How to play Tapdown
Tapdown is a number puzzle you can finish over a cup of chai. Every tile holds a number. Your job is to bring every tile down to zero.
- Tap a tile. It drops by 1, and so do the tiles directly above, below, left and right of it.
- Empty tiles are walls. You can't tap a tile if it, or any of those neighbours, is already empty. Numbers never go below zero.
- Clear the board. When every tile is empty, you win. Try to match par, the fewest taps that can do it.
Above: one tap on the middle tile lowers it and its four neighbours. One tile is still left over, so there's more work to do.
Tips for solving faster
- Start in the corners. A corner tile can only be lowered by three taps: itself and its two neighbours. That makes corners the easiest place to reason about.
- Watch for walls. If a corner shows 1 and one neighbour is already empty, the only tap that can clear that corner is its other neighbour.
- Count before you tap. A tile showing 3 needs exactly three taps on itself or its neighbours. If its neighbours are small, most of those taps have to be on the tile itself.
- Order doesn't matter. If you know the right set of taps, you can make them in any order. So once you're sure a tap belongs, take it.
- Stuck? A hint either lights up a tile that belongs in a solution from where you are, or tells you how many taps to undo.
Daily puzzle and practice mode
The daily puzzle is a 5×5 board that's the same for everyone on the same date. It resets at midnight your time. Clear it to keep your streak going, then share your score with friends.
Practice gives you unlimited boards in three sizes: Easy (4×4), Medium (5×5) and Hard (6×6). Practice doesn't touch your streak, so use it to learn.
Questions
Does every board have a solution?
Yes. Each board is built backwards from an empty board, so at least one solution always exists. Par is the fewest taps that will clear it, worked out by a solver.
Why can't I tap some tiles?
Numbers can't go below zero. If the tile you tap, or any tile next to it, is already empty, that tap isn't allowed. The empty tiles that block you flash red.
When does the new daily puzzle come out?
At midnight in your own time zone. The countdown under a finished puzzle shows how long is left.
Do hints or undos hurt my score?
Your daily result counts taps, undos and hints, and they all show up when you share. Nothing is hidden, and there's no penalty beyond bragging rights.
Do I need an account or an app?
No. Tapdown runs in any modern browser on phone, tablet or computer. Your stats are saved on your device only.