Report updated May 12, 2026
Cross Number - Math Puzzle
For casual puzzle gamers seeking logic-based math challenges for brain training or relaxation.
Cross Number - Math Puzzle is a well-regarded puzzle app that is completely free. With a 4.7/5 rating from 8.6K reviews, it maintains solid user satisfaction. Users particularly appreciate challenging mathematical puzzles provide a rewarding experience for players seeking to sharpen their mental acuity, though excessive advertisement frequency disrupts the flow of gameplay and creates a negative user experience remains a common concern.
What is Cross Number - Math Puzzle?
Cross Number is a casual math puzzle game for iOS and Android that combines crossword mechanics with arithmetic equations.
Users hire the app for low-stakes mental acuity training that fits into short, daily sessions.
Current Momentum
v1.6 · 11mo ago
Maintenance- Ships regular bug fixes and improvements
- Maintains stable daily challenge engagement
What makes this app unique?
What Does It Look Like?
What Are The Key Features?
Monthly calendar of unique math puzzles that reward players with digital trophies
Accessibility setting that increases text size for improved readability on mobile screens
Full puzzle functionality available without active Wi-Fi or cellular data connection
How much does it cost?
- Free to play with ad support
Ad-supported model with no IAP or subscription gates, monetizing entirely through ad-inventory.
Who Built It?
Midnight Martian
Delivering accessible 3D puzzle and sports simulations for casual mobile players. Focused on high-engagement mechanics for short-session play.
Portfolio
13
Apps
What other apps does Midnight Martian make?
Explore the full Midnight Martian report
Portfolio breakdown, audience, momentum, and every app published by Midnight Martian.
What do users think recently?
High confidence · 62 reviews analyzed · Based on 62 reviews. Signal may be noisy.
How did the latest release land?
What is the recent mood?
Recent user voice shows a excited sentiment. Users appreciate challenging mathematical puzzles provide a rewarding experience for players seeking to sharpen their mental acuity, but report excessive advertisement frequency disrupts the flow of gameplay and creates a negative user experience.
What Users Love
What Frustrates Users
What Users Want
View the full user-sentiment analysis
Mood gauge, ratings & review-volume history, every praise / complaint / request, and sentiment over time.
What is the competitive landscape for Cross Number - Math Puzzle?
How's The Puzzle Market?
Market outlook for this category
Available very soon
Which niche is Cross Number - Math Puzzle in?
to solve mathematical logic puzzles
Explore the full Math Logic Puzzles niche
Every app in this space — 1 tracked, the niche's live rankings, and Marlvel's editorial take on the job-to-be-done.
The rivals identified
Nemeses(1)
This is the dominant market leader in the cross-math niche, maintaining a massive user base and high-frequency update cadence.
Differentiators
- Maintains a high-velocity release schedule with 16 updates in the last six months alone
- Leverages Tripledot's massive cross-promotion network to sustain dominant market share in puzzle categories
- Offers a highly polished, standardized UI that sets the industry expectation for cross-math gameplay
Head to head
The target app must prioritize content depth and update frequency to compete with the rapid feature iteration cycles of this market leader.
Contenders(2)
A strong alternative in the number-logic space that successfully captures the same casual puzzle audience.
Differentiators
- Implements a distinct 'match-and-clear' mechanic that provides a faster, more satisfying feedback loop than traditional cross-math
- Aggressively iterates on game modes to keep casual players engaged through seasonal challenges and daily events
A direct thematic competitor with high user satisfaction and a strong focus on the specific cross-math mechanic.
Differentiators
- Features a highly specialized puzzle engine that mimics traditional pen-and-paper logic game constraints
- Maintains a premium-feeling aesthetic that differentiates it from the more utilitarian, ad-heavy puzzle apps
Same space(2)
A high-retention puzzle game that shares the same casual, logic-based audience as the target app.
Differentiators
- Utilizes a tactile, wood-themed aesthetic that creates a distinct, calming atmosphere compared to standard math puzzles
- Integrates long-term progression systems like daily challenges and collections to drive multi-month user retention
An adjacent logic-puzzle giant that competes for the same 'brain training' user intent.
Differentiators
- Offers a comprehensive suite of difficulty levels and solver tools that cater to both novices and experts
- Provides a deeply established brand presence that dominates search intent for classic logic puzzles
New entrants(1)
An emerging threat with a high release cadence, signaling an active attempt to capture market share.
Differentiators
- Focuses on an educational-first positioning that appeals to parents and students seeking structured learning
- Rapidly deploying new game variants to test which math mechanics drive the highest session duration
Compare Cross Number - Math Puzzle against every rival
All rivals in one side-by-side table — identity, store metrics, ratings & sentiment, and strategic intel — plus a head-to-head page for each.
The outtake for Cross Number - Math Puzzle
Strengths to defend, gaps to attack
Core Strengths
- Daily challenge calendar drives recurring DAU/MAU ratios
- Large Font Mode captures older demographics via accessibility
- Offline mode maintains engagement in low-connectivity environments
Critical Frictions
- 0.09★ rating gap between iOS and Android platforms
- No paid ad-free tier despite user requests
- High ad-frequency disrupts gameplay flow
Growth Levers
- Implement one-time purchase IAP to remove ads
- Add optional timer toggle to improve accessibility for anxiety-prone users
Market Threats
- Tripledot's 16-update release cadence outpaces current development
- Emerging educational-first competitors like NixGame targeting the student segment
What are the next best moves?
Ship one-time IAP to remove ads because user reviews explicitly request a paid ad-free option → increase LTV
Multiple user requests for ad-free experience in sentiment data.
Trade-off: Pause seasonal event development — IAP revenue has higher immediate impact than postcard content.
Audit ad-frequency logic because high-frequency complaints are the top churn driver → improve retention
High-frequency ad complaints are the #1 negative sentiment theme.
Trade-off: Same-quarter capacity available — no major lever displaced.
A counter-intuitive read
The app's lack of IAP is not a design choice but a missed revenue opportunity that forces an ad-heavy model, making it uniquely vulnerable to premium-priced rivals.
Feature Gaps vs Competitors
- High-frequency content updates (available in Math Crossword but absent here)
- Battle-tested IAP monetization framework (available in Math Crossword but absent here)
Key Takeaways
The app holds a strong core puzzle loop but suffers from aggressive ad-monetization that alienates users, so the PM should prioritize an ad-free IAP tier to capture revenue and reduce churn.
Where Is It Heading?
Stable
The casual math-puzzle market is consolidating around high-frequency content updates and diversified monetization. Without a paid ad-free tier, this app remains exposed to churn as users migrate to competitors with cleaner, premium-feeling experiences.
Excessive ad frequency persists in the latest release, causing user frustration and limiting session duration.
Core puzzle mechanics remain a strong retention driver, keeping the app competitive in the casual logic space.