How to play NumFall by sliding numbers into columns
Learn how to play NumFall by sliding numbers into columns, where gravity sets each landing cell and every row, column and box holds each number once.
Picture an empty 4x4 board with a 3 in the tray below it. A player taps the second column, and the 3 drops straight down and settles in the lowest empty cell, which is the bottom row of that column. Gravity sets the row and the height, so the player never picks either one. Gravity decides that part.
Imagine the second column has a 1 in its bottom cell, with a 4 sitting directly above that. Next, the player takes a 2 from the tray and taps that column again. There is nothing to pass, so the 2 comes to rest on the 4 in the third cell from the bottom. The top cell is the only one left open in that column, so the next number tapped there will drop into it.
Each move asks the player two things: which number to take from the tray, and which column to tap. Every choice affects later drops, because once a cell is filled, nothing can reach it from above. Many beginners tap whichever column looks easiest, then discover two moves later that a cell they needed is already covered.
The rules every drop must follow
Each number must appear exactly once in every row, every column and every box. On the 4x4 board, the numbers 1 to 4 each show up once in each row, once in each column, and once in each of the four 2x2 boxes.
While tapping quickly, a player can easily overlook a drop that breaks a rule. Suppose the bottom row already holds a 2 in the first cell and a 4 in the third. A player takes another 2 and taps the fourth column because it is empty. The 2 falls to the bottom cell of that column, and the bottom row now holds two 2s. A player who checks the row that the new number joined will spot a repeat right away, before picking the next number. The same check applies to the column above the landing cell and to the box that surrounds it.
The order of drops decides which cells stay open. Take a column with two open cells, where the 3 fits in just one of them. When the 1 drops first, it fills the lower cell, which leaves the 3 able to reach only the upper cell. When the 3 drops first, it takes the lower cell, and the 1 has to come to rest above it. Both drop orders can follow the rules, yet each one leaves a different set of cells open for later numbers.
Boards, levels and how sets are named on a 9×9 board
The game has three boards. The Quick board is 4x4 and has 30 levels; the Classic board is 6x6 with 100 levels; the Master board is 9x9 with 100 levels. Nine boxes of 3x3 fill a 9x9 board, while a 6x6 board is split into six boxes of 2x3. The box rule looks different at each size, though the rule stays the same.
Every level is timed. The levels come in named sets of ten, and flames on each set show how hard it is. At the end of each set is a chest, which a player opens only after clearing the tenth level.
Beginners usually begin on the Quick board. The tray there holds only 1 to 4, and the rows, columns and boxes are short enough to scan after every drop. In the first few levels, many players practice reading each column's open cells from the bottom up before they pick a number. A timer still runs during play, yet the early levels give players enough time for this slower reading. Players who move to Classic after the 30 Quick levels already know how a landing cell is found, so the larger grid adds more cells to check and no new rule.
Stars, sparks and the Daily Drop on a 4×4 board
A Quick level earns 3 stars only when the player finishes quickly with no mistakes, so one wrong drop takes away the top rating, even if the board is solved afterward. Players who check the row, column and box after every drop usually keep their stars, since they catch a repeat before choosing the next number.
Playing earns sparks. Players cannot buy sparks. Sparks pay for hints, undos, an extra heart or a skip. After a number lands in the wrong column, the player can use sparks for an undo, but the level's stars are usually lost by that point.
Every level can be solved by logic alone, with no guessing. If a player is stuck, a cell exists somewhere that only one number can fill and finding it is the way forward.
The Daily Drop is one puzzle a day, the same for every player, and it keeps a streak of days played. NumFall on the App Store is free for iPhone, iPad and Apple silicon Macs.
For a first attempt on the first 4×4 level, a player can write two drop orders on paper and compare the open cells each one leaves before tapping anything.
FAQ
How to play NumFall?
Take a number from tray, then tap a column. The number falls to the lowest empty cell in that column, and the player picks the next number from the tray.
What is the rule for rows, columns and boxes in a number drop puzzle?
Each row, column and box must hold each number once. On a 4x4 board, the numbers 1 to 4 each appear one time in every row, column and 2x2 box.
How do I find the cell a dropped number will land in?
Look at the column you plan to tap and find its lowest empty cell. Checking the open cells from the bottom up before choosing a number helps beginners avoid covered cells.
Does the order of number drops change the result?
Yes. Two legal orders can leave different open cells for later numbers in the same column, so the order decides which spaces remain for a 1 or a 3.
NumFall is made by the publisher of this site. Any health or brain-training points here are general information, not medical advice.