Report updated Apr 18, 2026

Sudoku.com - Number Games is a challenged games app that is free with in-app purchases. With a 4.8/5 rating from 1.8M reviews, it faces significant user friction. Users particularly appreciate core gameplay & ui, though excessive ad frequency remains a common concern.

What is Sudoku.com - Number Games?

Sudoku.com by Easybrain is a market leader in the puzzle category with over 1.8M ratings, currently ranked #12 Free in its primary US category. It balances a 'brain training' value proposition with 'stress relief' messaging, supported by strong live-ops like Seasonal Events. However, the app is facing a sentiment crisis due to aggressive monetization, specifically mid-game ads and a high $18 ad-removal fee, which is driving a declining trend in user satisfaction despite strong chart positions.

Current Momentum

v7.12 · 3w ago

Maintenance

Sudoku.com is currently in maintenance mode, focusing exclusively on performance and stability improvements.

Active Nemesis

Sudoku Puzzle - Brain Games

Sudoku Puzzle - Brain Games

By Guru Smart Holding

Other Rivals

Sudoku - Classic Sudoku Puzzle
▻Sudoku
Sudoku ▦
NYT Games: Wordle & Crossword
Woodoku - Wood Block Puzzles
Sudoku :)
Sudoku - Daily Puzzles

7-Day Rank Pulse 🇺🇸

Board
#6
3

Rating Pulse 🇺🇸

Recent User Mood

What makes this app unique?

What Does It Look Like?

What Are The Key Features?

Daily ChallengesStandard

Provides a recurring daily puzzle with unique trophies to encourage long-term retention

Seasonal EventsDifferentiator

Time-limited events that allow players to win unique medals and badges

Smart Note-TakingDifferentiator

Automatically updates notes in cells as numbers are filled in

iMessage StickersDifferentiator

Includes custom ninja-themed stickers for use in iMessage

How much does it cost?

Freemium
  • Free-to-play with ad-supported gameplay
  • In-app purchase for ad removal ($18)

The app utilizes a high-volume ad model but has set an aggressive $18 price point for ad removal, which users perceive as 'greedy' compared to the casual market standard.

What do users think recently?

High confidence · Latest 100 of 1.8M total reviews analyzed

How did the latest release land?

Overall
4.8/ 5
(1.8M)
Current version
4.8/ 5
0.0 vs overall
(1.8M)
Main signal post-update: core Gameplay & UI.

What is the recent mood?

Frustrated

Recent user voice shows a frustrated sentiment. Users appreciate core gameplay & ui, but report excessive ad frequency and malicious ad content.

What Users Love

Core Gameplay & UI

What Frustrates Users

Excessive Ad Frequency
Malicious Ad Content

View the full user-sentiment analysis

Mood gauge, ratings & review-volume history, every praise / complaint / request, and sentiment over time.

Go deeper

What is the competitive landscape for Sudoku.com - Number Games?

How's The Games Market?

How does it evolve in the Games market?

Rank progression

408 active rankings tracked — 30-day window

The rivals identified

The outtake for Sudoku.com - Number Games

Strengths to defend, gaps to attack

Core Strengths

  • Massive scale (1.8M+ ratings) providing high ASO authority
  • Strong live-ops via Seasonal Events and Daily Challenges
  • Clean, preferred UI for core Sudoku gameplay

Critical Frictions

  • Aggressive mid-game ad interruptions
  • High $18 ad-removal price point
  • Lack of Dark Mode for night-time play

Growth Levers

  • Introduce 'Brain Training' utility mode to counter Guru Puzzle Game
  • Implement 'Solver' tools to capture high-intent search traffic
  • Introduce a lower-priced ad-removal tier

Market Threats

  • Malicious ad content damaging brand trust
  • NYT Games' subscription bundle model
  • Competitors with higher update velocity (Tripledot, Guru)

What are the next best moves?

high

Eliminate mid-game ad interruptions

Mid-game ads are the #1 complaint theme and a primary driver for immediate uninstalls and negative sentiment.

high

Audit and vet ad network providers

Multiple reports of 'hacker' and 'virus' pop-ups are creating a security risk and damaging brand reputation.

medium

Implement Dark Mode

A consistent user request to reduce eye strain; its absence is a feature gap compared to modern app standards.

Feature Gaps vs Competitors

  • Puzzle Solver tools (available in Guru and Oakever)
  • Dark Mode (requested by users, standard in modern peers)
  • Subscription bundle model (available in NYT Games)

Key Takeaways

If I were the PM, I would immediately pivot from aggressive mid-game monetization to a 'clean gameplay' promise to protect the app's massive 1.8M-rating moat. While the app is currently climbing grossing charts (#83), the 'Upset' sentiment and reports of malicious ads pose a terminal risk to retention that competitors like Guru and NYT are positioned to exploit.

Where Is It Heading?

Declining

User sentiment is 'Upset' due to mid-game ads and malicious pop-ups, indicating a high churn risk.

v7.12.0 (Mar 2026) focused only on stability, suggesting a lack of recent feature innovation.

Rankings show a #12 Free position, indicating strong current organic reach despite sentiment issues.

Disclosure: Independent intel to help mobile builders succeed.

AI-powered analysis with editorial review, built from publicly available sources. Marlvel.ai is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Sudoku.com - Number Games, its developer, the app publisher, Apple, or Google Play. All trademarks, logos, and screenshots referenced remain the property of their respective owners.

What's new

The app has transitioned into a maintenance phase, marked by a price hike for ad removal and a critical shift in user sentiment from general ad annoyance to security concerns regarding malicious ad content.

shifted

Ad-Removal Price Increase

declined

Emergence of Malicious Ad Complaints

shifted

Maintenance Mode Pivot

added

New Competitive Threats

Cite this report

Marlvel.ai. “Sudoku.com - Number Games Intelligence Report.” Updated Apr 18, 2026. https://marlvel.ai/apps/sudoku-com-number-games

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