Comparison

Countdown Game & Solver vs Cracking the Cryptic

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

Head to head
About

Countdown Game & Solver

Experience the "Numbers" round of a popular TV game show as a tile-based puzzle game. Solve arithmetic challenges by combining numbered tiles to reach a target number. Includes a powerful solver to find all possible solutions and share your progress with friends.

Highlights
  • Numbers game show rounds
  • Tile-based arithmetic puzzle
  • Universal solution solver
  • Millions of starting configurations
  • Share accomplishments via Messages
  • Runs on iPhone and iPad
Features
Read full description

Countdown is a game show on British television (French original: Des chiffres et des lettres). This app reworks the “Numbers” portion of the game show as a Scrabble®-like tile game for your iPhone or iPad. It includes a Universal Solver that finds all possible solutions to any Numbers puzzle you care to throw at it. Feature List: • The “Numbers” rounds of the Countdown game show, reworked as a Scrabble®-like tile game. • More than 11 million unique starting configurations at your disposal. (The precise figure is 11 918 700.) • Play the game by dragging numbered tiles onto the game board and progressively building up arithmetic expressions to a final result that matches the target number (or comes within ten of it). • Includes a Universal Solver that finds, within a few seconds, all possible solutions for a given initial configuration. Furthermore, if no solution is found, you can be sure that no solution exists. • In generating the list of solutions, the Universal Solver recognizes new solutions that are near-duplicates of pre-existing solutions — e.g., with minor variations in the order of the arithmetic expressions — and culls such new solutions in order to the keep the list of solutions manageable. • Fully integrated with Apple’s Messages app, so you can share your accomplishments with your friends and issue challenges to them. • A single universal app which runs on all your iOS devices: iPhone, iPad, and/or iPod touch.

About

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.

Highlights
  • Handcrafted Sudoku puzzles
  • Curated by expert constructors
  • Classic and unique variants
  • Regularly released puzzle packs
  • Free introductory puzzle pack
Features
Read full description

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

Countdown Game & Solver4 screens
Cracking the Cryptic4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Countdown Game & Solver at none against Cracking the Cryptic's 13. Countdown Game & Solver also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.4) and review sentiment (86% vs 72%). Cracking the Cryptic's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (208 vs 40). On price, update cadence, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Cracking the Cryptic sells 13 one-off in-app purchases. Countdown Game & Solver asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Countdown Game & Solver holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Cracking the Cryptic has 208 ratings behind it against 40, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 86% of Countdown Game & Solver's written reviews are positive against 72% of Cracking the Cryptic's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Countdown Game & Solver versus Cracking the Cryptic: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCountdown Game & SolverCracking the Cryptic
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (40 ratings) — better4.4 (208 ratings)
Positive reviews85.7% of reviews — better72.1% of reviews
Number of ratings40208 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 3 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationAd-supported — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.013.0
Further details — not scored
Size19 MB234 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLawrence AnthonyNick Carney

Customer experience

Countdown Game & Solver

All ratings40 ratings
Positive92.5%
Neutral2.5%
Negative5.0%
Written reviews21 reviews
Positive85.7%
Neutral4.8%
Negative9.5%

Cracking the Cryptic

All ratings208 ratings
Positive84.1%
Neutral6.3%
Negative9.6%
Written reviews147 reviews
Positive72.1%
Neutral13.6%
Negative14.3%

Bugs and requests

Countdown Game & Solver

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

None

Countdown Game & Solver

No in-app purchases

13 purchases

Cracking the Cryptic

One-time13
  • CTC Worms - James Sinclair$0.99
  • CTC Worms - Marty Sears$0.99
  • CTC Worms - Zetamath$1.99
Show 10 more
  • 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 Countdown Game & Solver free?
Countdown Game & Solver is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Cracking the Cryptic free?
Cracking the Cryptic is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Countdown Game & Solver or Cracking the Cryptic?
Countdown Game & Solver is rated higher. Countdown Game & Solver averages 4.7 out of 5 from 40 ratings, while Cracking the Cryptic averages 4.4 from 208 ratings.
Do Countdown Game & Solver or Cracking the Cryptic have ads?
Countdown Game & Solver shows ads; Cracking the Cryptic does not.
Which is updated more often, Countdown Game & Solver or Cracking the Cryptic?
Countdown Game & Solver ships an update every 3 weeks, and Cracking the Cryptic every 3 weeks. Most recently, Countdown Game & Solver was updated on September 19, 2026 and Cracking the Cryptic on September 30, 2026.

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