Comparison

ClusterSum vs DC34 CTF

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

Head to head
About

ClusterSum

Features
Read full description

Number puzzle game

About

DC34 CTF

Features
Read full description

DC34 CTF is a capture-the-flag game built for DEF CON 34. Fourteen channels are dark. Your job is to light them up. Download before the con. The app locks until the convention opens. When the doors open at LVCC West Hall in Las Vegas on August 7, it unlocks and the game begins. FOURTEEN CHANNELS. ONE FINAL TARGET. Every channel is a different kind of puzzle. Some are cryptographic. Some are physical. Some require hardware your phone didn't know it would be using. No hints. No walkthrough. Figure it out. The challenges span XOR ciphers, steganography, DTMF tone analysis, radio direction finding, Bluetooth beacon hunting, geolocation, reverse image search, physical navigation, NFC, speech recognition, and more. Your phone's full sensor suite is in play โ€” camera, microphone, GPS, accelerometer, compass, Bluetooth, NFC. PRIZES The first three players to complete all fourteen channels and claim the final flag receive physical prizes: gold, silver, and copper coins. Finishers four through thirteen get pins. Your rank is permanent โ€” logged to the live leaderboard the moment you scan the hand. THE LEADERBOARD A live in-app finishers board tracks every player who completes the game, ranked by completion time. Watch it fill up in real time. THERE IS MORE The app has secrets that have nothing to do with the flags. Some people will find them. Most won't. REQUIREMENTS iOS 17 or later. Game Center must be enabled โ€” the app authenticates silently at launch. Several challenges require network access, Bluetooth, NFC, location services, camera, and microphone. Grant permissions as the game asks for them or miss the challenges that need them. The app is locked until August 7, 2026 at 9:00 AM PT. Show up at DEF CON 34, LVCC West Hall, Las Vegas. You can play anywhere, but final flag unlocking prizes is only available in-person.

Screenshots

ClusterSum4 screens
DC34 CTF4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: DC34 CTF at none against ClusterSum's 10. On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. ClusterSum sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. DC34 CTF asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard1 real difference ยท 5 level
ClusterSum versus DC34 CTF: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterClusterSumDC34 CTF
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyโ€”Every 3 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo โ€” better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 โ€” better17.0
Further details โ€” not scored
Size10 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSnake JohnsJeremy Yablan

In-app purchases

10 purchases

ClusterSum

One-time10
  • Treasure Bag$4.99
  • Santa's Coin Sack$4.99
  • Vault Drop$9.99
Show 7 more
  • Holiday Weekend Boost$9.99
  • Long Weekend Vault$19.99
  • North Pole Mega Chest$19.99
  • King's Reserve$29.99
  • Royal Hoard$49.99
  • Imperial Vault$79.99
  • Mega Pack$99.99
None

DC34 CTF

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ClusterSum free?
ClusterSum is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is DC34 CTF free?
DC34 CTF is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do ClusterSum or DC34 CTF have ads?
Neither ClusterSum nor DC34 CTF shows ads.

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