Comparison

Cracking the Cryptic vs Close Cities

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

Close Cities

Build beautiful cities on diverse worlds by solving unique puzzles. This relaxing game guides you through 160 levels with a simple tap or drag interface, requiring no architectural knowledge. Conquer each world's challenges and travel through time with its calming soundtrack.

Highlights
  • Build cities on empty maps
  • Solve 160 unique puzzle levels
  • Intuitive tap and drag controls
  • No architectural knowledge needed
  • Travel through different worlds
  • Relaxing music and pace
Features
Read full description

Close Cities is a relaxing logic puzzle: build cities along the roads and give every road exactly the cities it needs. Easy to learn, hard to put down. HOW TO PLAY • The number next to each road shows how many cities it needs. • Every city must touch a road, and it can't be on two roads at once. • Cities can't touch side by side; diagonally is fine. • Tap or drag to build. When a city is valid, it lights up in color. 480 LEVELS, TWO MODES • Kingdoms: travel through different eras of history and build each king's empire. • Empires: cities of different sizes and roads that ask for new combinations. AT YOUR OWN PACE • No timer, no rush: think every move through calmly. • Relaxing music and a clean, charming art style. • Play offline: on the subway, while traveling or before bed. • Stuck? Ask for a hint. FOR EVERYONE • A quick tutorial teaches you the rules in a minute. • If you like sudoku and logic puzzles, you'll love it. • Free, with a one-time purchase to remove ads. Close Cities is made by The Pangry, the creators of Broki.

Screenshots

Cracking the Cryptic4 screens
Close Cities4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Cracking the Cryptic at none against Close Cities's shown. Cracking the Cryptic also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). Close Cities's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 4.4). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and update cadence 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 10 one-off in-app purchases and Close Cities sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Close Cities holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 211 and 365 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 72% of Cracking the Cryptic's written reviews are positive against 69% of Close Cities's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Cracking the Cryptic ships an update every 3 weeks, Close Cities monthly. Both last shipped on November 4, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Cracking the Cryptic versus Close Cities: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCracking the CrypticClose Cities
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (211 ratings)4.8 (365 ratings) — better
Positive reviews72.1% of reviews — better69.4% of reviews
Number of ratings211365 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterMonthly
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size234 MB165 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNick CarneyJuan Manuel Altamirano Argudo

Customer experience

Cracking the Cryptic

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

Close Cities

All ratings365 ratings
Positive94.8%
Neutral2.2%
Negative3.0%
Written reviews36 reviews
Positive69.4%
Neutral0.0%
Negative30.6%

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

Close Cities

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Cracking the Cryptic

One-time10
  • CTC Worms - James Sinclair$0.99
  • CTC Worms - Marty Sears$0.99
  • CTC Worms - Michael Lefkowitz$1.99
Show 7 more
  • 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
4 purchases

Close Cities

One-time4
  • Hints - Small Pack$0.99
  • Hints - Medium Pack$2.99
  • Remove Ads + Hints$4.99
Show 1 more
  • Hints - Big Pack$5.99

Questions

Is Cracking the Cryptic free?
Cracking the Cryptic is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Close Cities free?
Close Cities is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Cracking the Cryptic or Close Cities?
Close Cities is rated higher. Cracking the Cryptic averages 4.4 out of 5 from 211 ratings, while Close Cities averages 4.8 from 365 ratings.
Do Cracking the Cryptic or Close Cities have ads?
Close Cities shows ads; Cracking the Cryptic does not.
Which is updated more often, Cracking the Cryptic or Close Cities?
Cracking the Cryptic ships an update every 3 weeks, and Close Cities monthly. Most recently, Cracking the Cryptic was updated on November 4, 2026 and Close Cities on November 4, 2026.

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