We built Sudoku Master, a free game with 270 logic-only puzzles across six levels. A Daily Challenge, streaks and rewards give players a reason to come back.
Client: Sudoku MasterIndustry: GamingService: Web & Mobile
Overview
Client
Sudoku Master
Free sudoku puzzle game for iPhone, iPad and Android
Engagement snapshot
The challenge
Sudoku is easy to learn, but plenty of apps jump in difficulty, or serve up grids that can only be finished by guessing. That spoils the point of a logic puzzle.
Keeping players is harder still. Once the novelty fades, a plain list of grids gives people little reason to return, and beginners get little help in learning the methods that harder puzzles rely on.
A grid with more than one answer feels unfair to anyone trying to solve it by logic.
A sudden jump in level can put off newcomers before they have learned the basics.
Without a fresh goal each day, a puzzle app is easily forgotten.
The solution
All 270 puzzles have exactly one solution and can be solved by logic alone. They run across six levels, and the top three open up as players win at the level below.
Classic has a timer and hearts, Relax removes the clock and lives, Training gives free hints, and Challenge allows only three lives with costlier hints.
Everyone gets the same Daily Challenge, which climbs from easy on Sunday to Master on Saturday. A free spin, a seven-day gift cycle and daily goals sit alongside it.
Key features
Pencil notes tidy themselves as the grid fills, and tapping a square lights up its row, column, box and matching numbers.
Business impact
Less board clutter
Beginner allows seven slips and Master only two. Players who prefer no limit can switch it off in Settings or use Relax mode.
Business impact
Difficulty to suit
Stats, 14 trophies and four board themes give players something to collect. Guests can start at once, or sign in to keep progress in sync.
Business impact
14 trophies to earn
Before and after
Before
Guess or quit
A stuck player has to guess, or give up on the grid.
After
Hints that explain
A hint finds the square with the fewest options, fills it in and says why.
Before
Sudden jumps
Levels in many puzzle apps vary without much warning.
After
A steady climb
Each level shows its rough solving time and hearts, and later levels open as players win.
Before
Nothing new
A fixed list of puzzles offers no special reason to play today.
After
Daily Challenge
A shared daily puzzle, streaks and bonus coins give players a reason to return.
Results
270 puzzles, six levels
Players can work through 270 puzzles knowing each has one solution, so no grid needs a guess.
Before: Lucky guessesAfter: Pure logic
Four game modes
Training mode and explained hints help newcomers learn, while Challenge mode and Master grids give experienced solvers a stiff test.
Before: One settingAfter: Four modes
New challenge every day
The Daily Challenge pays 50% more coins than a normal game, and wins on consecutive days build a streak that earns trophies.
Before: Fixed puzzlesAfter: Daily goal
Trust and control
Puzzles work without an internet connection, so a poor signal doesn't stop a game.
Offline playPlayers can start at once without an account, and signing in is only needed to keep progress in sync.
No sign-up neededThe store listings and site say the game is free to download and contains ads and optional in-app purchases.
Clear pricingThe site has a delete account page for players who have signed in and no longer want an account.
Player controlFaster delivery
These modules share one game board, so each mode and the Daily Challenge play the same way.
Holds the 270 graded puzzles, sorted across six levels.
Runs modes, hearts, hints, undo and the coin costs for each mode.
Handles the Daily Challenge, streaks, spin, gifts and goals, which reset each day.
Saves stats and trophies, and supports guest play, offline play and cloud sync.
No. Every one of the 270 puzzles in Sudoku Master has exactly one solution and can be solved with logic alone. If a player gets stuck, a hint finds the square with the fewest options, fills it in and explains the reason, so the player learns the method.
Sudoku Master has four modes. Classic uses a timer and a set number of hearts for the level. Relax has no clock and no lives. Training gives free hints with no limits, so people can learn. Challenge allows three lives and charges more coins for each hint.
Everyone gets the same puzzle each day, and difficulty climbs through the week from easy on Sunday to Master on Saturday. Daily Challenges pay 50% more coins than a normal game, with further bonuses for no mistakes or no hints. Wins on consecutive days build a streak and earn trophies.
If you have a game idea and want players coming back after the first session, we can build the core play and the daily loop around it.