# Blackbox vs Sudoku

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.

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.

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.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | Blackbox | Sudoku |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (110K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blackbox/id962969578/reviews)** | [4.8 (314K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sudoku-brain-puzzle-games/id1442749804/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 110K | **314K** |
| Positive reviews | **92.6% of reviews** | 54.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #45 | **#18** |
| Size | 209 MB | 529 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | +4 | 9+ |
| Developer | [Shapes and Stories LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/962969577) | [OAKEVER GAMES PTE. LTD.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1658671470) |

## What reviewers say

### Blackbox

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blackbox/id962969578)

**Currently charting:** #45 Top Free · Trivia, #65 Top Grossing · Trivia (US App Store)

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:** Family Sharing, iMessage stickers

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tiny Hint Pack | $1.19 | one-time |
| Small Hint Pack | $2.39 | one-time |
| Erudite Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Push Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Coffee for Ryan | $4.49 | one-time |
| Basic Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Medium Hint Pack | $5.00 | one-time |
| All Knowing Pack | $7.99 | one-time |
| Large Hint Pack | $10.00 | one-time |
| Extra Large Hint Pack | $20.00 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- Hints not working as expected
- Progress reset after app update

**Requested features**

- 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

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sudoku-brain-puzzle-games/id1442749804)

**Currently charting:** #18 Top Free · Board, #92 Top Free · Puzzle, #167 Top Grossing · Board (US App Store)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Sudoku Weekly Subscription | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Sudoku Monthly Subscription | $4.99 | per month |
| Sudoku Yearly Subscription | $15.99 | per year |
| Battle tickets *30 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Battle Tickets *100 | $1.99 | one-time |
| tickets_3 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 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

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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


## Frequently asked 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 #45 in the App Store charts, and Sudoku at #18. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*