Comparison

Sudoku ∙ vs Splashy Dots

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

Head to head
About

Sudoku ∙

Engage in a classic logic puzzle with multiple difficulty levels, from beginner to expert. Features include automatic saving, customizable options, and a beginner tutorial. Enjoy a well-crafted gameplay experience designed for maximum enjoyment on your mobile device.

Highlights
  • Multiple difficulty levels
  • Beginner tutorial
  • Automatic game saving
  • Customizable in-game options
  • Left or right-handed play
Features
Read full description

Sudoku is now available for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad - with a level of gameplay never seen before in the AppStore! Discover this great version of Sudoku and join thousands of other addicted players - "This version is really well made - clean and easy to play. My favourite." - "Great game! I'll definitely recommend it to my friends." DIFFERENT GAME MODES - Four levels of difficulty - you can enjoy the game whether you're a beginner or an expert! - Novice player? Try our beginners' sudoku, with an interactive tutorial. - Or are you a Sudoku expert? Try the 'Impossible' level! - Left or Right-handed A FULL, FUN VERSION OF SUDOKU - Each turn is automatically saved - Prevent screen time-out during game time - The graphics have been designed to maximise your enjoyment Customise your game with many different in-game options, which you can turn on or off: - Show same-value numbers entered - Prevent same numbers from being entered - Activate or deactivate the timer

About

Splashy Dots

This app offers a unique puzzle experience with strategic dot-connecting gameplay. Enjoy thousands of brain-teasing levels with a distinctive art style and relaxing jazz music. Designed for Apple devices, it features haptic feedback and iCloud syncing.

Highlights
  • Unique dot-connecting mechanics
  • Thousands of brain-teasing puzzles
  • Splashy and juicy graphics
  • Relaxing chillout jazz music
  • Haptic feedback and force touch support
  • iCloud progress syncing
  • Full undo support
Features
Read full description

Imagine yourself in a cozy art gallery, with the sounds of a live jazz act in the background, a brush in your hand and a canvas in front of you. You’re all set. You have a perfect opportunity to create some unique splatter art paintings. Now you can do all of this on your mobile device! ======= ORIGINAL GAMEPLAY Splashy Dots has one of its kind mechanics that can't be found in any other game. If you like games such as chess, Sudoku, Go or Rubik's cube you will be amazed by how much this game has to offer beyond the art style. LOTS OF CONTENT Thousands of brain-teasing puzzles. You can choose colors and difficulty up to your preferences. DESIGNED FOR APPLE DEVICES Designed specifically for iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, and iMessage. Works with haptic feedback and force touch on iPhone 7, which allows you to feel the splashes in your hand. UNIQUE ART STYLE Splashy and juicy graphics with lots of colorful themes. Each level ends up as a painting for you to collect. EASY TO PLAY, HARD TO MASTER Full undo support so you can experiment freely with multiple paths. Hints to help you when you get really stuck. Easy to learn rules with surprising complexity as levels get harder. MUSIC Chillout Jazz music playing in the background with procedurally generated tunes that are different at every level. iCloud Progress is saved in the cloud so you can play on multiple devices at once. ======= DESCRIPTION: The game is visually driven but the core of the gameplay is focused on strategic thinking. Your goal is to connect all the dots. Sounds familiar? Nothing could be further from the truth. Splashy Dots has one of its kind mechanics that can't be found in any other game. If you like games such as chess, Sudoku, Go or Rubik's cube you will be amazed by how much this game has to offer beyond the colorful art style. You move the dot with swipes so in order to play this game you need a single hand and an open-minded brain. Your dot moves on a visually appealing grid that lets you easily understand the in-game physics. You can move horizontally or vertically within this grid. There are only splashes and paint streaks. Whenever you swipe you create both - a streak and a splash. The in-game music is relaxing and your moves are accompanied by calming sound effects. At the beginning the game is easy, but it gets more brain-challenging with each level you complete. It's easy to finish initial levels which contain only a few dots but you need to learn how to test your strategies in order to finish levels with a dozen of them. You need your combined experiences to progress in the game. There's always at least a single possible solution but usually, the first move is the most important one. It can immediately help you solve the puzzle or break the odds of winning. The world of Splashy Dots is full of colors. Gameplay will make you excited. It's addictive and challenging. Whenever you get stuck you don't need to stop - there's a hint that you may want to use. There's no such thing as a score so you don’t need to hurry. Take your time, be patient. Test your skills and try to solve one of the most creative modern puzzlers. If you own AppleTV you need to know that the Splashy Dots TV version was not only specially designed for TV, but the game will be synchronized across all your devices, whether it's iPod, iPhone or AppleTV. Not convinced yet? If you play on AppleTV you will get daily free hints! Yup, that's it. You only need to download the game on your AppleTV in order to receive free hints on iPhone. Enjoy! ----------------------------- FOLLOW https://www.facebook.com/crimsonpine https://twitter.com/crimsonpine DISCOVER http://www.crimsonpine.com/ SUPPORT Are you having problems? Contact our team and we will do our best to help you! http://www.crimsonpine.com/#section-contact

Screenshots

Sudoku ∙4 screens
Splashy Dots4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Sudoku ∙ at 79% against Splashy Dots's 35%. Sudoku ∙ also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.1) and ratings volume (1.4K vs 200). Splashy Dots's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model 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. Sudoku ∙ sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Splashy Dots sells 11 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Sudoku ∙ holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sudoku ∙ has 1.4K ratings behind it against 200, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 79% of Sudoku ∙'s written reviews are positive against 35% of Splashy Dots's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Sudoku ∙ ships an update every 2 months, Splashy Dots every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and August 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Sudoku ∙ versus Splashy Dots: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSudoku ∙Splashy Dots
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (1.4K ratings) — better4.1 (200 ratings)
Positive reviews79.0% of reviews — better34.8% of reviews
Number of ratings1.4K — better200
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TViPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV
Requires iOS13.09.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size113 MB177 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSolitaire Games StudioCrimson Pine Games

Customer experience

Sudoku ∙

All ratings1,434 ratings
Positive95.1%
Neutral2.8%
Negative2.1%
Written reviews1,236 reviews
Positive79.0%
Neutral7.4%
Negative13.6%

Splashy Dots

All ratings200 ratings
Positive73.5%
Neutral10.5%
Negative16.0%
Written reviews267 reviews
Positive34.8%
Neutral13.5%
Negative51.7%

User reviews

Sudoku ∙

From 1.4K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use interface
  • 💡 Separate note-taking feature
  • 🚀 Responsive gameplay
  • ⭐ Challenging difficulty levels

Room to improve

  • 🔍 Small font size
  • 💸 Excessive ads
  • 🐛 Crashes and freezes
  • 🔁 Inability to save progress

Splashy Dots

From 200 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎨 Beautiful design and visuals
  • 🎶 Relaxing background music
  • 🧠 Challenging yet satisfying puzzles
  • 👍 Addictive and enjoyable gameplay
  • 💡 Unique concept and mechanics

Room to improve

  • 📺 Excessive and intrusive advertisements
  • 🔁 Repetitive and unvaried puzzle designs
  • 🕰️ Slow progression and pacing
  • 🔒 Lack of customization or control over ads

Bugs and requests

Sudoku ∙

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Incorrect puzzle solutions
  • Inconsistent scoring and progress tracking
  • Ads that disrupt gameplay

Requested features

4 requests
  • Option to disable ads
  • Larger grid size
  • Ability to review completed puzzles
  • Customizable themes and appearances

Splashy Dots

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App opening App Store unexpectedly
  • Volume issues and audio problems
  • Inconsistent gameplay and level completion tracking

Requested features

4 requests
  • More level variety and difficulty progression
  • Option to purchase ad-free version
  • Custom level creation and sharing
  • Improved background music and sound effects

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Sudoku ∙

One-time1
  • Remove advertising$2.99
11 purchases

Splashy Dots

One-time11
  • Small Hint Pack$0.99
  • Small Brush Pack$0.99
  • Medium Hint Pack$2.99
Show 8 more
  • One Free Hint In Each Level$2.99
  • Large Hint Pack$5.99
  • Coral Reef Pack$9.99
  • Sweets Pack$9.99
  • Huge Hint Pack$9.99
  • Hues Pack$9.99
  • Unlimited Hints$19.99
  • Unlimited Brushes$19.99

Questions

Is Sudoku ∙ free?
Sudoku ∙ is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Splashy Dots free?
Splashy Dots is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Sudoku ∙ or Splashy Dots?
Sudoku ∙ is rated higher. Sudoku ∙ averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.4K ratings, while Splashy Dots averages 4.1 from 200 ratings.
Do Sudoku ∙ or Splashy Dots have ads?
Sudoku ∙ shows ads; Splashy Dots does not.
Which is updated more often, Sudoku ∙ or Splashy Dots?
Sudoku ∙ ships an update every 2 months, and Splashy Dots every 3 weeks. Most recently, Sudoku ∙ was updated on September 25, 2026 and Splashy Dots on August 17, 2026.

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