Cracking the Cryptic vs Three Moves
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!
Three Moves
Guide a ceramic fox through handcrafted puzzles by making three strategic moves. Solve 48 unique challenges across four chapters, utilizing garden elements like hedges and planters to reach the fountain. Enjoy a relaxing, ad-supported experience with optional hints and unlimited undos.
- 48 handcrafted puzzles
- Four chapters
- Three-move mechanic
- No timer, unlimited undo
- Offline play
- Original ceramic artwork
- Accessibility features
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A little garden. Three moves. Guide a curious ceramic fox to its fountain in 48 handcrafted puzzles across four chapters. Every swipe moves the fox and every flower planter together. Hedges shape your path, planters become helpful stopping points, and pressure stones open matching bamboo gates. Finish with the fox resting at the fountain after exactly three moves. Take all the time you need. • 48 puzzles across four chapters, from your first slide to two intertwined circuits. • No timer, with unlimited undo, retry, and optional hints. • An illustrated tutorial explaining every garden piece. • Original ceramic artwork and mellow lo-fi music. • Direction buttons, VoiceOver board inspection, larger text, and Reduce Motion support. • Every puzzle works offline. No game account required. Free to play with occasional ads between completed puzzles. A one-time Remove Ads purchase removes advertising without changing your progress. No subscription. Advertising and purchases require a connection; puzzles do not.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Three Moves at 5.0 against Cracking the Cryptic's 4.4. Cracking the Cryptic's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (211 vs 2). On price, in-app purchases and monetization model 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 Three Moves sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Three Moves 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 211 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.
| Parameter | Cracking the Cryptic | Three Moves |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.4 (211 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 72.1% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 211 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | — |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 234 MB | 15 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Nick Carney | King Of The Hour, LLC |
Customer experience
Cracking the Cryptic
Three Moves
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
Three Moves
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
Three Moves
- Remove Ads$0.99
Questions
Is Cracking the Cryptic free?
Is Three Moves free?
Which has better reviews, Cracking the Cryptic or Three Moves?
Do Cracking the Cryptic or Three Moves have ads?
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