Chess Master vs Cracking the Cryptic
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Chess Master
Master chess strategy and tactics with a vast collection of over 4600 unique puzzles, problems, and studies. Perfect for players of all levels looking to improve their game through instructive positions from grandmaster matches.
- 4600+ unique chess problems
- Train chess strategy
- Improve theoretical positions
- Study instructive gaming positions
- Endgame practice
- Grandmaster game analysis
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«Chess is difficult, they require serious work» The first world champion - Wilhelm Steinitz. «You can become a good master only when you realize your mistakes and shortcomings. Absolutely like in life» The first Russian world champion - Alexander Alekhine Unique collection of chess puzzles from 4600 combinations, problems, studies to train chess strategy, theoretical positions and instructive gaming positions of the endgame from the real games of grandmasters. All this will help you improve your skills! The collection of chess problems is addressed to coaches, young chess players, teachers, parents and can be used to train personal skills. SPECIAL DEAL - Discount 60%! We have collected all chess problems in one universal app for true fans of chess puzzles. From mate to 1 to strategies and studies. Our apps: - Chess? OK! (Mate in 1, 2 and 3) - Chess Win (Strategy) - Chess Tactic (Tactics) - Chess Tricks (Endgame and Strategy) Enjoy ;)
Cracking the Cryptic
This app offers a curated collection of handcrafted Sudoku puzzles from world-renowned constructors. Explore classic and unique variants, with new puzzle packs released regularly. A free introductory pack is included with download.
- Handcrafted Sudoku puzzles
- Curated by expert constructors
- Classic and unique variants
- Regularly released puzzle packs
- Free introductory puzzle pack
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OUR NEWEST PACK – CLASSIC VOLUME #2! Classic sudoku is where it all began, and there is still lots of skill to be deployed to solve classic puzzles, and new techniques to be explored. Nikoli, the Japanese puzzle house, named and popularised sudoku from 1984, and we have commissioned 20 puzzles from them for this Classic Sudoku 2 app. We have also created 20 ourselves, and sourced 20 more from Sam Cappleman-Lynes, the brilliant British sudoku expert. The result is a wonderful 60-puzzle pack which will delight and challenge you. -------------------- Welcome to the brand new Sudoku app from the most popular Sudoku channel, Cracking The Cryptic. Unlike other Sudoku apps, we feature handcrafted and curated puzzles from the world’s best Sudoku constructors. Each collection features puzzles made by various authors that are now familiar names to those who follow the channel. Authors like Phistomefel, Clover, Sam Cappleman-Lynes, Christoph Seeliger, Richard Stolk, jovi_al, Qodec, Prasanna Seshadri and of course, Simon and Mark! Downloading Cracking the Cryptic will give you access to our first free collection – a variety pack by Prasanna Seshadri featuring 7 puzzles inspired from our previous Sudoku apps; Sandwich, Classic, Chess, Thermo, Miracle, Killer and Arrow Sudoku. We also have purchasable packs designed for all skill levels and featuring many unique variants not seen previously. We’ll be releasing more free and paid packs in the future so keep an eye on the app for more Sudoku content from Cracking The Cryptic!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Cracking the Cryptic at 72% against Chess Master's 0%. Cracking the Cryptic also leads on price (Free vs $19.99) and rating (4.4 vs 1.0). Chess Master's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 13). On ads, device support and iOS requirement 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
Cracking the Cryptic is free to download; Chess Master costs $19.99 up front. Cracking the Cryptic sells 13 one-off in-app purchases. Chess Master asks for nothing beyond the download.
Cracking the Cryptic holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Cracking the Cryptic has 210 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of Chess Master's written reviews are positive against 72% of Cracking the Cryptic's.
Chess Master ships an update every 11 months, Cracking the Cryptic every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Chess Master | Cracking the Cryptic |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $19.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 1.0 (1 ratings) | 4.4 (210 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | 72.1% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 210 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 11 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 43 MB | 234 MB |
| Age rating | +4 | 4+ |
| Developer | Sergiy Kurash | Nick Carney |
Customer experience
Chess Master
Cracking the Cryptic
Bugs and requests
Chess Master
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Cracking the Cryptic
Reported bugs
4 issues- Puzzle progress and purchases disappearing after updates
- Incorrect rules or hints in certain puzzles
- Crashes and freezes, especially on older devices or Macs
- Inconsistent behavior when switching between portrait and landscape modes
Requested features
5 requests- Add more color options for pencil marking and highlighting
- Implement a way to clear progress or start puzzles from scratch
- Integrate all CTC apps into a single app for better organization
- Add keyboard support, especially on Mac
- Improve the quality and clarity of hints
In-app purchases
Chess Master
No in-app purchases
Cracking the Cryptic
- CTC Worms - James Sinclair$0.99
- CTC Worms - Marty Sears$0.99
- CTC Worms - Zetamath$1.99
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- CTC Worms - Blobz$1.99
- CTC Worms - Michael Lefkowitz$1.99
- CTC Worms - Phistomefel$1.99
- GAS Volume #1$2.99
- GAS Volume #2$2.99
- CTC Approachable Sudoku #1$2.99
- Domino Sudoku Pack$4.99
- Lines Variety Pack$4.99
- Classic Volume #2$4.99
- CTC Fog Pack #1$4.99
Questions
Is Chess Master free?
Is Cracking the Cryptic free?
Which has better reviews, Chess Master or Cracking the Cryptic?
Do Chess Master or Cracking the Cryptic have ads?
Which is updated more often, Chess Master or Cracking the Cryptic?
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