What's included for free?
The following features are all included for free:
- the Challenge Trail, featuring 35 puzzles from EASY to VERY DIFFICULT
- 50 free puzzles in the section Puzzle Packs (every category of puzzle has 10 example puzzles that can be played for free)
- a free preview of the built-in Puzzle Generator, featuring a lot more free puzzles
- unlimited use of the built-in help
- use of pencil mode (if you need it)
- performance analysis
- ad-free play - there are no ads!
So what do you have to pay for?
In short: more puzzles.
Once you have exhausted all the free content, you may like to unlock the built-in Puzzle Generator so that you never run out of puzzles again. But if you are not quite ready for the puzzle generator, hand-picked collections of puzzles are available as Puzzle Packs for many more hours of serious puzzling.
Once you have exhausted all the free content, you may like to unlock the built-in Puzzle Generator so that you never run out of puzzles again. But if you are not quite ready for the puzzle generator, hand-picked collections of puzzles are available as Puzzle Packs for many more hours of serious puzzling.
There's not enough free content! How about providing a daily free puzzle?
As outlined above, the app has over 150 free puzzles. These can be reset and re-played as many times as you like, so you can play for hours without paying anything. You won't even be bothered by ads, because the app is completely ad-free.
A daily free puzzle might be possible if ads would be introduced. But currently, there are no plans to introduce ads.
More information about resetting the puzzles can be found in the FAQ section playing a puzzle.
A daily free puzzle might be possible if ads would be introduced. But currently, there are no plans to introduce ads.
More information about resetting the puzzles can be found in the FAQ section playing a puzzle.
There's not enough paid content! How about providing more puzzle packs?
For more content, you just need to unlock the built-in puzzle generator.
The puzzle generator gives you an unlimited supply of new puzzles, with support for a wide range of skill levels. Beginners will enjoy the mode Keep It Simple with its easier 4x4 puzzles, whereas even the 5x5 puzzles can be very difficult in Expert mode.
The FAQ section Puzzle Generator has more details about what the puzzle generator has to offer. You can explore the features by navigating to Puzzle Generator from the main menu and selecting Free preview.
The puzzle generator gives you an unlimited supply of new puzzles, with support for a wide range of skill levels. Beginners will enjoy the mode Keep It Simple with its easier 4x4 puzzles, whereas even the 5x5 puzzles can be very difficult in Expert mode.
The FAQ section Puzzle Generator has more details about what the puzzle generator has to offer. You can explore the features by navigating to Puzzle Generator from the main menu and selecting Free preview.
Why is it necessary to tap the finish button when a puzzle is completed?
The reason is to make the play experience the same for when a puzzle is completed correctly, as for when it is completed incorrectly.
If the screen would clear automatically as soon as a puzzle is completed correctly, or if the clock would stop ticking automatically, then it might be confusing for players who have completed a puzzle but with mistakes. In this case, players might wonder why the screen doesn't clear, or why the clock goes on ticking, when they think the puzzle is finished.
The setting "show if numbers add up correctly to the clue values" helps to make it easy to spot mistakes early, but some players prefer to play with this setting turned off. With the setting turned off, it may not be apparent that a completed puzzle has mistakes.
The button with the flag appears as soon as a puzzle is sufficiently completed to allow it to be inspected, but the actual assessment of correctness only happens when the button is tapped. This way, the play experience is the same for when a puzzle is completed successfully, as for when it is completed with mistakes.
If the screen would clear automatically as soon as a puzzle is completed correctly, or if the clock would stop ticking automatically, then it might be confusing for players who have completed a puzzle but with mistakes. In this case, players might wonder why the screen doesn't clear, or why the clock goes on ticking, when they think the puzzle is finished.
The setting "show if numbers add up correctly to the clue values" helps to make it easy to spot mistakes early, but some players prefer to play with this setting turned off. With the setting turned off, it may not be apparent that a completed puzzle has mistakes.
The button with the flag appears as soon as a puzzle is sufficiently completed to allow it to be inspected, but the actual assessment of correctness only happens when the button is tapped. This way, the play experience is the same for when a puzzle is completed successfully, as for when it is completed with mistakes.
Is it possible to see how much time I have spent playing Sumaddle?
Yes. This can be seen in two places:
- Inside the app, the Performance Analysis shows lots of statistics about the puzzles that have been solved. In particular, the total solve time can be seen by selecting Solve time as category. For more details, please see the separate FAQ section about Performance analysis.
- The time taken playing Sumaddle in the last day and the last week can be seen in Screen Time on the device. Go to Settings > Screen Time > See All App & Website Activity.
Where can the hardest puzzles be found?
A puzzle pack containing Very Difficult Puzzles can be found in the Scary category of the Puzzle Packs. Two packs of Premium 9x9 Puzzles can be found in this category too, which are especially challenging.
More very difficult puzzles can be generated by the built-in puzzle generator. The recommended settings for this are as follows:
More very difficult puzzles can be generated by the built-in puzzle generator. The recommended settings for this are as follows:
- play mode Expert
- difficulty weighting set to harder puzzles exclusively.
How is the puzzle generator able to create new puzzles so quickly?
The core of the puzzle generator is actually a puzzle solver, which is needed for checking that a new puzzle has a unique solution. The puzzle solver works by applying logic, just as a human would do. This process is very fast and probably much faster than if a constraint-solving algorithm would be used. So it is thanks to the fast puzzle solver that the puzzle generator is able to create new puzzles so quickly.
Does the app work offline?
Yes. However, you will obviously not be able to make any in-app purchases if you are offline. If you are expecting to be offline for an extended period, be sure to set off with enough puzzles to keep you going!
You are guaranteed never to run out of puzzles if you unlock the built-in puzzle generator. The generator works fine offline. The play mode and generator settings can be changed offline too, as often as you like.
For details on how to make sure the points accumulated offline are credited to the leaderboards when you come back online later, please see the FAQ section on leaderboards.
You are guaranteed never to run out of puzzles if you unlock the built-in puzzle generator. The generator works fine offline. The play mode and generator settings can be changed offline too, as often as you like.
For details on how to make sure the points accumulated offline are credited to the leaderboards when you come back online later, please see the FAQ section on leaderboards.
Which platforms are supported by the app?
The latest version of Sumaddle supports the following platforms:
For simplicity, other questions and answers in the FAQ only refer to iOS, but it can be assumed that the same information also applies to the equivalent version of iPadOS.
- iPhones running iOS 16 or higher, including iOS 27
- iPads running iPadOS 16 or higher, including iPadOS 27.
For simplicity, other questions and answers in the FAQ only refer to iOS, but it can be assumed that the same information also applies to the equivalent version of iPadOS.
Is there a version of Sumaddle for Android?
Not yet, sorry.
What data is saved by the app?
As declared in the privacy policy, no personal data is collected, but data relating to your use of the app is stored locally on your device.
Specifically, the following data is saved:
This data is deleted if the app is deleted from your device. If you re-install the app then purchases can be restored easily by tapping "restore purchases".
Specifically, the following data is saved:
- information about the context last in effect
- settings
- the status of the puzzles that have been played
- running totals for puzzles played in the section Puzzle Generator
- a record of info messages that do not need to be shown again
- a record of purchases.
This data is deleted if the app is deleted from your device. If you re-install the app then purchases can be restored easily by tapping "restore purchases".