PlayDots Inc. has enjoyed great success with their Dots – a connecting puzzle game – and they released its sequel in 2014 for iOS and Android platforms. The gameplay of this really addictive puzzle game stems from the old Match-3 genre, but the developers have introduced several twists to make this game stand out from the crowd of Match-3’s.
In TwoDots players have to clear a long series of levels with various additional elements included. Players need to connect adjacent same-colored dots in horizontal and vertical directions to clear them. Each level in the game requires either clearing a certain amount of colored dots, or completing special objectives in a fixed amount of moves to proceed. Here are some very important tips and cheats to help players proceed in this addictive puzzle.
The infinite lives “cheat”
As TwoDots is a free to play game, its developers introduced the annoying and well-known time-gating found in many other mobile games, this time in the form of lives. The game subtracts a life heart from the maximum of 5 if the player runs out of moves or gives up a level. There are two ways of circumventing this without paying real money; the first is most likely unintended and may be fixed sooner or later. This method involves closing the game, setting the device’s clock toward about 2 hours, or 20 minutes per heart to be refilled, and then restarting the game. Since the game’s time check is not server-based, this instantly refills the player’s hearts.
Don’t make the first move if unsure!
The second method is not really a cheat; it may be an intentional little trick. If the player exits the level before making their first move, it will not cost them a life. Make sure to analyze the initial setup of the board and then restart the level if it seems to be a rough start. For example, try to watch out if there is a possible or easily attainable square shape on the board before starting.
Squares
This trick involves a very important aspect of the game – creating Squares and Bombs, which will make it much easier to play. To create a square, you have to create a rectangular shape by connecting the same-colored dots; this will clear all same-colored dots from the board. Use this move wisely! If only two more red dots are needed to win, and you can only connect blue ones, then consider using a move to clear the blues in the hopes of enough red dots falling into the board.
Power of the Bomb
A Bomb is created when the player makes a square around a differently colored dot. This bomb is very situational: it can be useful depending on the circumstances, but can also be really detrimental, because it semi-randomly clears dots around its explosion, making it hard to rely on when planning ahead.
Dots of Ice and Fire
As you progress through the game, you will encounter two new types of Dots with special requirements to clear- One of these is the Ice dot, which is cleared only if the dot just above them is cleared three times, and the other is the Fire dot, which is removed by directly dropping any non-fire dots on it. If you make a move without extinguishing any or all fire dots in the vicinity of your normal ones, then the non-extinguished fires will spread one dot at a time. But if you manage to consistently clear the fire by dropping dots, eventually you can extinguish all of them and completely stop the fire for the remainder of that level.
Take your time and start from the bottom
In Two Dots there is no time limit on completing levels, thus you can take as much time as you want to when strategizing and planning your next move. Always keep the level’s required objective in mind while planning. Try to always be on the lookout for possible Square patterns, and work from the bottom part of the board, as it can make it much easier to re-shuffle the board with more pieces falling into place if you start from the very bottom.
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