How the timer works in number puzzle levels

On a 4×4 board a player chooses a number from the tray, taps column two, and the number slides down to the lowest empty cell in that column. The clock has already started while the player examines the first few rows. Most of beginners spend the initial seconds looking at the numbers that are already on the board, then select a number that seems to fit and drop it.

Every level in NumFall has a timer and the time taken counts toward the final score together with any mistakes. The timer starts as soon as the level begins and keeps running while the player thinks. The seconds spent before the first tap are counted in the same way as the seconds spent after the first tap.

Numbers always drop to the lowest empty spot in a column, so a player cannot decide exactly where a number lands. The only option is to pick a column, and the sequence in which the numbers are dropped determines their final positions. A number dropped early in a column will end up below all numbers that are dropped later. Before the first tap, the main task in every level is to read the board, and the clock records both that reading and the tapping.

NumFall is a free number puzzle for iPhone, iPad and Apple silicon Mac that has timed levels, and it is available as NumFall on the App Store.

Quick, Classic and Master boards under the clock

The boards vary in size, and the number of levels differs for each. Quick 4×4 offers 30 levels, Classic 6×6 offers 100 levels, and Master 9×9 also offers 100 levels. Most beginners begin on the 4×4 board, which contains 16 cells that hold the numbers 1 to 4.

Each row, column and box on a board must contain every number exactly once. A 4×4 board is made of four rows, four columns and four boxes, so a player only has to check a candidate against a short list. On a 6×6 board there are six rows, six columns and six boxes. On a 9×9 board there are nine rows, nine columns and nine boxes.

Before a player presses a column, they must test each piece against all three groups. On a 9×9 board, a player checks nine squares in the row, nine in the column and nine in the block for every number in the tray. A careful player spends a lot more of the level on reading the board than on tapping.

The clock functions the same on every board size. On a Master board, a careful player will probably spend most of the time reviewing, so tap speed matters less than it does on a Quick board.

Stars that depend on speed and clean play

A level earns three stars only when it is finished quickly and without any mistakes. Both conditions must be met at once, so a result that meets only one of them does not qualify for the three-star rating.

The first player finishes the Quick 4x4 level in 60 seconds and makes one mistake. The second player takes 90 seconds, but does not make any mistakes. Thus, the first player was faster, while the second player was more accurate.

Neither of these situations counts as the three-star case under the star rule. A level completed quickly without any errors would be one that finished in about 60 seconds with a clean board. Neither of these two players achieved both of those things.

The figures shown do not directly reveal how fast a player is going, and the exact speed thresholds are not listed here. To compare results at one level, a player can put the time and mistake count from each attempt side by side and watch how both change.

Timed levels in sets of ten and the Daily Drop

Levels are grouped into named sets of ten. Levels come in named sets of ten, and each set shows its difficulty with flames. A player can see the flames before choosing a level to start. At the end of each set of ten there is a chest, so a player who completes all ten levels reaches the chest.

Timed levels are placed in these sets the same way as any other level. A Quick 4x4 set consists of ten timed levels, and a Classic 6x6 set consists of ten as well.

Each day brings one puzzle, and every player receives that same puzzle. The streak lets a player who comes back each day see how many days in a row they have played.

Players can also track their own times on any level. With both the time and the number of mistakes, a player can compare one attempt on a level with the next. To try this, a player can choose one level, play it twice, and write both results down next to each other.

NumFall is made by the publisher of this site. Any health or brain-training points here are general information, not medical advice.