Astraware, a subsidiary of Handmark, Inc., is a world renowned mobile software publisher from Blighty with many quality games and applications under it’s belt. They’ve been in the mobile space ever since the days of the first Palm OS devices and have over 10 years worth of developing experience. Some of their most celebrated games include those from their partnership with PopCap such as Bejeweled and Bejeweled 2 and games wholly own by Astraware such as Astraware Solitaire and Astraware Casino. Today however we’ll be looking at one of Astraware’s all time greatest sellers: Astraware Sudoku.

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Ported to the iPhone (App Store link) Astraware Sudoku is an extremely polished game with an interface that takes cues straight from the iPhone/iTouch user experience itself. The popular game Sudoku for the uninitiated (where have you been hiding?!) is a basic number logic game played in a 9-by-9 grid divided up into 9 boxes each containing 9 individual number cells (see screen shot below). The game is won by entering the numbers 1 to 9 into each row, column and box without repetition. The beauty about Sudoku is that it’s suitable for all ages from 10 or so all the way up. Astrware Sudoku for the iPhone is a fine example of the many Sudoku games available on the App Store and is feature rich to say the least. A handy tutorial is provided that runs through the basics of solving and playing Sudoku, which is a nice touch for those who haven’t experienced the game before. It also has 5 difficulty levels that provide enough challenge at each stage to help you learn or just enjoy the game. Other features include a Puzzle Generator that is able to produced an unlimited number of puzzles in the background whilst you play therefore never limiting you in the amount to play. There’s also a more competitive element to Astraware Sudoku with Puzzle of the Day downloads and time scoreboards that let you compete against other players for the fastest time. Background music can also be played helping (or hindering depending on what you play) you solve those tricky puzzles whilst the game also has some nice subtle sound effects that definitely add to the experience. Another nice touch is the ability to enter your own puzzles from other sources which lets you play through them and if you get stuck get help solving them. Talking about help, Astraware Sudoku also includes many types of aids to help you through solving the puzzles. There is the Sudoku solver which does exactly what it says on the tin solving the puzzle for you if you just can’t get past it. There’s also the manual and automatic pencil marks that help you work out which number goes where with little pencil marks showing the possibilities in each individual cells. A hint system is also in place that aims to give you a helpful prod in the right direction without giving you the actual answer. You can also hold-and-highlight number or groups to find their matching pairs however each of these aids incurs a time penalty for your high score to differentiate those that have solved the puzzle alone or with help. With great presentation, good integration into the user experience including automatic saving on exit, good game play, intuitive control schemes and the many aids available, Astraware Sudoku is one of the best Sudoku games available for the iPhone/iTouch and possibly one of the best games available on the App Store period. Astraware Sudoku was released on the 15th October and is currently available in the App Store for £2.99.