How To Play

- ChompTile Games™ -

As the name suggests, ChompTile games are about generating Game-Tiles -- and Chomping them before they overwhelm you.

In every ChompTile Game, Game-Tiles are always generated with true randomization. But trust me, it won't always feel like it. Sometimes the game will seem to work against you. Other times it will feel like it's helping you. That's what true randomness looks like -- and your job is to beat the odds.

The game tries to fill the grid. Your job is to make it Chomp Tiles before they can pile up. But this doesn't have to be a speed contest -- it is primarily a game of anticipation, planning and strategy.

To win, use the game's own rules against it. Every move can be a chance to set up or trigger Tile-Chomps, build Chomp-Chains, or to defend against the tiles you know are coming. Success can come from thoughtfully choosing the best column for each new Placing-Tile and creating rewarding Tile-Stacks, or by effectively battering as many tiles as you can to smithereens as quickly as you can. Generous bonus points are offered for both methods, and often a discreet attention to each is what generates the highest game score -- which is the point of the game.

Game Buttons

TileBoost

Engages the TileBoost option when a TileBoost is available. (see below)

Take A Break

Pauses the TimeBoost countdown when you need a break, preserving the current speed-related bonus points.
There is no minimum or maximum time limit for breaks. The game will be ready when you come back to it.

Easy, Normal, Hard

Set the difficulty level of the game to be played.
Resets the Game Score and this session's High Score to zero when changing levels.

New Game

Begins a new game at the current difficulty level.
Keeps this session's High Score and sets the Game Score to zero.

Down Arrows

Select the column into which the current Playing-Tile will be placed.

Methodical Game Play

Every Game-Tile has its own unique value based on its unique spot in the sequence of tiles. In our example game, DOUBLE DOWN, each of its 39 Tiles doubles in face value from one to the next:

2 → 4 → 8 → 16 … all the way to … 125B → 250B → 500B → 1T

Whenever a Placing-Tile lands on a Tile of equal value, the old Tile is Chomped and the new tile advances one level. In our example, if a "2" lands on a "2," the old gets Chomped and the new becomes a "4."

Your goal is to create Tile-Stacks, with each ascending tile half the value of the tile below it. When a same-valued tile is then added at the top, the Stack will Chomp itself and collapse, leaving the bottom tile with its increased value. That is the heart of the methodical game: Choose the best column for each new Placing-Tile, creating the most effective Tile-Stacks you can, thereby triggering the best Tile-Chomping -- and point-scoring -- opportunities.

But Chomps don't happen only downward. Once a Placing-Tile comes to rest, it then checks the Side-Tiles to its left and right:

If both Side-Tiles match the Placing-Tile, both are Chomped. (This counts as a single Chomp.)
If only one matches, that one is Chomped.
If a single Side-Tile-Chomp raises the Placing-Tile to a value that now matches the other Side-Tile, it gets Chomped too.

After any Side-Chomping, the Placing-Tile again checks the tile beneath it. If its new value now matches, that tile gets Chomped, as well as the tiles below if they continue to match the Placing-Tile's increasing value.

When Side-Tiles are Chomped, the Tiles above them descend to fill the empty spaces -- which can create even more opportunities for downward Chomping only. And then the Placing-Tile searches again.

This process continues until no Chomps remain, and one well-placed Tile can have a huge impact where tiles have been strategically stacked. Creating and utilizing those situations is the key to strong gameplay.

The Tile-Boost Bonus

Methodical game play is rewarded with increasing numbers of TileBoosts, as well as generous bonus points when TileBoosts are left at the end of the game.

How The TileBoost Works

When you click the TileBoost button, the game searches each column from the bottom up. In every column, it finds the first tile that has a lower value than the tile directly above it, and Chomps that lower tile. The tiles above then descend to fill the gap.

If that creates a downward Chomping opportunity, there will be Chomping. As with Side-Columns, TileBoosts only trigger downward Chomping, and equal-value Tiles can end up resting next to each other.

Note that using a TileBoost also causes the game to generate a new Playing-Tile.

Used wisely, a TileBoost can improve a crowded grid, set up future plays, or give you the breathing room needed to finish strong.

Tips:

The appearance of a difficult Playing-Tile could signal a good time to play a TileBoost.
Keeping your playing level low by protecting a low-value tile, creates greater opportunity for Tile-Stacking. But this also creates more grid-clogging potential and can increase playing time.
Methodical game play is best used with difficulty levels you find to be comfortable.

Shock & Awe Game Play

The fewer tiles allowed on the board, the smaller the chance of them ganging up on you and clogging the grid. So the Shock & Awe player Chomps them into oblivion as quickly as possible, attempting to earn a generous TimeBonus for fast play.

But this isn't quite as easy as it sounds. Care must still be taken, especially in games with greater difficulty, to create tile-patterns which will best enable the onslaught.

Tips:

Keep your playing level as high as possible, affording less opportunity for tiles to back up and clog the grid.
Shock & Awe game play is best used with difficulty levels you find to be less comfortable.

General Game Strategy
(or "strategery" if you prefer)

If you are new to ChompTile, start on EASY and learn the game.

A higher difficulty-level = a higher score. As you increase a game's difficulty-level, this also increases the scoring value of each move. But it also increases the number of Placing-Tiles the game selects from -- and so the need for strategic and mindful gameplay.

You will quickly discover that the most obvious move is not always the best one. Sometimes the strongest play is the one that builds or protects your Tile-Stacks, creates a TileBoost opportunity, or even "messes up" one column so the others stay open. A messy column can often be cleaned up later with good play or a well-timed TileBoost.

ChompTile Games are not designed to be frantic -- but they do accommodate that playing style. Thought and careful planning are rewarded, and so is speed.

Yes, ChompTile Games can be beaten. The real challenge is in beating them well. That means:

creating effective Tile-Stacks with beneficial Chomp-Chains;
earning as many TileBoosts as you can, and saving as many TileBoosts as possible for big bonus points at the end;
using TileBoosts when they make the biggest difference;
playing quickly if that's what you enjoy, and earning generous TimeBoost points at the end; and
finishing with your highest score -- which is the point of the game.

Tips:

TileBoosts are especially valuable. They can repeatedly rescue a faltering game, and any TileBoosts left at the end are worth major bonus points.
Never abandon thoughtful gameplay. Anticipate the coming tiles. This will become more natural as you play more.
Often a combination of the two styles of play yields the highest score.
Try being Methodical at first, building up TileBoosts, and then being more aggressive to finish the game.

Ending The Game

ChompTile Games have an ending and they can be beaten. When Your High Tile becomes the final tile -- the Ultimate Tile -- the game is approaching completion and your playing level can no longer increase. As the grid begins to fill with Ultimate Tiles, fill it from the bottom up as much as possible to avoid stranding tiles.

As Ultimate Tiles rise closer to the top and open spaces dwindle, the range of placing-tiles decreases by dropping the lowest tile according to how much open grid remains. Your job now is to keep as many columns as possible open to receive new tiles. Do this by filling the grid evenly so the columns rise together. And try to have a TileBoost or two ready -- you may need them.

-- Take your time, think ahead, and make each Placing-Tile count. --

-- Or bash away to your heart's content. --

Happy Tile-Chomping!

A single-move chain of 6 or more Tile-Chomps earns you a TileBoost -- the most powerful tool in the game. Here's a simple straight down example of Tiles stacked in a Chomping-Chain that can earn you a TileBoost:

2 on 4 on 8 on 16 on 32 on 64

[ In another game this might look like: 1 on 2 on 3 on 4 on 5 on 6; or even 6 on 5 on 4 on 3 on 2 on 1 ]

Placing another "2" on the top of this stack triggers six downward Tile-Chomps, as the placing tile Chomps each tile, stepping up in value with each Chomp. When a Placing-Tile sets off a 6-Chomp (or longer) chain, you earn a TileBoost. Note that the number of Chomps required can vary among games and versions.