Microsoft Sudoku
- March 25, 2021
- Microsoft Corporation
Get on Apple Store"Microsoft Sudoku" is a number puzzle game that offers a relaxing experience with its various themes, including irregular and classic options. Players can choose from symbols and numbers to complete grids of varying difficulty levels. With its unique and engaging gameplay, "Microsoft Sudoku" provides a fun challenge for both casual and hardcore puzzle enthusiasts.
iPad
iPhone
PC
Phone
Web Browser
Android
Mobile Platform
Tablet
Reviews
- The game offers a variety of Sudoku puzzles, including irregular shapes and daily challenges, which keeps the gameplay fresh and engaging.
- The interface is user-friendly and visually appealing, making it easy to navigate through different game modes and settings.
- The game provides a good balance of difficulty levels, allowing both beginners and experienced players to enjoy the challenges.
- The app suffers from long loading times and frequent crashes, especially when trying to log in to an Xbox account, which disrupts the gaming experience.
- There are excessive and intrusive ads, often requiring multiple clicks to close, which can be frustrating and detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.
- Progress and achievements do not sync properly between devices, leading to lost data and a lack of continuity in gameplay.
- monetization488 mentions
- 3 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 97 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has drawn significant criticism from users, primarily due to the overwhelming presence of intrusive and lengthy ads, which often disrupt gameplay. Many players express frustration over the necessity of a subscription to remove ads, especially when they continue to appear despite having paid for ad-free experiences. Overall, while some users appreciate the game itself, the aggressive advertising tactics have led to a diminished enjoyment and a strong desire for a more user-friendly monetization approach.
“No ads if you go premium for like 83 cents a month!”
“Love the game, not the ads.”
“Extremely expensive monetization, however.”
“The aggressive ads run this game.”
“I paid for a premium subscription to remove ads but this has stopped working this week for no reason.”
“The game is good but it takes too much time to load and why are there too so many ads in a microsoft game.”
- music55 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 73 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the relaxing background tracks while others find them repetitive and annoying. Many users express frustration over persistent audio issues, such as music and sound effects not muting properly, especially during ads, which disrupts other media. Overall, while the music is praised for its soothing qualities, the implementation and customization options leave much to be desired.
“Gameplay is spectacular and that music is phenomenal 😂 helps me concentrate much better.”
“Very relaxing with the background music in addition of having multiple gaming styles and soft graphics.”
“Great game; relaxing music; play it every night to relax before bed :)”
“The game play and difficulty levels are fine but the ads interrupt other functions on my phone; it's incredibly jarring to be listening to an audiobook or watching a video in small screen (services I paid for) and suddenly have it interrupted by obnoxious music which even when you mute it prevents you from resuming your other media until the ad is done with no skip option!”
“I mute the sounds from the options menu (music volume & sfx volume) but there are always sounds when I use headphones.”
“Constant ads, and continually turns music and sound effects on even after disabling them in the options.”
- stability25 mentions
- 12 % positive mentions
- 4 % neutral mentions
- 84 % negative mentions
The stability of the game is a significant concern among users, with frequent reports of freezing during gameplay, particularly when loading new games or switching levels. Many players experience crashes when ads appear, requiring them to restart the app, and there are notable issues with logging in and tracking progress. While some users report a smooth experience, the overall consensus leans towards the game being quite buggy and prone to interruptions.
“The game is so smooth, with no hanging or glitches.”
“Very good app, not buggy, and the different types of games are good fun.”
“Smooth game, no glitches, and player-friendly controls.”
“It seems like every other round it freezes on the loading screen.”
“Every time an ad comes up the game freezes and has to be closed and restarted.”
“From the buggy statistics, achievements, random login issues and freezes, you'll spend more time watching ads and loading screens than actually playing a game.”
- gameplay22 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
Overall, the gameplay is generally well-received, with many praising its mechanics, variety of sudoku options, and engaging design. However, excessive and intrusive ads significantly detract from the experience for some players, leading to frustration. While the gameplay itself is enjoyable and accessible, there are calls for improvements in loading times and visual refinement.
“Gameplay wise, this game is unmatched when it comes to actually playing Sudoku and its variants.”
“Great gameplay with the different Sudoku variations.”
“Gameplay is spectacular, and that music is phenomenal 😂 helps me concentrate much better.”
“This may seem minor, but it's a huge annoyance in the middle of gameplay.”
“Much better options exist for sudoku gameplay.”
“Excessive and intrusive video ads that interrupt gameplay even after a quick pause to check notifications.”
- graphics18 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
Overall, the graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the beautiful visuals and enjoyable design, while others express disappointment in the quality compared to other Microsoft titles. There are mentions of stuttering on high-end devices and a desire for updates to enhance the visual experience. While many appreciate the relaxing aesthetic and personalization options, some feel that the graphics do not justify the subscription cost.
“Gameplay and graphics are well thought out.”
“Fun and challenging with beautiful graphics.”
“Great visuals and for the most part I enjoy all the puzzles.”
“However, I am disappointed that it does not have the same kinds of graphics that the Microsoft Solitaire game has.”
“The quality of the graphics makes me doubt if this is actually from Microsoft!”
“Strange to have some stuttering in the graphics on a high-end device.”
- optimization6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, the optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with users reporting performance degradation, stuttering graphics on high-end devices, and excessive ads leading to uninstallation. While some praise the slick animations and enjoyable layout, many feel that significant improvements are needed in load times and overall performance to enhance the user experience.
“Good performance, nice layout, very enjoyable.”
“Needs more optimization in load times; other than that, it has slick animations, good levels, modes, and an easy-to-use UI.”
“The performance has been degrading for the last couple of months, even after switching phones.”
“Needs more optimization in load times; other than that, it's got slick animations, good levels, modes, and an easy-to-use UI.”
“Strange to have some stuttering in the graphics on a high-end device.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, exacerbated by frequent app failures and the requirement to invest significant time—sometimes up to a year—to achieve certain milestones. Additionally, the interruption of 30-second ads after each puzzle further contributes to the frustration.
“Some of the achievements are very grindy though and require you to play heavily for a whole year.”
“The constant app failures make it almost too tedious to be bothered with, unfortunately.”
“30-second ads after every puzzle are tedious.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users find humor in the irony of wanting to purchase the game but being unable to do so, highlighting a comedic frustration with the game's accessibility. Additionally, the discrepancy between their played games history and the missing daily challenges adds to the amusement.
“It's funny because I want to purchase the game, but I can't!”
“The funny thing is that my played games history is there, except for daily challenges and levels.”
- story2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game features daily quests that players find enjoyable; however, there are significant bugs in tracking progress, which can lead to confusion and frustration upon completing missions.
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is overshadowed by frustrations related to intrusive and lengthy advertisements, which detract from the overall experience. Users express disappointment as these ads can disrupt gameplay unexpectedly.
