Why I Created Coffee Sudoku

I tried a lot of Sudoku apps. I really did. Some were decent for about three minutes before a full-screen ad popped up right in the middle of a puzzle. Others wanted me to create an account before I could even see the grid. One app asked for my email, my date of birth and my location. To play Sudoku. I'm not signing a mortgage here, I just want to put numbers in boxes.

The ones that didn't have ads had other problems. Half-baked interfaces. Buttons too small. Pencil marks that looked like they were designed by someone who had never actually used pencil marks. Timer that couldn't be turned off. Dark mode that was somehow worse than light mode. I kept switching apps every few weeks hoping the next one would be the one. It never was.

So I made my own. I know that sounds dramatic but it really wasn't. I just wanted a Sudoku app that felt right. NO ADS. NO REGISTRATION. NO TRACKING. NO NONSENSE. Just you and the puzzle. That's it. I wanted something my mum could open on her phone without accidentally subscribing to a premium plan.

The name came from the fact that I always do Sudoku with my morning coffee. It's my thing. Five minutes, maybe fifteen if it's a hard one, and I'm done. Coffee Sudoku. That's all it is. A puzzle with your coffee. Nothing more, nothing less. I didn't want to build the biggest Sudoku app in the world. I wanted to build the one I actually wanted to use.

It's free. Completely free. No premium tier, no coin system, no energy bar that runs out after three puzzles. I built it because I was annoyed and I figured other people were probably annoyed too. If you want to play Sudoku without all the rubbish that comes with most apps these days, that's what this is for. Grab your coffee, open the app, and just play. That's the whole pitch.