Summer Connect

Thirty stages of beach tiles make up Summer Connect, and the pairing rule is the standard one: the line between two identical tiles may bend twice, and a third corner makes the match illegal. A longer explanation of the rule sits in the comparison of the two boards.

What sets this board apart is that the grid moves. On some stages the tiles slide automatically once a pair is gone, to the left, to the right, upward or downward depending on the stage, so the layout you were reading rearranges itself beneath you and a plan three pairs deep rarely survives the first clearance. A countdown runs on top of that, which means the sliding stages are best played reactively rather than mapped out in advance. Another seasonal board here is the Christmas Connection 2020 grid.

WillingGames sets the field wide with summer artwork, and the board answers to taps as readily as clicks. Another board that clears along a line is Mojicon Emoji Connect.

1. Pick out two identical summer tiles on the field.
2. Check the route between them turns twice at most, then click both to clear the pair.
3. Watch which way the remaining tiles slide, since that decides your next move.
4. Empty the stage before time runs out, and work on through the thirty stages.

• Identify the slide direction — knowing whether a Summer Connect stage pulls left, right, up or down turns a chaotic board into a predictable one.
• Do not plan too far — on sliding stages the third pair you had lined up will have moved by the time you reach it.
• Clear against the slide — taking pairs from the side the tiles travel towards keeps fresh matches arriving where you are already looking.
• Count corners quickly — the clock keeps running while you trace a route, and two bends is the whole rule to check.