Comparison

KenKen Classic vs Mathdoku Challenge!

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

KenKen Classic

Engage your mind with this addictive logic and math puzzle game. It offers a virtually unlimited supply of challenges with adjustable difficulty and grid sizes. Enjoy a fun way to train your brain with a trusted source of daily puzzles.

Highlights
  • Unlimited puzzles
  • Adjustable difficulty and grid size
  • Multiple input modes
  • Hints, Undo, Redo, Reset
  • Online leaderboards
  • Color schemes and music options
Features
Read full description

KenKen® - Brain Training Puzzle Train your brain with KenKen®, the unbelievably fun, exciting and addictive logic and math puzzle! KenKen is an amazing puzzle that is frequently described as “sudoku on steroids.” If you like other brain games such as sudoku, 2048, Threes, Kakuro, Unblock Me, Tricky Test, Tetris, Flow, jigsaw puzzles, word search puzzles, or crossword puzzles, then you will LOVE KenKen! This is the ONE-AND-ONLY Original KenKen app, created by acclaimed Japanese mathematics educator Tetsuya Miyamoto. Don’t be fooled by unauthorized versions such as mathdoku and calcudoku, and don't get stuck in a sudoku rut. Play KenKen math puzzles today! KenKen appears daily in the New York Times and hundreds of other publications around the globe. NY Times puzzle editor, Will Shortz, calls KenKen "the most addictive puzzle since sudoku." There are virtually unlimited KenKen puzzles available to you on this app. The first 50 are included FREE with the download. If you need more...no problem! Just order them and they'll appear immediately. YOU select the size, difficulty level, and operations. KenKen Classic includes: - 50 FREE fun math puzzles of every size and difficulty level - Unlimited FREE 3x3 size puzzles to learn from and enjoy - Virtually unlimited puzzles, ranging from 3x3 to 9x9 grids, from Easy to Expert - A variety of color schemes and music (you can even set your own music to play in the background) - 3 input modes for digits and notes - Great extra features such as Hints, Check, Undo, Redo, Reset, Pause, and Timer - Online leaderboards - Ability to post results directly to Twitter - Ability to email results and invite friends

About

Mathdoku Challenge!

This game combines Sudoku logic with mathematical operations. Solve puzzles by filling cells with numbers that satisfy row, column, and cage constraints. Offers daily puzzles and purchasable packs to challenge your mind.

Highlights
  • Sudoku-style number placement
  • Mathematical cage operations
  • Logic-based puzzle solving
  • Daily new puzzles
  • Purchasable puzzle packs
  • Varying puzzle sizes
Features
Read full description

Do you like Sudoku? How about KenKen (or is it Ken Ken)? Or simply looking for that next game to get you brain going? Then give Mathdoku a try! Mathdoku Challenge! brings an exciting new twist to Sudoku. Step up to the plate and solve problems with your math skills. Face challenging puzzles of varying sizes, leverage the hints you are given, and use logic to find the solution. Mathdoku will stretch your mind, wake you up, and keep you on your toes. Play as many puzzles as you want! Each day, you get even more puzzles to play. Or purchase a puzzle pack to keep the fun going. Puzzles are divided into cages by grouping cells together. Hints for a cage are composed of a target number and an operation. Combining the cells in the cage using the mathematical operation must reach the target number. A number can only be used once per row and column. Use this limitation, hints, and unit cells to find the solution to the puzzles.

Screenshots

KenKen Classic2 screens
Mathdoku Challenge!4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Mathdoku Challenge! at every 8 days against KenKen Classic's every 4 months. Mathdoku Challenge! also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 73%) and rating (5.0 vs 4.6). KenKen Classic's advantage is ratings volume (3.2K vs 15) and iOS requirement (12.1 vs 16.0). On price, ads, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. KenKen Classic sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per year and Mathdoku Challenge! sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Mathdoku Challenge! holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: KenKen Classic has 3.2K ratings behind it against 15, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 73% of KenKen Classic's written reviews are positive against 100% of Mathdoku Challenge!'s.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

KenKen Classic ships an update every 4 months, Mathdoku Challenge! every 8 days. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
KenKen Classic versus Mathdoku Challenge!: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterKenKen ClassicMathdoku Challenge!
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (3.2K ratings)5.0 (15 ratings) — better
Positive reviews72.6% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings3.2K — better15
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 8 days — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.1 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size40 MB39 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKenKen PuzzleTaylor Geisse

Customer experience

KenKen Classic

All ratings3,172 ratings
Positive92.7%
Neutral2.6%
Negative4.6%
Written reviews314 reviews
Positive72.6%
Neutral9.6%
Negative17.8%

Mathdoku Challenge!

All ratings13 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

KenKen Classic

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Puzzles disappearing after device reset or upgrade
  • Purchased puzzles not syncing across devices
  • App crashing or freezing

Requested features

4 requests
  • Dark mode option
  • Ability to save and revert puzzle progress
  • No-op puzzles for advanced players
  • Improved puzzle loading and syncing across devices

Mathdoku Challenge!

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

6 purchases

KenKen Classic

Subscriptions1
  • Full Year Subscription NO ADS!$19.991 Year
One-time5
  • 500 KenKen toKENs$0.99
  • 31 Puzzles PLUS removal of all ads!$1.99
  • 250 Puzzles PLUS removal of all ads!$7.99
Show 2 more
  • 1000 Puzzles PLUS removal of all ads!$14.99
  • Annual Unlimited Subscription - Ad Free$19.99
4 purchases

Mathdoku Challenge!

One-time4
  • 100 Puzzles$0.99
  • 250 Puzzles$1.99
  • 500 Puzzles$3.99
Show 1 more
  • 1000 Puzzles$6.99

Questions

Is KenKen Classic free?
KenKen Classic is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Mathdoku Challenge! free?
Mathdoku Challenge! is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, KenKen Classic or Mathdoku Challenge!?
Mathdoku Challenge! is rated higher. KenKen Classic averages 4.6 out of 5 from 3.2K ratings, while Mathdoku Challenge! averages 5.0 from 15 ratings.
Do KenKen Classic or Mathdoku Challenge! have ads?
Both KenKen Classic and Mathdoku Challenge! show ads.
Which is updated more often, KenKen Classic or Mathdoku Challenge!?
KenKen Classic ships an update every 4 months, and Mathdoku Challenge! every 8 days. Most recently, KenKen Classic was updated on October 24, 2026 and Mathdoku Challenge! on October 24, 2026.

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