Cracking the Cryptic vs Gemdoku
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!
Gemdoku
A relaxing logic puzzle game where you place gems on a board, ensuring one per row, column, and color region without any touching. Offers daily challenges and leaderboards for a competitive yet calm experience.
- Pure deduction gameplay
- Board sizes up to 10x10
- In-game hints and tutorials
- Daily challenges and leaderboards
- Save progress mid-level
- Customizable sound and haptics
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Gemdoku is a calm, clever logic puzzle. Place exactly one gem in every row, every column and every colour region - and no two gems may touch, not even diagonally. Every level has a single solution you can reach by pure deduction: no guessing, ever. HOW IT PLAYS - Tap a tile to mark an X, swipe to mark several, double-tap to place a gem. - Boards grow from 4x4 to 10x10 as you progress, with a HARD level every 10 levels. - Hints explain the exact deduction, so you learn the techniques as you go. - Three lives per level. Lose them all and you can retry any time. EVERY DAY - A Daily Challenge shared by every player - see how many you beat. - A daily streak with a reward chest every 7 days. - A weekly leaderboard of real players. MADE FOR SHORT BREAKS - Levels save mid-way, so you can pick up where you left off. - Sound, voice and haptics you can turn off. - No account needed. Gemdoku is a fresh take on the Queens / Star Battle family of puzzles, built for one-handed play.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Gemdoku at 5.0 against Cracking the Cryptic's 4.4. Gemdoku also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 13) and update cadence (daily vs every 3 weeks). Cracking the Cryptic's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (208 vs 1). On price 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 13 one-off in-app purchases. Gemdoku asks for nothing beyond the download.
Gemdoku holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Cracking the Cryptic has 208 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Cracking the Cryptic ships an update every 3 weeks, Gemdoku daily. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Cracking the Cryptic | Gemdoku |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.4 (208 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 72.1% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 208 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Daily — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Ad-supported — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 234 MB | 129 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Nick Carney | Lunar Apps |
Customer experience
Cracking the Cryptic
Gemdoku
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
Gemdoku
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
Gemdoku
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Cracking the Cryptic free?
Is Gemdoku free?
Which has better reviews, Cracking the Cryptic or Gemdoku?
Do Cracking the Cryptic or Gemdoku have ads?
Which is updated more often, Cracking the Cryptic or Gemdoku?
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