Cracking the Cryptic vs VariantDoku
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!
VariantDoku
This app offers a vast library of over 1,800 logic puzzles, including various Sudoku variants. It features interactive tutorials for learning new puzzle types and tools to aid in solving without guesswork. Enjoy a calm, ad-free experience with progress tracking and customizable interface options.
- 1,800+ variant and zero-givens puzzles
- Logic-checked puzzles with unique solutions
- Daily puzzle with leaderboard
- Interactive tutorials for all variants
- Advanced solving tools (notes, colors, symbols)
- Progress tracking and streaks
- Dark mode and calm interface
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No ads. No guessing. Just pure-logic variant sudoku. VariantDoku is built for solvers who want more than one daily grid — a growing library of 3,000+ variant and zero-givens puzzles, every one verified to have a single solution reachable by logic alone. No ads, ever — free or paid. WHY SOLVERS STAY - 3,000+ variant & zero-givens puzzles: killer cages, thermos, kropki dots, XV, arrows, renban, German whispers, palindromes, diagonals, anti-knight, and more - Every puzzle is logic-checked: one unique solution, no guessing required - A new daily puzzle, free for everyone — compare solve times on the daily leaderboard - Home-screen widget keeps today's puzzle one tap away - Audio narration reads the rules and tutorial steps aloud — listen while you study the grid LEARN ANY VARIANT - Step-by-step interactive tutorials for every variant, from your first 4x4 grid to mixed-constraint puzzles - A guided first-launch experience matches puzzles to your level — you're never thrown into the deep end - Already sharp? Skip straight to the expert grids TOOLS THAT RESPECT YOUR SOLVE - Candidate notes, corner marks, colors, and symbols for advanced solving - Error checking and gentle hints — only when you ask - Import puzzle links straight into your Library - Search and filters by difficulty, grid size, and constraint type - Streaks and solve history to track your progress - Dark mode and a calm interface designed for long sessions - Fully optimized for iPad in portrait and landscape, and runs on Mac BUILT TO BE ACCESSIBLE - VoiceOver plays the whole board: move cell by cell and hear the digit, your pencil marks, the clues on that cell and how it connects to its neighbours - Colour-blind support: German Whispers, Renban, Palindrome, Region Sum and Parity lines each have their own dash pattern, so no rule depends on colour alone - Reduce Motion is respected — staged hint reveals and animations settle immediately HINTS THAT COACH, NOT ANSWER - Every hint names the next logical step — Hidden Single, X-Wing, W-Wing, Simple Coloring, Forcing Chain — and highlights the cells it depends on - It reads the pencil marks you already made and builds on them - It never reveals a digit that isn't logically deduced; when the logic only rules candidates out, it shows you that instead of handing you a number THE VARIANTS LIST Classic Sudoku, Killer Sudoku, Kropki, XV, Thermo, German Whispers, Renban, Palindrome, Between Lines, Lockout Lines, Region Sum Lines, Arrow Sudoku, Diagonal (Sudoku X), Anti-Knight, Anti-King — plus multi-constraint puzzles that combine several on one board, and zero-givens puzzles solved entirely from the variant rules. Variant+ removes the hint limit and explains the available logical deductions step by step, and adds unlimited puzzles, unlimited error checking and offline Library play. The app stays 100% ad-free — free or paid. Whether you're learning your first killer cage or chasing your hundredth zero-givens solve, VariantDoku is a calm place to practice and improve. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: VariantDoku at 4.8 against Cracking the Cryptic's 4.4. VariantDoku also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). Cracking the Cryptic's advantage is ratings volume (208 vs 6) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases 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 13 one-off in-app purchases and VariantDoku sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
VariantDoku holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Cracking the Cryptic has 208 ratings behind it against 6, 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 75% of VariantDoku's.
Cracking the Cryptic ships an update every 3 weeks, VariantDoku weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Cracking the Cryptic | VariantDoku |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.4 (208 ratings) | 4.8 (6 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 72.1% of reviews | 75.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 208 — better | 6 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 234 MB | 16 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Nick Carney | Uladzislau Artsemyeu |
Customer experience
Cracking the Cryptic
VariantDoku
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
VariantDoku
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 - 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
VariantDoku
- Variant+ Monthly7 Days trial$4.991 Month
- Variant+ Annual7 Days trial$24.991 Year
- Variant+ Lifetime$39.99
Questions
Is Cracking the Cryptic free?
Is VariantDoku free?
Which has better reviews, Cracking the Cryptic or VariantDoku?
Do Cracking the Cryptic or VariantDoku have ads?
Which is updated more often, Cracking the Cryptic or VariantDoku?
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