Comparison

Blackbox vs Sudoku

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

Head to head
About

Blackbox

This puzzle game challenges you to solve intricate problems without touching the screen. It utilizes minimalistic visual cues, sonic interfaces, and haptic feedback to guide you through unique challenges that require thinking outside the box. Discover a new way to interact with your device and prove your cleverness.

Highlights
  • Touchless gameplay
  • Minimalistic visual clues
  • Sonic interfaces
  • Haptic feedback
  • External puzzle solving
  • Easter eggs
Features
Read full description

So you think you understand this thing you’re holding? Think again. Stop tapping. Stop swiping. In fact, stop touching the screen at all. To crack Blackbox’s puzzles you’ll need to find solitude and stillness, climb mountains, call on friends, get in tune with the cosmos, and think outside the box. Minimalistic visual clues make for incredibly satisfying “Aha!” moments, while sonic interfaces provide an extra level of guidance and nuance that makes Blackbox accessible with or without vision. Thoughtful haptic feedback, Easter eggs on Easter eggs, and solutions that can’t be found beneath the glass of your screen redefine what a puzzle can be. You’ll never see your device the same way again. Think you’re clever? Prove it. (Blackbox is a living game under active development by Ryan McLeod. When not eating burritos or drinking coffee, he’s busy designing and developing new Blackbox challenges.) ■

About

Sudoku

Engage your mind with over 5,000 classic Sudoku puzzles across various difficulty levels. Enjoy daily challenges, smart hints, and customizable themes for a relaxing, ad-free experience. Play online or offline, anytime, anywhere.

Highlights
  • 5,000+ classic Sudoku puzzles
  • Four difficulty levels
  • Daily challenges and rewards
  • Smart hints and pencil notes
  • Undo/Redo and auto-save
  • Customizable themes and dark mode
  • Full offline support
Features
Read full description

Upgrade your logic and relax your mind with Sudoku - Brain Puzzle Games – the ultimate number puzzle game trusted by millions worldwide. With over 5,000 handcrafted Sudoku puzzles across multiple difficulty levels, this game is perfect for your daily brain training, whether you're a beginner or an expert. Play at your own pace, online or offline, and enjoy a smart, smooth, and stress-free experience. Key Features - 5,000+ Classic Sudoku Puzzles Enjoy endless logic challenges with new puzzles updated weekly. - Four Difficulty Levels Easy, medium, hard, and expert – ideal for new players and seasoned solvers alike. - Daily Challenges and Rewards Stay motivated with fresh daily puzzles and unlock trophies as you progress. - Smart Hints and Pencil Notes Use hint tools and take notes to develop your solving strategies. - Undo/Redo, Auto-Save, and Fast Fill Play without pressure. Make corrections, pause at any time, and continue exactly where you left off. - Customizable Themes and Dark Mode Choose game themes based on your mood and gameplay environment. - Duplicate Number Highlighting Avoid mistakes with automatic detection of repeated digits in rows, columns, and boxes. - Full Offline Support Play Sudoku anytime, anywhere. No internet connection needed. - Ad-Free Game Environment Play without interruptions or data tracking. Advanced Game Modes and Features Have you tried Killer Sudoku or Letter Sudoku? Explore new puzzle types with unique logic patterns to challenge even experienced minds. Join global leaderboards and unlock limited-time seasonal themes to personalize your experience. Multiplayer tournaments are now live – compete with players around the world and climb your way to the top in real-time Sudoku challenges. Why Sudoku - Brain Puzzle Games? - Boost focus, memory, and logical thinking - Suitable for all ages – kids, adults, and seniors - Clean layout and easy controls for distraction-free gameplay - Designed for both iPhone and iPad - 100% privacy friendly and secure – no login required Ready to Play? Download Sudoku now to challenge your brain, unwind after a busy day, or fuel your puzzle-solving passion. Whether you're on a commute, relaxing at home, or just looking for a quick mental workout – Sudoku Free is the perfect companion. Privacy Policy URL: https://oakevergames.com/pp.html Terms of Service URL: https://oakevergames.com/tos.html Support Email: support@oakevergames.com

Screenshots

Blackbox4 screens
Sudoku4 screens

Verdict

The call

Blackbox and Sudoku both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 93% of Blackbox's written reviews are positive against 55% of Sudoku's. Blackbox also leads on ads (none vs shown). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence 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. Blackbox sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Sudoku sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Blackbox against 4.8 for Sudoku. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 110K and 314K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 93% of Blackbox's written reviews are positive against 55% of Sudoku's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Blackbox ships an update every 9 days, Sudoku weekly. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences · 9 level
Blackbox versus Sudoku: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBlackboxSudoku
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (110K ratings) — better4.8 (314K ratings)
Positive reviews92.6% of reviews — better54.7% of reviews
Number of ratings110K314K — better
Update frequencyEvery 9 daysWeekly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#44#18 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size209 MB529 MB
Age rating+49+
DeveloperShapes and Stories LLCOAKEVER GAMES PTE. LTD.

Customer experience

Blackbox

All ratings109,239 ratings
Positive95.7%
Neutral2.0%
Negative2.2%
Written reviews4,745 reviews
Positive92.6%
Neutral3.6%
Negative3.9%

Sudoku

All ratings314,262 ratings
Positive95.4%
Neutral3.0%
Negative1.6%
Written reviews2,828 reviews
Positive54.7%
Neutral10.3%
Negative35.1%

User reviews

Blackbox

From 110K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Unique and creative gameplay
  • 🤔 Challenges users to think outside the box
  • 😄 Humorous and witty comments
  • 🔑 Utilizes phone features in innovative ways

Room to improve

  • 🤯 Extremely challenging puzzles
  • 💰 Expensive for additional content
  • 🤖 Concerns about app accessing device permissions
  • 🚗 Puzzles requiring travel/location are inaccessible for some

Sudoku

From 314K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fun game with different difficulty levels
  • 👍 Minimal ads between games
  • 🧠 Challenges the mind
  • 🌟 Useful features like pencil mode and hints
  • 💤 Calming and relaxing experience

Room to improve

  • 🔍 Unclear purpose of tickets
  • 🔀 Automatic number selection in map mode
  • 🔧 Auto-complete feature changed to on/off
  • 📺 Too many intrusive ads
  • 🐛 Bugs and glitches causing game freezes

Bugs and requests

Blackbox

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Hints not working as expected
  • Progress reset after app update

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add ability to earn hint credits through watching ads
  • Include more free puzzles
  • Improve accessibility for users with limited mobility
  • Provide better guidance and instructions for puzzles

Sudoku

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Game freezes when switching back and forth between apps
  • Ads sometimes get stuck and prevent returning to the game
  • Pencil mode doesn't allow removing wrong notes
  • Incorrect solutions being marked as wrong

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add a relaxation mode without a timer
  • Provide an option to disable the automatic number selection in map mode
  • Bring back the ability to choose whether to use auto-complete
  • Improve ad placement to be less disruptive
  • Fix bugs and glitches

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Blackbox

One-time10
  • Tiny Hint Pack$1.19
  • Small Hint Pack$2.39
  • Erudite Pack$2.99
Show 7 more
  • Push Pack$2.99
  • Coffee for Ryan$4.49
  • Basic Pack$4.99
  • Medium Hint Pack$5.00
  • All Knowing Pack$7.99
  • Large Hint Pack$10.00
  • Extra Large Hint Pack$20.00
7 purchases

Sudoku

Subscriptions3
  • Sudoku Weekly Subscription$1.997 Days
  • Sudoku Monthly Subscription1 Month trial$4.991 Month
  • Sudoku Yearly Subscription1 Year trial$15.991 Year
One-time4
  • Battle tickets *30$0.99
  • Battle Tickets *100$1.99
  • tickets_3$2.99
Show 1 more
  • Remove Ads$4.99

Questions

Is Blackbox free?
Blackbox is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Sudoku free?
Sudoku is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Blackbox or Sudoku?
Blackbox is rated higher. Blackbox averages 4.8 out of 5 from 110K ratings, while Sudoku averages 4.8 from 314K ratings.
Do Blackbox or Sudoku have ads?
Sudoku shows ads; Blackbox does not.
Which is updated more often, Blackbox or Sudoku?
Blackbox ships an update every 9 days, and Sudoku weekly. Most recently, Blackbox was updated on November 1, 2026 and Sudoku on November 1, 2026.
Which is more popular, Blackbox or Sudoku?
Blackbox currently peaks at #44 in the App Store charts, and Sudoku at #18. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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