Cracking the Cryptic vs Oxytone
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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!
Oxytone
Embark on a unique puzzle adventure designed for relaxation and mental exploration. Master strategic tile placement to create long paths and impressive combinations, with 99 challenges and unlockable themes for a deep, engaging experience.
- Unique puzzle adventure
- Tranquil escape
- 99 challenges
- Unlockable colorful themes
- 12 meticulously designed maps
- Strategic tile placement
- Immersive sound design
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Are you ready for a unique adventure like no other? Oxytone invites you to explore the depths of your mind while offering a tranquil escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life for those seeking relaxation. For more determined players, there are 99 challenges, colorful themes to unlock, and 12 meticulously designed maps. Oxytone is the ultimate puzzle game, equally easy to learn and challenging to master. Strive for the highest scores by creating the longest paths and achieving impressive combinations. Every move matters, and success depends on strategy and planning. You can discard tiles that don't fit your plan, but this reduces your pool of available tiles. To refresh it, you must fill tiles by guiding paths through them six times, deepening the mechanics further. Sound is an integral part of Oxytone, so I recommend playing with headphones. This will immerse you even deeper into the game. The sound design has been crafted with great care to create a unique and relaxing atmosphere, yet it can also deliver powerful moments when needed.
Screenshots
Verdict
Cracking the Cryptic and Oxytone are too close to call on the numbers: across 10 compared parameters — price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Cracking the Cryptic sells 13 one-off in-app purchases and Oxytone sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for Cracking the Cryptic against 4.5 for Oxytone. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 208 and 72 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 72% of Cracking the Cryptic's written reviews are positive against 75% of Oxytone's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Cracking the Cryptic | Oxytone |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.4 (208 ratings) | 4.5 (72 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 72.1% of reviews | 75.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 208 — better | 72 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 234 MB | 157 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Nick Carney | OxGames Kamil Wdowczyk |
Customer experience
Cracking the Cryptic
Oxytone
User reviews
Cracking the Cryptic
From 208 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Best sudoku app
- 👍 Great variety of puzzles
- 👍 Excellent user interface
- 👍 Challenging and fun puzzles
- 👍 Constant updates with new puzzles
Room to improve
- 🐛 Hints are often incorrect or unhelpful
- 🐛 Bugs and crashes, especially after updates
- 🔋 Battery draining issues
- 🔒 Too many in-app purchases required to access content
Oxytone
From 72 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🎨 Beautiful graphics and visual design
- 🎵 Soothing music and sound effects
- 😌 Relaxing and meditative gameplay
- 🧩 Engaging puzzle mechanics requiring strategy
- 🚫 No ads or intrusive monetization
Room to improve
- ❓ Unclear game objectives and lack of instructions
- 🔄 Game progress lost when switching apps
- 👁️ Strains eyesight during extended play
- ⏱️ Excessive menu navigation between games
- 📸 Cannot screenshot or view completed puzzles
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
Oxytone
Reported bugs
7 issues- Game crashes and refuses to reopen
- Progress lost when leaving app mid-game
- Achievement unlock not triggering (Quick Mode)
- Trophy not awarded for completed challenges
- Freezing on iPad Pro, especially with Apple Pencil
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- Camera reset toggle not functioning
- Save feature unreliable
Requested features
12 requests- Tutorial or instructional videos explaining gameplay
- Ability to save mid-game progress
- Quick replay/restart button without menu navigation
- Zoom out feature to see more of the board
- Replay functionality to review completed puzzles
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- Community connection feature for sharing hints
- Preview colors before unlocking
- Select which unlocked colors appear in rotation
- More levels and challenges
- Relax/free-play mode without move limits
- Faster load times between games
- Cross-device purchase synchronization
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
Oxytone
- Full version$5.99
Questions
Is Cracking the Cryptic free?
Is Oxytone free?
Which has better reviews, Cracking the Cryptic or Oxytone?
Do Cracking the Cryptic or Oxytone have ads?
Which is updated more often, Cracking the Cryptic or Oxytone?
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