*SUDOKU vs Decoding Word Puzzle
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
*SUDOKU
This app is designed for new players to learn Sudoku. It offers a gradual learning curve with small puzzles and visual aids for rules. Progress through nine difficulty levels and master the game with a variety of puzzle sizes and a progress tracker.
- Gradual learning curve
- Visual rule explanations
- Nine difficulty levels
- Multiple puzzle sizes
- Progress tracking view
- 60 free puzzles
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The perfect app for sudoku beginners! Learn to play gradually by starting with tiny puzzles and working your way up. An in-game help feature uses pictures to make the rules easy to understand. The level of difficulty increases gradually through nine different levels. Before you know it, you have learned sudoku! Comes with 60 free puzzles for learning to play. More puzzles are available to buy if you want to keep playing once you have mastered the free puzzles. - Nine levels of difficulty - Pictures that explain the rules - Puzzle book view shows your progress - Three puzzles sizes (4x4, 6x6, and 9x9) - 4500 puzzles available (60 are free) - Great exercise for your brain!
Decoding Word Puzzle
Engage your mind with a word puzzle game featuring quotes from famous figures, literature, and movies. Solve creatively designed levels with hints and letter matching, enhanced by beautiful hand-drawn art and an unfolding narrative.
- Quote-based puzzles
- Word creation and letter matching
- Contextual hints
- Hand-drawn artwork
- Narrative mode
- Daily challenges
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Discover the Thrill of Puzzle Solving in "Decoding Word Puzzle"! Welcome to Decoding Word Puzzle, an exceptional and stimulating word challenge game! Dive into a realm filled with quotes from renowned figures, timeless literature, and intriguing movie lines, all sprinkled with a touch of humor. Each level is brimming with insight and cleverness, just waiting for you to unveil. Game Features: Varied Levels: Tackle ingeniously crafted puzzles that blend word creation, contextual hints, and letter matching, providing an exhilarating mental workout. Visual Splendor: Each stage is adorned with breathtaking hand-drawn artwork, offering a stunning artistic experience that enriches your puzzle-solving adventure. Engaging Activities: Participate in butterfly gathering, koi tournaments, daily treasures, and ongoing challenges—there's always something fresh and thrilling to explore! Narrative Mode: Unlock captivating plots as you advance through the game. Complete levels to unveil more mysteries, drawing you deeper into an enchanting story. Prepare to stimulate your intellect and relish a delightful gaming experience with Decoding Word Puzzle! Download now and embark on your adventure!
Screenshots
Verdict
*SUDOKU and Decoding Word Puzzle both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 90% of *SUDOKU's written reviews are positive against 27% of Decoding Word Puzzle's. *SUDOKU also leads on iOS requirement (8.0 vs 13.0). Decoding Word Puzzle's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and update cadence (daily vs every 33 months). On price, rating, ads 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. *SUDOKU sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Decoding Word Puzzle asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for *SUDOKU against 4.9 for Decoding Word Puzzle. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Decoding Word Puzzle has 11K ratings behind it against 113, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 90% of *SUDOKU's written reviews are positive against 27% of Decoding Word Puzzle's.
*SUDOKU ships an update every 33 months, Decoding Word Puzzle daily. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | *SUDOKU | Decoding Word Puzzle |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (113 ratings) | 4.9 (11K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 90.3% of reviews — better | 27.1% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 113 | 11K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 33 months | Daily — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 8.0 — better | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 19 MB | 255 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Sarah Pierce | Peace Word Studio |
Customer experience
*SUDOKU
Decoding Word Puzzle
User reviews
*SUDOKU
From 113 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Excellent learning tool for beginners
- 📈 Progressive difficulty levels build confidence
- 🧠 Helps keep mind sharp and active
- 🎯 Clear and easy-to-understand instructions
- ✨ Intuitive user interface
Room to improve
- 📢 Pop-up ads can be annoying
- 🐛 Compatibility issues with iOS 14.2+
- 📱 No landscape mode option
- 🔧 Limited strategy hints and explanations
- ⚙️ Lacks automatic pencil feature
Decoding Word Puzzle
From 11K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🤩 Relaxing and mentally challenging
- 👍 Fun and enjoyable game
Room to improve
- 🔥 Overloaded with ads
- 🐛 Buggy and unresponsive touch interface
- 🔋 Poor performance and battery drain
Bugs and requests
*SUDOKU
Reported bugs
4 issues- App crashes on iOS 14.2 and later
- App fails to open on Apple iOS devices
- Installation failures on first attempt
- Game progress issues and slowness
Requested features
8 requests- Landscape orientation mode
- More comprehensive strategy hints
- Automatic pencil feature for note-taking
- Ability to select multiple squares with single number
- Sound muting option for ad audio
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- More detailed rule explanations
- App update for 64-bit compatibility
- Additional puzzle content options
Decoding Word Puzzle
Reported bugs
2 issues- Forced to restart from beginning after update
- Frequent crashes and freezes
Requested features
2 requests- More puzzle content
- Option to disable ads
In-app purchases
*SUDOKU
- 4x4 Easy Puzzle Pack$0.99
- 6x6 Easy Puzzle Pack$0.99
- 9x9 Easy Puzzle Pack$0.99
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- 4x4 Medium Puzzle Pack$0.99
- 4x4 Hard Puzzle Pack$0.99
- 6x6 Medium Puzzle Pack$0.99
- 6x6 Hard Puzzle Pack$0.99
- 9x9 Medium Puzzle Pack$0.99
- 9x9 Hard Puzzle Pack$0.99
- Mega Puzzle Pack$2.99
Decoding Word Puzzle
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is *SUDOKU free?
Is Decoding Word Puzzle free?
Which has better reviews, *SUDOKU or Decoding Word Puzzle?
Do *SUDOKU or Decoding Word Puzzle have ads?
Which is updated more often, *SUDOKU or Decoding Word Puzzle?
Other comparisons
