Cracking the Cryptic
Cracking The Cryptic | |
|---|---|
Current channel logo | |
| YouTube information | |
| Channel | |
| Years active | 2017–present |
| Genre | Puzzle |
| Subscribers | 688 thousand |
| Views | 291 million |
| Last updated: 4 March 2026 | |
| Website | crackingthecryptic |
Cracking the Cryptic (CTC) is a YouTube channel dedicated to paper-and-pencil puzzles: primarily sudoku, but also cryptic crosswords and other types of number-placement, pencil, and word puzzles. They occasionally stream puzzle videogames on YouTube.
The channel was set up in 2017 by two friends from England: Simon Anthony, a former investment banker, and Mark Goodliffe, a financial director.[1][2] Anthony is a former member of the UK's world sudoku and world puzzle championship teams, while Goodliffe is a 14-time winner of the Times Crossword Championships and UK sudoku champion.[1][2]
Each video is generally composed of one of the two hosts presenting a puzzle with given rules and then solving it in real time, with their live commentary. The channel features both standard and variant puzzles.[3]
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the channel grew in popularity, and as of 4 March 2026 it had 688,000 subscribers, with the most popular video receiving over 10 million views.[4][5][6]
The music played at the beginning and end of many videos is Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 16, nicknamed Sonata facile or Sonata semplice.[7] Occasionally, Simon will play his guitar as part of the introduction to the video, in place of Sonata No.16.[8]
Other activities
The channel has produced twelve Sudoku apps based on Sudoku variants: Classic, Chess, Miracle, Sandwich, Thermo, Killer, Arrow, Domino and Line Sudoku.
In October 2020, a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign was announced in order to produce a physical book with some of the channel's most popular puzzles. The campaign reached its initial target within 24 hours.[9] A second volume was funded in October 2022.
In addition to paper-and-pencil puzzles, the pair stream puzzle video games such as The Witness, Baba Is You, Blue Prince and Return of the Obra Dinn.[7]
References
- ^ a b Clinton, Jane (22 May 2020). "Suduko solving aces become unlikely YouTube stars during lockdown". inews.co.uk. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
- ^ a b Johnson, Tom (3 July 2021). "Fifty years of The Spectator crossword". The Spectator. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
- ^ Bellos, Alex (6 May 2019). "Can you solve it? Sandwich sudoku - a new puzzle goes viral". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
- ^ Usborne, Simon (22 May 2020). "Puzzled man solving 'miracle' sudoku becomes YouTube sensation". The Guardian. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
- ^ Schwartz, Nick (21 May 2020). "Watch this genius solve insanely difficult sudoku puzzles". USA Today. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
- ^ Marsden, Rhodri (23 January 2021). "Cracking the Cryptic: How the healing art of sudoku became a YouTube sensation". The National. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
- ^ a b Bell, Alice (7 September 2021). "These sudoku YouTubers are about to become your favourite game streamers". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
- ^ The Hidden Arts Of Sudoku, Cracking The Cryptic, 2025
- ^ "Update 2: We've Funded!! Cracking the Cryptic's Greatest Hits". Kickstarter. Retrieved 31 March 2021.