Sudoku Master Edition Reviews

I was interested in trying out SudokuMasterEdition because of their claim for "full" Apple Pencil support. I've been using Puzzazz's TouchWrite handwriting system on both iPad and iPhone for tehe last 5 years, and Puzzazz enhanced Touchwrite earlier this year to work even better with the Apple Pencil on my my iPad Pro, so I was curious what SudokuMasterEdition had to offer. I was seriously disappointed. I had to go into Settings to turn it on, which was not at all obvious, and then I couldn't figure out how it worked. There's a pad at the bottom and it looks you write there, but I could not get it to recognize anything I wrote and put it in the puzzle, no matter what I tried. And there's no explanation.

I did solve a bit without my Pencil. It looks like they're trying to turn Sudoku into a game I can lose. I couldn't care less about a stupid score. And ... Why is the puzzle so small? Why are the notes laid out incorrectly? Why am I not allowed to make a mistake in the grid? Why do my entries look just like the numbers already in the grid? Why aren't the puzzles symmetric? (Do the creators actually solve Sudoku?) And where did they get the idea that a puzzle should ever have 40 givens?

I was interested in trying out SudokuMasterEdition because of their claim for "full" Apple Pencil support. I've been using Puzzazz's TouchWrite handwriting system on both iPad and iPhone for tehe last 5 years, and Puzzazz enhanced Touchwrite earlier this year to work even better with the Apple Pencil on my my iPad Pro, so I was curious what SudokuMasterEdition had to offer. I was seriously disappointed. I had to go into Settings to turn it on, which was not at all obvious, and then I couldn't figure out how it worked. There's a pad at the bottom and it looks you write there, but I could not get it to recognize anything I wrote and put it in the puzzle, no matter what I tried. And there's no explanation.

I did solve a bit without my Pencil. It looks like they're trying to turn Sudoku into a game I can lose. I couldn't care less about a stupid score. And ... Why is the puzzle so small? Why are the notes laid out incorrectly? Why am I not allowed to make a mistake in the grid? Why do my entries look just like the numbers already in the grid? Why aren't the puzzles symmetric? (Do the creators actually solve Sudoku?) And where did they get the idea that a puzzle should ever have 40 givens?

Edit:
Ok yeah there’s definitely a bug. Every time I hit resume game or restart game it brings me back to the same board, which I’ve already completed (more than once), rather than whichever game I was actually in the middle of. Makes SudokuMasterEdition totally unusable unless I complete a game in one sitting. Please fix.

Old review:
I’m not... convinced that this is the best sudoku app. I would prefer a “clear board” option rather than a restart game, esp considering you have to go back to the menu to hit restart game. And restart game doesn’t always clear the board I was playing, sometimes it opens a new game entirely, which strikes me as a fairly significant bug unless I’m misunderstanding the feature. I also wish that the number you entered looked different from the given numbers, like maybe the given ones were bold so you could see the difference. Anyway it seems generally fine if not necessarily built for the way I’d prefer to play, there are other small things that bother me but can’t think of them atm.

To start on a good note, SudokuMasterEdition has a great simple design and calming background music that really fits the vibe of what I want when playing Soduko. Further, there are so many great customization options. But what really shocks me is that there is a) no redo button to undo an undo and b) the undo only works on main values and not scratch values. This paired with the handwriting recognition that is only 60% accurate makes for some horribly depressing issues. More often than note I’ll write a scratch value, the handwriting system puts a 9 instead of a 2 and I instinctively hit undo and bam, the value I wrote in 10 minutes ago is undone and I can’t remember what that value was and I’m lost. This can be fixed so easily by at the minimum implementing a redo or even further by extending undo functionality to include scratch values, some very expected but unimplemented mechanics. I can deal with the eh handwriting recognition but not this. Overall 2/5 because this is a huge issue and makes me put SudokuMasterEdition down and not want to return.

Firstly, it’s a great app that integrates the Apple Pencil seamlessly. Thank you for having a free version with great features.
My issues with SudokuMasterEdition are related to the writing recognition and the difficulties.

For some reason, the detection is very sensitive to the number 5 and not sensitive at all to the number 8. I mean that I can barely begin to write a 5 and it detects it but I strongly write a large 8 and it rarely detects that number. It’s a bit annoying and it leads me to take longer to finish the game. I understand as a developer that it’s hard to get handwriting detection right but this seems to be an issue since it just cannot detect the number sometimes. I’ve tried writing very clearly and the issue persisted.

In terms of the difficulty, I tried going to the Tough difficulty and was able to complete it. However, when I tried the Moderate difficulty it seemed significantly more difficult to solve than the previous one. I verified this by allowing the game to add all possible numbers as notes in all the blank cells and this problem was obvious.

Besides this, some minor tweaks that I wish would be to switch between eraser and pencil on the main board itself rather than just the notes section. It would be great especially for undoing notes in the cells. Currently, you have to re-write the number which is much slower.

All that said though, it’s a great app for the most part. I would recommend it to all sudoku lovers.

I’m fine with ads to support free versions, but does it have to be a blinking, active ad constantly right up against the numbers for the whole of game play seemingly designed to make me accidentally hit it? AND ads between the games that are sometimes quite long and hard to clear? Was excited for the new update hoping that had been finally addressed, but no! The ad during play is moved even closer to the numbers, the button to access features isn’t even fully visible as it’s cut off at the bottom by the ads.
Also, the scoring is wonky-makes no sense that entering certain numbers should be worth more since each box has the same value, the numbers in the game aren’t mathematical they’re just representative placeholders.
Otherwise I really like SudokuMasterEdition , definitely the best I’ve found so far for the closest to replicate the pen and paper experience.

I'm new to Sudoku, so I'm not sure how it would typically be scored, but the way this game does it is silly. When you play a tile, the name of the tile is multiplied by a number which decreases as the timer counts up. This scoring system allows for a user to be presented with the "same" board as another, execute the exact same sequence of moves with the same timing, and come to a different score. To do this, all you must do is permute all of the tile names, i.e., replace all 1s with 9s, all 2s with 1s, all 3s with 2s and so on. This doesn't really change the board since you could replace the numbers with letters or glyphs and the structure of the soduko board remains the same - there is still one one of each type of tile in each row, column, and square.

For a perfectionist like myself, this scoring system causes me to constantly restart games until I get that perfect start that allows me to play a bunch of 9s in the beginning. Ideally, the tiles would count evenly, since it doesn't really matter which tiles you are playing. If you are playing tiles at all then you're making progress. My suggestion would be to instead measure how sparse the board is (since play is more difficult the fewer tiles on the board) and multiply this value by the value determined by the timer. There are of course other options. I just don't like the way it is done now.

Other than that, SudokuMasterEdition is awesome. 4/5

Part of the reason I selected this over the dozens of other sudoku apps is that I was impressed with how responsive the developers are to these reviews. Full disclosure: I have not tried any other sudoku apps so my review is not intended to be a comparison to other apps.

The UI is thoughtfully laid out and the settings offer tons of options that allow you to customize the playing experience to your liking. The ads are not intrusive and don’t interfere with game play. I have really enjoyed this game. SudokuMasterEdition, plus a cup of coffee and a quiet spot, provides me some beautiful zen time.

The only frustration I’ve had is that multiple times my saved game has disappeared. Frequently I will work on a puzzle over the course of several days, however 4-5 times now that puzzle will randomly disappear. Just today I was working on a puzzle that I’ve been chipping away at over the past 2-3 days, I set my phone down for an hour or so and when I came back there was no option to resume play. It won’t prevent me from continuing to use SudokuMasterEdition but I would love to see this resolved in future updates. Thanks for reading!

I love the pencil input for the puzzles themselves. It’s very comfortable and intuitive to use. The interface is clean, music is relaxing. Overall very, very nice. BUT, I do have one small issue and one major one.

My small issue is that I would love additional themes (perhaps a few free ones and a few paid ones, or ones you get for watching ads or something) such as different kinds of ‘paper’. You can switch from dark to light in settings, which is great.

My second issue is more major, and forgive me if there’s a setting I just don’t see but... there is NO way to input a wrong number into the grid. It will simply say wrong number until you enter the correct one, and only then will it enter the number. This is in my mind a huge flaw because it means that when you’re stuck you can just put in on numbers until one is fixed into place by the game and you can proceed. It also defeats the purpose of the ‘notes’ you can make because if you’re stuck between two numbers or something you can just check which one goes in.

You can turn on a challenge mode which will end your game if you make four mistakes like this, but to me this feels tense and anti-sudoku. I’d MUCH rather have a natural puzzle experience (or at least the option of one) in which the numbers I input are a slightly paler ‘pencil’ color, and I’m allowed to go back and erase them if something doesn’t add up.

Other than that this would be a truly fantastic experience. :)

4 stars because of certain in-game banner ads at the bottom of the screen. Most of the ads are fine, and I’m completely okay with ads after each game since it means I can enjoy this great app for free. However, some banner ads move or change quite rapidly, and it is game-breakingly distracting. I can’t play the game when these ads come up because of the rapid movement.

This is a phenomenal free app for playing Sudoku. I love the quality of life options such as filling in notes and highlighting the selected number. Lightning mode is great.

There are a few issues that I have with SudokuMasterEdition , however. The auto-complete option only completes the row, column, or square if it is the correct number. This may be useful for some since you can guess on the last two numbers in a row/column/square and not waste time while you figure out whether you guessed right. I don’t really like the option, but it’s not worth taking off a star since you can just disable it.

I am only writing this review because SudokuMasterEdition prompted me to rate it. I’ll start by saying SudokuMasterEdition is great. Seriously, ads are well placed and out of the way of the actual interaction of the puzzle. The penciling and lightning add features are brilliant.

Now to the downside, it pertains to my first sentence: SudokuMasterEdition prompted me to rate it. iOS 11 has a specific setting in the iTunes and App Store settings to turn off app rating prompts. I have this off, and SudokuMasterEdition prompted me to rate it. I would recommend the developer implement this feature, as I would prefer to not receive these prompts. If an app is good enough I will go in and rate it, intentionally myself.

UPDATE: A prompt reply and a promise for an upcoming fix is good enough for me. Glad to see a developer who is dedicated to all facets of the user experience.

Updated review after dev response: adding the option to change it back is great, I do really love the customization SudokuMasterEdition has, and the fact that they apparently actually listen to reviews?? Looking forward to the coming update!

Original: I really dislike the new update and am desperate for the option to roll it back. All the buttons I use are hidden behind a menu that opens up with this slow little animation, and requires an additional click to close. So 3 SLOW clicks to do what I used to be able to do instantaneously. I also hate not being able to access settings from the game anymore, you have to back out all the way to the main menu.

The developers listened to their customers and even responded personally to my complaints. The current version is fun to play, especially if you have an Apple Pencil. The play options are extensive and you can configure many things including the font styles and highlight colors. With the Apple Pencil you can just quickly jot in your ‘note’ or number and it is very quickly translated and placed into the cell. Wrong number? Then just rewrite it and it disappears. The music background is very soothing and the sound effects are not intrusive, however each can be changed in volume or shut off. You can choose to have a notepad present to jot notes with the Apple Pencil. Very slick design. This is my choice for playing Sudoku on the iPad.

I tried lots of Sudoku apps and this is the best one I’ve found for iOS so far. Well designed UI, good range of difficulties, and lots and lots of options! You can toggle every possible assist feature on or off as you please, change font colors and sizes, and so on.

The developers are very responsive. They respond to reviews and have been updating and improving things in response to user feedback. For example, in the past the puzzles were much easier even on harder difficulties. People asked for harder puzzles, and they changed their puzzle algorithm! I used to be able to solve up to “master” level with sometimes just straight induction. The new levels are much harder. I’ve managed a tough (3/5) but I’m not skilled enough for the next levels yet and I’m happy that there’s more challenge to be had.

I paid for the ad free version, and it’s been well worth it.

When I first reviewed this game, I gave it 1 star due to inappropriate advertising, but I was unaware the company did not choose its advertising and they were seemingly unaware this ad had been run on their game. Since contacting them (which I did immediately after I saw the inappropriate advertisement) they have been in contact with me multiple times apologizing and listing the steps they have taken to rectify this problem. I will be re-downloading SudokuMasterEdition for myself, and possibly in the future allowing my daughter to download it again if the problem appears to be resolved. Bottom line - message the company if there is an issue because they will do what they can to correct it, for this reason I am adjusting my previous review and giving the game the 5 stars it deserves.

Clearly, SudokuMasterEdition was made by people who’ve played Sudoku and understand the necessities of advanced and enjoyable play. This is the only app I’ve found that has all the features for a perfect Sudoku app. The layout of the grid is simple and minimal. It has an easy transition between pencil marks. It has an eraser feature, GOD BLESS THE ERASER FEATURE forsaken by all other apps. It also allows for tons of customisability. The Master difficulty is ACTUALLY KINDA HARD. Unlike other apps where Expert is the highest difficulty but not challenging at all.
The real thoughtfulness is evident in its many small features. I personally love being able to highlight a single box instead of a whole number. Still, at other times I want to highlight a whole number and so I love that instead of tapping say, a 7, on the board I can just tap the 7 input and it will highlight all the 7’s for me. Small detail but speaks volumes about
the developers’ attention to detail.
I love that you can switch between an assisted digital mode and a completely pen-and-paper style Sudoku without any highlights.
As a bonus, I haven’t drowned in ads yet, which is a bonus. Still, I’d gladly pay to get rid of them with this beauty.
Thank you so much for a thoughtful and beautiful Sudoku, devs.

I downloaded the game and realized there were ads underneath the game being played. There were also loud and annoying ads after the game was completed. I paid $4.99 to remove ads. The ads are still there — all of them. I wrote the game support group to find out what I should have expected when I paid to remove ads, and I did not get a response. I think they are dishonest. My advise to anyone using this game is to play it with the ads and to not pay any money to remove the ads. No one will remove them, and no one will respond to you. If I could give a lower mark than one star, I would.

Update: It has only been one day, and after I heard from the developers, I tried their suggestion. The ads are now gone, and I couldn’t be happier with the game. I like playing this game, and I am happy to find out that the people who developed it care enough about it to take care of the people who play it. My apologies for jumping to conclusions; I have run into game developers who are not interested in how their game affects those who play it, and I am glad to see that you are not one of them.

The developers responded to my first negative review, which was kind of them. I gave it one star because of SudokuMasterEdition constantly exited and took me to the AppStore for advertised apps. Their response claimed that I might have been accidentally clicking on the ad at the bottom of the screen. However, it would exit even if I wasn’t touching the screen. For example, I would touch the game board (above the advertisement) and would get taken to the AppStore, when I clicked to go back to the game I would wait a few seconds just looking at the screen and without touching anything it would go back to the AppStore. I doubt my screen protector is causing the problem because I don’t have similar issues with any other apps. I’m improving the rating because this is clearly not intended behavior. Bugs happen, and hopefully this one gets fixed because it’s a good game otherwise.

I like sudoko a bit and got SudokuMasterEdition on a whim. It is now one of only two phone games I still play regularly years later and I love it to death. While there isn’t much you can add to the sudoko formula, everything you can think of is customizable and polished to perfection.
There are a few things you can enable that make the game easier in some manner but there are also a variety of difficulties to chose from so it all evens out.
They also have the best customer service I have ever seen in an app and are clearly devoted to this and making it the best possible version of itself. Even just a few months ago they put out a massive update with themes and currency that doesn’t even involve micro transactions, it’s just to make sure we all enjoy sudoko to it’s fullest in an app that has spoiled the physical version for me forever.

Update: Ok so in addition to getting a response from the devs about the issue I had about this game and the improved condition, I raised my rating to 5 stars cuz I can tell these guys take feedback seriously. If there’s another I’d want changed/tweaked, it’d be the grid itself to be a bit bigger or fit my iPhone 8 screen more efficiently, since in its current state the squares and numbers are noticeably smaller compared to other apps.

Original:
I enjoy the simplistic layout of the sudoku board, and I appreciate the quick little Zen mode option right at the lower left corner. If there was anything I would suggest be added it would be an option to quickly go to the settings if we want to change anything right from the game screen instead of going back and forth between the main menu and difficulty screen every time I want to change something or just tweak the game’s appearance while I play.

UPDATED REVIEW: Developer responded to my review 😐...That’s actually the 1st time I’ve ever received a response on a game I reviewed and I’ve reviewed many. They responded with, “blah blah, blah blah, blah”. I didn’t read it yet, but I’ve raised my 3 stars to 5 just because they responded. I’m also changing my like for this game to LOVE because my issues have been solved....maybe that’s what they were telling me 🤔...well anyway, this is a great game. I love how it’s like 5 or 6 levels of difficulty, instead of the usual easy, medium, hard. I like it because even the easy is not too easy to solve. I like that you can chose a color scheme for the squares and the lines are almost transparent so all you really see are a bunch of numbers. It’s confusing in a good way when trying to select the right number, because it forces you to think harder and make accurate decisions. I really love this game because it’s not easy and I just don’t see how I’d get bored with it. It’s challenging and it’s by far, the best Sudoku game I’ve ever played.

5/4/18 review: I like this game. I would LOVE it if it didn’t crash so much 😒

After enjoying this really good app for a couple of years, I am deleting it. Before this last upgrade I usually play the expert and master levels and they were challenging enough and very enjoyable.
Now most games at those levels are next to impossible to solve. They usually dead ends with nowhere to go.
Use hints? Not an option as it gives answers, a cop out in my view. I usually workout a possible entry in my head before I enter it without scratch notes.
Now it’s quite impossible in many cases. The game is not a challenge anymore. It is extremely defeating for a player without Mensa capabilities. I am 79 and would like to have the old algorithm back for those levels. Maybe create a mensa-level version for the young geniuses. Something to think about.