Cracking the Cryptic vs Sudokunist
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!
Sudokunist
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Why choose this app over others? Clean design, no ads, hints that explain the strategy, and you can even type in puzzles from the newspaper. Sudokunist is a minimal, focused Sudoku app for people who want to actually get better at the game. Four difficulty tiers: Easy, Medium, Hard, and Diabolical, each with a set of pre-generated puzzles, ordered from simplest to most challenging within their tier. Every puzzle is solvable by pure logic. No guessing required. When you're stuck, the hint system shows you the next logical step and explains the technique behind it: Hidden Singles, Naked Pairs, X-Wing, XY-Wing, Skyscraper, W-Wing, Swordfish, and more. So you understand what you're doing, not just what to fill in. Upgrade to Sudokunist Pro (one-time purchase, no subscription) to unlock Number-First input and My Puzzles. Features - Easy, Medium, Hard, and Diabolical difficulties - Custom puzzles - Hints that name and explain the solving technique - Pencil notes with automatic candidate cleanup - Solve history and best times - Timer, mistake highlighting, related-cell highlights - Highlight matching digits across the board - Light and dark themes Pro (one-time unlock) - Number-First input: arm a digit, tap cells to fill them instantly - My Puzzles: enter and solve any puzzle from a newspaper or book
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Cracking the Cryptic at every 3 weeks against Sudokunist's every 3 months. On price, ads, in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Cracking the Cryptic sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Sudokunist sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Cracking the Cryptic ships an update every 3 weeks, Sudokunist every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Cracking the Cryptic | Sudokunist |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.4 (211 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 72.1% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 211 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 234 MB | 19 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Nick Carney | Maarten Peels |
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
Sudokunist
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Cracking the Cryptic
- CTC Worms - James Sinclair$0.99
- CTC Worms - Marty Sears$0.99
- CTC Worms - Michael Lefkowitz$1.99
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- 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
Sudokunist
- Sudokunist Pro$2.99
Questions
Is Cracking the Cryptic free?
Is Sudokunist free?
Do Cracking the Cryptic or Sudokunist have ads?
Which is updated more often, Cracking the Cryptic or Sudokunist?
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