Jolly Jong 2

Jolly Jong 2 splits into two modes that want different things from you. Classic asks you to empty all twenty-one layouts at whatever pace suits, with no clock involved. Arcade asks for a score, and score comes from combos, meaning pairs taken in quick succession rather than pairs taken safely.

The lifting rule is strict about three sides: a tile must be clear on top, on the left and on the right before it can be selected. That is tighter than some versions, and it is why the tall central spines of these layouts have to be dismantled from the ends inward. Black and White sits one row away in the same list.

A hint and a reshuffle are on hand. The 2011 build is HTML5, takes a mouse or a tap, and each of the twenty-one layouts has its own silhouette rather than being a reskin of the last. The Link grid is two clicks away in the same section.

Full screen suits the wider arrangements, where the outer columns otherwise sit awkwardly close to the edge of a small frame. One more board from the same group is the Connect Dots layout.

1. Choose classic mode for an untimed clear or arcade mode for a score run.
2. Select two identical tiles that are open on top, left and right.
3. Remove pairs until the layout is empty.
4. In arcade mode, chain matches quickly to build combos rather than clearing safely.
5. Call the reshuffle when the remaining tiles offer no legal pair.

• Open the ends of a row — Jolly Jong 2 blocks a tile if either side is occupied, so rows unpick from the outside.
• Pick your mode first — playing arcade with a classic mindset scores badly, and the reverse just feels rushed.
• Break the raised centre early — the spine of these layouts hides the tiles that strand a board.
• Reshuffle before you are truly stuck — a board down to one legal pair is often worse than a rearranged one.
• Switch to full screen — the widest of the twenty-one layouts uses every bit of horizontal space.