Comparison

Cracking the Cryptic vs Thinky Puzzle Games

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

Head to head
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!

About

Thinky Puzzle Games

Engage in challenging puzzles, optimize solutions, and create your own levels. Connect with a community of puzzle enthusiasts through social features and compete in real-time multiplayer. Enjoy curated campaigns and user-generated content suitable for all skill levels.

Highlights
  • Solve and optimize puzzles
  • Create and publish levels
  • Real-time multiplayer
  • Curated campaigns
  • Advanced difficulty rating
  • Community social features
Features
Read full description

Thinky is a platform dedicated to high-quality puzzle games. Solve puzzles and try to match the best known solution set by the community! Create your own levels with the level editor and publish them to be played by everyone. Play our curated campaigns to improve your skill, or try out a real-time multiplayer game. Our advanced difficulty rating system ensures that players of all skill levels find puzzles that are just right for them. Social features like profile creation, level reviews, and messaging allow you to connect with a community that shares your passion for puzzles. Whether you're a seasoned puzzle player or new to the genre, Thinky is sure to provide hours of brain-teasing fun. Join now and test your skills against thousands of user created levels!

Screenshots

Cracking the Cryptic4 screens
Thinky Puzzle Games4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Thinky Puzzle Games at 5.0 against Cracking the Cryptic's 4.4. Thinky Puzzle Games also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 13) and review sentiment (100% vs 72%). Cracking the Cryptic's advantage is ratings volume (210 vs 10) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). On price, update cadence, ads 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. Cracking the Cryptic sells 13 one-off in-app purchases. Thinky Puzzle Games asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Thinky Puzzle Games holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Cracking the Cryptic has 210 ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 72% of Cracking the Cryptic's written reviews are positive against 100% of Thinky Puzzle Games's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Cracking the Cryptic ships an update every 3 weeks, Thinky Puzzle Games fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Cracking the Cryptic versus Thinky Puzzle Games: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCracking the CrypticThinky Puzzle Games
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (210 ratings)5.0 (10 ratings) — better
Positive reviews72.1% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings210 — better10
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size234 MB18 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNick CarneySpencer Spenst

Customer experience

Cracking the Cryptic

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

Thinky Puzzle Games

All ratings10 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and 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

Thinky Puzzle Games

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

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
None

Thinky Puzzle Games

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Cracking the Cryptic free?
Cracking the Cryptic is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Thinky Puzzle Games free?
Thinky Puzzle Games is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Cracking the Cryptic or Thinky Puzzle Games?
Thinky Puzzle Games is rated higher. Cracking the Cryptic averages 4.4 out of 5 from 210 ratings, while Thinky Puzzle Games averages 5.0 from 10 ratings.
Do Cracking the Cryptic or Thinky Puzzle Games have ads?
Neither Cracking the Cryptic nor Thinky Puzzle Games shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Cracking the Cryptic or Thinky Puzzle Games?
Cracking the Cryptic ships an update every 3 weeks, and Thinky Puzzle Games fortnightly. Most recently, Cracking the Cryptic was updated on October 25, 2026 and Thinky Puzzle Games on October 6, 2026.

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