MonsterJong

Halloween dressing runs through every part of MonsterJong: the tiles carry cartoon monsters, the backdrops are dim, and the sound design leans on creaks and howls. Underneath the costume it is tile solitaire, and the monster art is distinct enough that pairs surface faster than on a traditional set.

You clear a layout by removing identical monster tiles two at a time, and every level runs against a clock. Nothing can be taken until the tiles blocking it are gone, so the sequence you choose determines whether the timer becomes a problem. Another layout to unstack is Pile of Tiles Mahjong.

Hints and a shuffle are on hand. The hint marks a legal pair, the shuffle rearranges what remains when the board has locked. Both are worth rationing, because the later layouts stack more deeply and that is where a dead board actually costs a level. From the same group, there is also the Butterfly Kyodai HD grid.

This is a 2014 HTML5 release that runs on a desktop machine or a phone, with full screen support that matters here more than usual, since the dark backgrounds and the dark tile edges are hard to separate in a small window. The same free-tile rule governs Candy Tiles.

1. Find two identical monster tiles that are uncovered and open on one side.
2. Select them to clear the pair and expose whatever sat below.
3. Take the tiles on the upper layers first so the board keeps opening.
4. Remove every tile before the level clock runs down.
5. Call a shuffle if the remaining monsters offer no legal pair.

• Learn the monster roster — MonsterJong reuses a small cast, so recognising a creature by silhouette is quicker than by colour.
• Mind the dark backdrops — tiles at the edge of the board blend into the background and get overlooked.
• Clear high before wide — the stacked pieces are the ones locking a layout.
• Ration the hints — the later, deeper levels are where a pointer actually saves a run.
• Go full screen — the eerie artwork loses its detail, and its readability, at small sizes.