Comparison

Cracking the Cryptic vs Art Puzzle

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

Art Puzzle

Read full description

Play a little. Make something yours. Oddly turns three small challenges into a sculpture that remembers how you played. The sparks you find become stars, the route you follow becomes a constellation, and the echo you repeat adds its satellites. FIND, THREAD, ECHO Find four-point sparks among moons. Follow a numbered route. Watch a short light sequence and play it back. There are no countdowns or lives, and mistakes keep your progress intact. YOUR POCKET SCULPTURE STUDIO Change your creation’s palette, turn, spread and layers. Name it, save favorites, and export square artwork to share. A CABINET THAT GROWS WITH YOU Start with Orbits, unlock Blooms after three creations, and discover Signals after six. Your collection and edits save on your device. YOUR KIND OF PLAY Choose gentle challenges, replay an echo, and turn touch feedback or decorative motion off. Pause and return to an unfinished creation. Free to play with occasional ads between creations and an optional one-time Remove Ads purchase. No account or subscription. Gameplay and studio work offline; adising and purchases require a connection. Created by independent developer Thomas Upson.

Screenshots

Cracking the Cryptic4 screens
Art Puzzle4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Cracking the Cryptic at none against Art Puzzle's shown. Cracking the Cryptic also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). Art Puzzle's advantage is update cadence (every 6 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Cracking the Cryptic sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Art Puzzle sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Cracking the Cryptic ships an update every 3 weeks, Art Puzzle every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Cracking the Cryptic versus Art Puzzle: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCracking the CrypticArt Puzzle
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (211 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews72.1% of reviews—
Number of ratings211 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 6 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS13.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size234 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNick CarneyTHOMAS WILLIAM UPSON

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

Art Puzzle

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Cracking the Cryptic

One-time10
  • CTC Worms - James Sinclair$0.99
  • CTC Worms - Marty Sears$0.99
  • CTC Worms - Michael Lefkowitz$1.99
Show 7 more
  • 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
1 purchases

Art Puzzle

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$0.99

Questions

Is Cracking the Cryptic free?
Cracking the Cryptic is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Art Puzzle free?
Art Puzzle is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Cracking the Cryptic or Art Puzzle have ads?
Art Puzzle shows ads; Cracking the Cryptic does not.
Which is updated more often, Cracking the Cryptic or Art Puzzle?
Cracking the Cryptic ships an update every 3 weeks, and Art Puzzle every 6 days. Most recently, Cracking the Cryptic was updated on November 7, 2026 and Art Puzzle on November 10, 2026.

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