for a pen-and-paper feel.

Highlights
  • Customizable themes and fonts
  • Multiple game modes (Lightning, Mistake, Classic, Zen)
  • 5 difficulty levels
  • Adjustable grid styles
  • Note-taking and highlighting features
  • Apple Pencil integration
  • Daily reminders and auto-complete
Features
Read full description

***FEATURED AS APPLE'S GAME OF THE DAY IN 40+ COUNTRIES*** SUDOKU MASTER EDITION is classic Sudoku with a wardrobe. Play across dozens of custom themes, jump into limited-time events, and pick your fight across five difficulty levels from Easy to Master. Beautiful, minimalist, and built to keep you coming back. Whether you're a daily solver or just getting hooked, here's what's inside: THEMES & EVENTS - Dozens of custom themes to make the board truly yours - Exclusive limited-time events with rewards you won't find anywhere else - 13 app icons and 26 hand-picked fonts to match your style - Sleek Dark theme for late-night solving PLAY YOUR WAY - Five difficulty levels, from a gentle Easy to a brutal Master - Lightning Mode for fast, high-energy solving - Zen Mode for a calm, distraction-free pen-and-paper feel - Mistake Mode or Classic Mode, however you like to play - Adjustable grid styles and a modern color palette that's easy on the eyes SMART TOOLS - Highlight Helper to spot your next move - Notes for jotting down possibilities (or secret messages, we won't tell) - Auto-complete and Quick Start to skip the busywork - Daily reminders so you never break your streak - In-app tutorial and help for when you need a hand APPLE PENCIL (compatible iPad & Apple Pencil) - A true pen-and-paper experience: scribble numbers and notes by hand - Built-in Notepad to sketch ideas and erase with a tap - No Pencil? Just toggle the notepad off and play as normal Relaxing original soundtrack by EARLYGUARD, endless customization, and more on the way. Download SUDOKU MASTER EDITION and find your perfect game.

About

Backshift

This app trains your working memory with a dual N-back exercise. It challenges you to recall positions and sounds from previous steps, adapting difficulty as you improve. Daily practice and streak tracking help build consistency for enhanced cognitive function.

Highlights
  • Adaptive difficulty adjustment
  • Progress tracking and accuracy trends
  • Daily streak tracking
  • Customizable session duration and speed
  • Daily training reminders
  • Multiple audio packs (letters/numbers)
Features
Read full description

Backshift is a Dual N-Back trainer designed to strengthen your working memory through daily practice. How it works: Watch a 3×3 grid while listening to letters. Your task: identify when the current position OR sound matches what appeared N steps ago. Start at N=1 and progress as you improve. Features: • Adaptive difficulty — auto-adjusts based on your performance • Progress tracking — view your accuracy trends over time • Daily streaks — build consistency with streak tracking • Customizable sessions — adjust duration, trial speed, and gap timing • Daily reminders — never miss a training session • Multiple audio packs — letters or numbers Why Dual N-Back? Dual N-Back pushes your brain to hold more information and stay focused under pressure. Train for 20 minutes a day and build a stronger working memory. Free tier: Levels N=1 through N=3 Premium: Unlock N=4+ with a subscription, or earn it free by scoring 100% at N=5 Terms of use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Sudoku Master Edition4 screens
Backshift4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Backshift at 100% against Sudoku Master Edition's 63%. Backshift also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Sudoku Master Edition sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Backshift sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.49 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Sudoku Master Edition versus Backshift: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSudoku Master EditionBackshift
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (7.9K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews63.1% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings7.9K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks—
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.613.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size120 MB22 MB
Age rating+44+
DeveloperHoolatron StudiosIris Radoi

Customer experience

Sudoku Master Edition

All ratings7,906 ratings
Positive92.5%
Neutral3.7%
Negative3.8%
Written reviews382 reviews
Positive63.1%
Neutral12.6%
Negative24.3%

Backshift

Written reviews4 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Sudoku Master Edition

Reported bugs

6 issues
  • App crashes after completing puzzles
  • Handwriting recognition issues with certain numbers
  • Saved games disappearing
  • Inconsistent behavior when using pencil input
  • Inability to enter wrong numbers
Show 1 more
  • Bugs introduced with recent updates

Requested features

10 requests
  • Dark mode option
  • Ability to import custom puzzles
  • More themes and color options
  • Improved undo/redo functionality
  • Ability to differentiate user-entered numbers from pre-filled numbers
Show 5 more
  • Larger game board size
  • Difficulty progression that feels more balanced
  • Hint system that doesn't reveal full solutions
  • Multiplayer or leaderboard features
  • Ability to pause and resume games

Backshift

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Sudoku Master Edition

One-time2
  • Premium Theme Credit$0.99
  • Remove Ads$7.99
2 purchases

Backshift

Subscriptions2
  • Advanced Levels (Monthly)$0.491 Month
  • Advanced Levels (Yearly)$4.991 Year

Questions

Is Sudoku Master Edition free?
Sudoku Master Edition is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Backshift free?
Backshift is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Sudoku Master Edition or Backshift have ads?
Sudoku Master Edition shows ads; Backshift does not.

Other comparisons