Dice Burst strategy

These tips come straight from how the game works. Each links to the rule behind it.

1. Use dropped dice before they harden

A die that drops in by itself hardens if it is not used before its countdown ends, and a hardened cell is lost for the rest of the game. Merging it counts, and so does lifting it with a merge next to it — either one stops the countdown. The rule.

2. Build next to your pairs

A merge lifts every die touching it by one pip. Place merges beside a die that is one pip below a pair, and the lift turns it into a third match — a chain. The rule.

3. Keep room to breathe

The game ends when there is no room left to drop a die. Merges and blasts free cells; a move that only fills a cell brings the end closer.

4. Aim for the top number

Three dice of the highest number blast, and the blast pays for every die merged into them along the way. Top dice built from long merge histories are worth the most, so let merges climb rather than starting fresh. The rule.

5. Save rerolls for dead hands

You get three rerolls a game, plus two more when you pass your high score mid-game. A reroll is worth most when none of your three dice fits anywhere useful. The rule.

6. Use the joker on a stuck board

A joker turns any die into the number that merges biggest, right where it sits. Dropped on a crowded spot it can start a merge where nothing else would. You only hold one at a time, so use it rather than sit on a full gauge. The rule.

7. Start on a smaller board

After three games you can pick 4×4 or 5×5, where the highest number is 4 or 5. Blasts come sooner there, which makes them a good place to learn chains. Each size keeps its own high score. The rule.