Bubli

Guide

How to play Bubli

The rules fit on a card. The strategy does not, so this page has both: the five rules the game teaches in its first ten moves, the scoring table, and what good players do differently.

  1. 1

    Drag a ring one cell

    Press a ring and drag it up, down, left or right. It moves exactly one cell. A wall or another ring stops it.

  2. 2

    Line up three of a colour

    Put three or more rings of one colour side by side, in any shape. They merge and pop, even with a wall between them.

  3. 3

    Build bigger groups

    Three score 30, four score 65, five score 100. Delay a clear to grow the group when the board allows it.

  4. 4

    Watch the new ring

    After every move a ring lands. Keep an empty lane so the board never locks.

  5. 5

    Join three bombs

    Bombs match only with bombs. Three touching wipe the board and deal it again.

Scoring

Every ring in a cleared group is worth 10 points, and every ring past the third is worth 25 on top. A detonation pays 25 per ring on the board.

  • 3 rings: 30
  • 4 rings: 65
  • 5 rings: 100
  • 6 rings: 135
  • 7 rings: 170

Strategy

  • Read the maze first. Every board is different; the walls decide where groups can form. A pocket with one entrance is a vault: rings inside it stay put until you clear them.
  • Every ring is a stopper. A ring you cannot use yet is still a wall for the rings around it. Parking a ring to block a lane is a legitimate move, often the best one.
  • Hold a colour. Two reds waiting next to a lane that a third red will come down is a plan; clearing a quick three elsewhere is only 30.
  • Count empties, not rings. The run ends when nothing can move. Ten empty cells scattered in dead ends are worth less than four in a row.
  • Bombs are a reset. One bomb is a nuisance, two are a promise, three are a full clear worth hundreds. Keep them next to each other.
  • Streaks. Clears within seven seconds of each other raise the chime and the combo word. They do not score extra, but they tell you the board is open; use it.

On the phone

The iPhone app plays the same rules with haptics on every pop, the daily board, and a run that is saved if you leave half way. There is no undo and no second chance in either version: a move is final.

Questions

Can rings move more than one cell?
No. One drag moves one ring one cell. That is the one rule the whole game is built on.
Do diagonals count?
No. Rings match through shared edges only, up, down, left and right.
Is there an undo?
No. A move is final, in the browser and in the app.
Why did a new ring land next to my group?
A new ring avoids making a match for you when it can, but it lands wherever there is room. On a crowded board that may be next to your group.