How to play a falling number grid puzzle on iPhone
Learn how to play falling number grid puzzle on iPhone, with the drop rule, a 4x4 example, and tips on choosing the order of your moves.
A 4x4 board starts with a 3 in the top left cell, and a tray below the board holds 1, 2 and 4. Players cannot place a number straight into a cell. To drop a number, a player chooses one from the tray and taps a column, and the number falls to the lowest empty cell there.
Every move follows from this single rule. A number dropped into an empty column lands on the bottom row, while in the first column it stops just below the 3, not always where the player wanted it.
NumFall: Number Puzzle Game is a free puzzle app for iPhone in which players fill a grid this way. The board is finished once every cell is filled with no repeats, and each row, column and box holds each number once.
Many beginners look at the tray first, but the column is what decides where a number ends up. Every tap places one number, which stays put until the player undoes it.
Where the drop order does its work
Take the same 4x4 board, with the 3 in the top left cell and the numbers 1, 2 and 4 in the tray. Each row, column and box, which on this size is a 2x2 block, must hold each of the numbers 1 to 4 once. Suppose a player drops the 1 into the second column, where it lands on the bottom row. Later, the player needs a 1 in the bottom row of the fourth column, but the bottom row already has a 1. Since that cell cannot take a 1 now, the player must leave it empty until something else fills it.
Putting the numbers in another order prevents the problem. Dropping the 1 into the fourth column first sends it to the bottom row there, and the second column stays open for the 2 or the 4. Before each tap, a careful player checks where every number in the tray will land.
Numbers fall to the lowest empty cell, so each drop changes which cell the next one in that column reaches. Players do not choose cells directly, so the order of the drops decides which cells get filled. The order of the drops is therefore the puzzle.
Boards, levels and how sets are named
Quick 4x4 has 30 levels, Classic 6x6 has 100, and Master 9x9 has 100. The 9x9 requires tracking nine numbers in every row, column and box, so players who finish the small board often move to the 6x6 first.
Levels come in named sets of ten. Each level in a set shows flames, and the number of flames tells a player how hard it is. Each set ends with a chest, so on a Quick 4x4 board a player reaches it after the tenth level.
On devices, NumFall on the App Store lists iPhone and iPad, running iOS or iPadOS 17 or later, and Mac with Apple silicon, running macOS 14 or later. There is no Android version, so Android phone users will not find the app in that store.
Stars, sparks and the Daily Drop
Each level is timed, and a player earns 3 stars by finishing fast with no mistakes. Beginners often replay an early level after they learn where each number lands, since a slow finish or a wrong drop lowers the star count.
Players earn sparks by playing, and no one can buy them. Players use sparks for a hint, an undo, an extra heart or a skip. Every level can be solved by logic alone, so a hint is never needed to get past a guess.
The Daily Drop is one puzzle a day, and it is the same for every player. Finishing it on consecutive days builds a streak, which resets after a missed day.
On a Quick 4x4 board, a first-time player usually starts with level one of the first set of ten, taps an empty column, and watches where the number lands before choosing the next drop.
FAQ
How do you place a number in falling number grid puzzle?
You pick a number from the tray below the board, then tap a column. A number goes into the lowest empty cell of the column you tap, so you cannot pick a cell yourself. A column that has not been checked before a tap often sends the number somewhere the player did not expect.
What happens if a number falls into the wrong spot on a 4x4 board?
A number stays in its cell until you undo it, so a wrong drop can block the cells below it. Undo is one of the options you can spend sparks on. Many beginners check each row, column and box before they tap a column.
Which order should I drop numbers in to avoid getting stuck?
Start with column that has the fewest safe landing spots, and check where each tray number would fall before you tap. In the example board with a 3 in the top left cell, dropping the 1 into the fourth column first keeps the second column open. Each drop changes where the next drop in that column lands.
Is there a way to finish a falling number puzzle without guessing?
Players who work through rows and columns one at a time can find the next safe drop without trying random columns.
NumFall is made by the publisher of this site. Any health or brain-training points here are general information, not medical advice.