Puzzles

Do I need an account? Does progress sync across devices?

No, you don’t need an account – guest progress saves locally on-device. Signing in (or registering) is optional and merges your progress into your account, then syncs automatically in the background. If sync fails, nothing is lost; your local progress is preserved and a sync is retried later.

Can I get a hint, retry, or skip a puzzle?

You get 1 hint per puzzle attempt. As its name implies, it doesn’t show you the exact move, but should nudge you in the right direction. Using it costs you the three-star rating and reduces XP earned.

In Journey, wrong moves just don’t count as a solve – retry as many times as you like, you only lose the “first-try” bonus.

In Rush/Survival, a wrong move is an immediate mistake with no retry, and there’s no skip option.

How does the puzzle rating work?

The system’s technical term is called Glicko-2. It starts at 1200. Only Journey puzzles affect it – each solve or fail is scored as a game and adjusts your rating up or down. Your rating determines which Journey tier/level bands and which Rush/Survival difficulty band you’re served.

Glicko-2 is more modern and complex than pure Elo, because it takes more variables into account, like uncertainty and volatility. In practice, you don’t need to worry about these. Just have fun!

How do I earn XP, and what affects the amount?

XP (eXperience Points) is awarded only the first time you solve a puzzle (replays give none).

Puzzle XP comes from a time bonus and a difficulty bonus based on the solution length, then modified by:

• First-try bonus: x1.5
• 3-star bonus: x1.25
• Daily streak bonus: up to +60% at a 30+ day streak
• Hint penalty: taking a hint reduces XP instead of boosting it
• Rating-gain bonus: a small XP top-up if the puzzle raised your rating
• Rush and Survival award a flatter XP rate per solve (plus a small bonus for a new personal best), since they aren’t rated.

How do Journey tiers and levels unlock?

The first tier (Beginner) is open by default; later tiers unlock once your rating reaches that tier’s floor or you fully clear the previous tier. Within a tier, levels unlock as you clear the one before. A level is “cleared” at 6/8 puzzles solved.

Stars are awarded as follows:

• * for a 6/8 puzzles soved per level.
• ** for 7 or 8 puzzles solved.
• *** 7 or 8 puzzles solved with at least 6 puzzles solved in first try.

What’s the difference between Journey, Rush, and Survival?

• Journey is the structured campaign: 5 tiers (Beginner to Master) × 10 levels × 8 puzzles each. No timer, unlimited retries per puzzle. This is the only mode that affects your puzzle rating.
• Rush: beat the clock: ends after 3 mistakes or when time runs out. Difficulty adapts to your performance as you go.
• Survival: like Rush but untimed: keep solving until you make 3 mistakes. Tests endurance, not speed.