KenKen Classic vs Mathdoku + Calcudoku
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Unlimited puzzles
- Adjustable difficulty and grid size
- Multiple input modes
- Hints, Undo, Redo, Reset
- Online leaderboards
- Color schemes and music options
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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
Mathdoku + Calcudoku
This game combines arithmetic and logic puzzles, similar to Sudoku. Fill grids with numbers based on row, column, and cage calculations. It offers multiple grid sizes and difficulty levels.
- Sudoku-like grid filling
- Arithmetic and logic challenges
- Cage-based calculations
- Multiple grid sizes (4x4 to 9x9)
- Varying difficulty levels
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Mathdoku + Calcudoku is arithmetic and logic puzzle similar to Sudoku and based on rules of Kendoku ® and KenKen ® Fill the grid so that each row and column only have one of each available number (1 to N). The table is separated into groups that are calculated together. Each group's total is displayed in the top-left corner along with the operator that was used (+ * / - ) Digits may be repeated within a cage, as long as they aren't in the same row or column. The games are available in 6 formats: 4x4 (Beginner), 5x5 (Easy), 6x6 (Medium), 7x7 (Hard), 8x8 (Advanced) and 9x9 (Extreme) Complete rules on http://www.essekappa.it?p=mathdoku
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: KenKen Classic at 4.6 against Mathdoku + Calcudoku's 1.0. KenKen Classic also leads on ratings volume (3.2K vs 1) and update cadence (every 4 months vs every 12 months). Mathdoku + Calcudoku's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). 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
Both are free to download. KenKen Classic sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per year and Mathdoku + Calcudoku sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
KenKen Classic holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: KenKen Classic has 3.2K ratings behind it against 1, 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 60% of Mathdoku + Calcudoku's.
KenKen Classic ships an update every 4 months, Mathdoku + Calcudoku every 12 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | KenKen Classic | Mathdoku + Calcudoku |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (3.2K ratings) — better | 1.0 (1 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 72.7% of reviews — better | 60.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 3.2K — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months — better | Every 12 months |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.1 | 7.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 40 MB | 9 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | KenKen Puzzle | Marco Gentili |
Customer experience
KenKen Classic
Mathdoku + Calcudoku
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 + Calcudoku
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
KenKen Classic
- Full Year Subscription NO ADS!$19.991 Year
- 500 KenKen toKENs$0.99
- 31 Puzzles PLUS removal of all ads!$1.99
- 250 Puzzles PLUS removal of all ads!$7.99
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- 1000 Puzzles PLUS removal of all ads!$14.99
- Annual Unlimited Subscription - Ad Free$19.99
Mathdoku + Calcudoku
- Remove iAd Banner$0.99
- Full Version$0.99
Questions
Is KenKen Classic free?
Is Mathdoku + Calcudoku free?
Which has better reviews, KenKen Classic or Mathdoku + Calcudoku?
Do KenKen Classic or Mathdoku + Calcudoku have ads?
Which is updated more often, KenKen Classic or Mathdoku + Calcudoku?
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