Zach Gage releases Good Sudoku, a reimagined and fun take on a classic

By Christine Chan
published

Good Sudoku Hero
Good Sudoku Hero (Image credit: Christine Romero-Chan / iMore)

What you need to know

  • Zach Gage has made great games like SpellTower, Really Bad Chess, FlipFlop Solitaire, and more.
  • Sudoku is a classic puzzle game that's popular, but the process of playing it sucks.
  • Good Sudoku's goal is to help everyone learn and love Sudoku.
  • While Gage's other games change up the rules, Good Sudoku doesn't change any rules.
  • There is an intelligent hint system and tweaks to reduce busywork.
  • The game is free to download, but a $3.99 in-app purchase gets you the full game.

Zach Gage is a name that you may have heard of when it comes to iOS games. That's because he's created some amazing little gems, like SpellTower+, Pocket-Run Pool, Really Bad Chess, FlipFlop Solitaire, and more. Today he's released Good Sudoku, with the goal of getting everyone to learn and love this classic game that doesn't seem to get a lot of appreciation.

One of Gage's main themes in his games is that he usually reimagines classic games by changing up the rules. For example, in Really Bad Chess, it was the piece quantities that changed from the traditional format, and FlipFlop Solitaire rethought a basic rule of Spider Solitaire. However, Good Sudoku reimagines Sudoku by changing nothing at all.

Good Sudoku Screens

Good Sudoku Screens (Image credit: Zach Gage)

The thinking behind this is that while Sudoku is very popular, the process of playing Sudoku on computers mostly sucks. Gage believes that most digital players are simply playing a constrained and lightweight version of the real game, and no one does a great job of teaching you how to play. Good Sudoku plans on changing all of that, because its mission is to help everyone learn and love classic Sudoku.

Good Sudoku has an elegant layout that is quite easy on the eyes, an intelligent hint system, and has tweaks to reduce busywork so you can actually play better and have fun. While the free download gives access to the Daily Puzzle and the regular Good mode, you can unlock the full game through a $3.99 in-app purchase. This unlocks Arcade and Eternal game modes, as well as Custom, where you can import your own puzzles from elsewhere into Good Sudoku. Statistics are also available once you get the full game. The harder puzzles in Good Sudoku will require knowledge about techniques like "XYZ Wings," "Hidden Quadrouples," "Jellyfish," and "Swordfish."

Honestly, Sudoku has always been something that I've wanted to try learning, but it's hard to find a good place to learn it. I've downloaded Good Sudoku to try it out, and the tutorial has been super helpful in understanding the basics. The implemented tools, such as Focus Mode, notes, and hints, are very helpful for beginners, and I'm sure that veterans could also appreciate them. This is something I can definitely unwind with at the end of the day, and I'm glad that Gage has tackled the problem behind Sudoku.

If you're a fan of puzzle games or want to learn Sudoku, then make sure to give Good Sudoku a try.

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Good Sudoku


Good Sudoku makes the classic game of Sudoku fun for everyone.

Christine Chan
Christine Chan

Christine Romero-Chan was formerly a Senior Editor for iMore. She has been writing about technology, specifically Apple, for over a decade at a variety of websites. She is currently part of the Digital Trends team, and has been using Apple’s smartphone since the original iPhone back in 2007. While her main speciality is the iPhone, she also covers Apple Watch, iPad, and Mac when needed.

When she isn’t writing about Apple, Christine can often be found at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, as she is a passholder and obsessed with all things Disney, especially Star Wars. Christine also enjoys coffee, food, photography, mechanical keyboards, and spending as much time with her new daughter as possible.