Tile Link

Tips for Tile Link

In Tile Link two matching tiles only pop if a path of no more than three straight lines can join them without crossing another tile. The path may run round the outside of the board, so start at the edges, where links are easiest to find, and work inwards as the board opens up.

Watch the gravity rule for each level. On boards where tiles fall, slide left, squeeze to the centre or split apart after every link, the layout changes as you play, so look again after each pop instead of following a plan made a few moves ago. The clock matters too: every link puts two seconds back and quick links in a row build a combo, so keep a steady pace rather than hunting for the perfect pair. Time left at the end becomes points and stars. Use the three hints when you are stuck, since each one points to a pair that keeps the board clearable. If no link is left at all, the board shuffles itself, so you never have to restart.

How to play Tile Link

In Tile Link the board is filled with pairs of picture tiles, and your goal is to clear them all while the clock is running. Pick two tiles with the same picture. If a path of no more than three straight lines can join them without crossing any other tile, the path flashes gold and both tiles pop. In practice that means the two tiles can be joined by a straight line, a line with one turn or a line with two turns. The path may also run round the outside of the board, which is why the edges are often the easiest place to start.

Each level has its own gravity rule. On some boards the tiles stay where they are, but on others the remaining tiles fall down, slide left, squeeze in to the centre or split apart after every link, so look at the board again after each pair. Every link puts two seconds back on the clock, and quick links in a row build a combo. When the board is clear, the time you have left turns into points and up to three stars. You get three hints per level, and if no link is left at all, the board shuffles itself.

There are forty levels, from six by six up to fourteen by eight, and a daily board that is the same for everyone until midnight. On a computer you click two matching tiles, or move with the arrow keys, pick with Enter or Space and press H for a hint. On a phone or tablet you tap two matching tiles. P pauses and M mutes.

About Tile Link

Tile Link is a connect-two puzzle, a long-standing kind of tile-matching game in which a pair can only be removed when a short path with no more than two turns joins it. Games of this type are often played with mahjong-style tiles, and the rule is quick to learn but makes you look at the board in a different way: you trace routes round the other tiles rather than just spotting matches.

Kiloo's Tile Link is made by Kiloo and sets the puzzle on a soft blue board with chunky, friendly pictures, from cats and cherries to rockets, trophies and rainbows. Its gravity rules are what make it more than a matching exercise, because after every link the board may shift and a plan made a few moves ago can stop working. The clock adds light pressure, but every link buys time back, and every board is checked by a solver, so a level can always be cleared. Tile Link suits anyone who enjoys visual puzzles and quick thinking, and your stars, best scores and daily results stay in your browser.

Frequently asked questions