Comparison

Cracking the Cryptic vs Northsense

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

Northsense

Features
Read full description

Northsense is a 90-second daily exercise for your sense of direction. Every day, the app names a bearing — north, southwest, 47 degrees — and asks you to point your iPhone at it. Tap to lock when you think you're aimed right; we measure the angular error and score the round. Five rounds make a Daily Quest. Get under 30° average error and your streak counts up. It's not a navigation tool. It's a training game — for hikers, orienteers, sailors, walkers, geocachers, kids learning geography, or anyone who likes a small daily mental warm-up. FOUR MODES • Daily Quest — five rounds, a fresh combination of bearings every day. Build a streak. • Free Practice — pick your own target. Tap as many times as you like. • No-eyes Quest (Pro) — voice prompts and haptics only. Close your eyes and trust your instinct. • Memory Walk (Pro) — face a direction, walk a few steps in any way you like, then point back from memory. Daily Quest and Free Practice are free. Northsense Pro, a one-time in-app purchase, unlocks No-eyes Quest and Memory Walk. PRIVATE BY DESIGN No account. No cloud. No analytics, advertising, or tracking. Every score stays on your device. Apple's own CoreLocation and CoreMotion frameworks read heading and step data only while you're inside a round. WORKS WITH WHAT YOU HAVE • iPhone with a magnetometer (any model from the last decade). • Home Screen Widget showing today's streak and the last seven days. • Live Activity on the Lock Screen and Dynamic Island during a quest. A daily minute. A sharper compass instinct. ---

Screenshots

Cracking the Cryptic4 screens
Northsense3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Northsense at none against Cracking the Cryptic's 13. Cracking the Cryptic's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months) and device support (3 vs 1). On price and ads 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. Northsense asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Cracking the Cryptic ships an update every 3 weeks, Northsense every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Cracking the Cryptic versus Northsense: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCracking the CrypticNorthsense
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (208 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews72.1% of reviews—
Number of ratings208 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS13.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size234 MB13 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNick CarneyIlia Filiaev

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

Northsense

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

Northsense

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Cracking the Cryptic free?
Cracking the Cryptic is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Northsense free?
Northsense is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Cracking the Cryptic or Northsense have ads?
Neither Cracking the Cryptic nor Northsense shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Cracking the Cryptic or Northsense?
Cracking the Cryptic ships an update every 3 weeks, and Northsense every 2 months. Most recently, Cracking the Cryptic was updated on September 30, 2026 and Northsense on September 18, 2026.

Other comparisons