Touch and keys

Each game reads a swipe, a tap and a key press in its own way. A minute with this page saves a lot of accidental turns.

Creek Snake: short swipes, one turn each

The snake does not follow your finger; it reads the direction of travel. Every short stretch of a swipe counts as one turn, so a swipe that goes right and then up makes two turns in a row. That is handy for tight bends, but it also means a sloppy diagonal swipe can turn twice. Keep swipes straight and short when you only want one turn.

The game remembers up to three turns ahead. On a fast stage, queue the next turn just before you need it rather than reacting at the last moment. The arrow buttons under the board send exactly one turn per tap, which some players prefer on small screens.

Pond Pop: aim with the finger, shoot on release

Touch the board to show the aim line, slide to adjust the angle, and lift your finger above the launcher to shoot. If you change your mind, slide back down below the launcher and let go: nothing is fired. With a mouse, the aim follows the pointer and a click shoots; on a keyboard the arrows turn the aim in small steps, which is the most precise way to line up a bank shot.

Gumnut Merge: one swipe, one move

A swipe anywhere on the board slides every tile. Short, firm swipes work best; very slow drags may be read as a tap. On a keyboard, arrow keys or WASD do the same, and U, Backspace or Ctrl+Z undoes a move while undos are left.

Settings worth knowing

Every game has a settings page in its menu: sound, vibration on phones that support it, on-screen buttons (automatic, always on or off), the landing shadow and the aim line. The choices are saved on your device and apply the next time you open the game. P or Esc pauses at any moment, and a game also stops on its own once its tab is hidden or the board leaves the screen.