The Fair Level Check

7 tests to tell a hard puzzle level from a rigged one

You've been stuck on the same level for three days. You've got two moves left, one pebble in the wrong place, and a pop-up offering to sell you "5 extra moves".

Is the level just hard? Or is it built so you'll pay?

You can't know from the outside. But you can test. This checklist takes about ten minutes and works on any puzzle game on your phone. No apps needed, only a pen or your notes app.

A fair warning first. Hard is fine. Good puzzles are hard. The question isn't "was I stuck?" It's "was I stuck because of skill, or because of the game's design?" Each test below gives you a way to tell.

Test 1. The replay test

Lose a level on purpose, then start it again. Do it three times. Sketch the starting board each time, or take a screenshot.

• Fair: The starting board is the same each time, or the game tells you plainly that it's random.
• Warning sign: The board feels different after you lose, and it gets easier or harder with no explanation.

Why it matters: if a level is the same for everyone, then skill decides the outcome. If it changes behind your back, you can't tell what's going on.

Test 2. The move-count test

Look at the number of moves you're given at the start. Play the level through.

• Fair: The moves you see are the moves you get.
• Warning sign: You run out of moves with the goal almost done, and the game offers more moves for coins or money. Do this test on three levels. If it happens every time, that isn't a coincidence, it's the sales pitch.

Test 3. The no-boosters test

Pick a level you're stuck on. Try it once without using any booster, extra move or purchased help. Then read what the level asks you to do.

• Fair: A careful player could win using only what the level gives them.
• Warning sign: The goal can only be reached if lucky pieces fall in just the right place, or if you use two or three boosters at once.

A useful check: after you lose, ask yourself, "Can I see what I'd do differently?" If the answer is yes, the level is fair. If the answer is "nothing, I just needed luck", it's worth being suspicious.

Test 4. The difficulty-curve test

Keep a tally of 10 levels in a row: how many tries each one took. Write it down.

• Fair: Tries go up gradually. A few hard levels, then a rest.
• Warning sign: A cliff. Level 41 takes 2 tries, level 42 takes 19, and level 43 takes 1. Cliffs often sit right before a prompt to buy something.

Test 5. The lockout test

Fail on purpose a few times in a row. Note what happens.

• Fair: You can try again right away, or the game doesn't punish a loss at all.
• Warning sign: You run out of lives and must wait 30 minutes or pay to keep playing. Then add up how many minutes of waiting you'd face in a one-hour session.

A calm game shouldn't send you away just when you're enjoying it.

Test 6. The store-page test

Open the game's store page. Look at the screenshots and any video. Now play for five minutes.

• Fair: What you see on the page is what you're playing.
• Warning sign: The page shows puzzles, characters or moves that you never see in the game.

Test 7. The airplane-mode test

Switch on airplane mode and open the game. Then check the privacy section on its store page.

• Fair: The game plays offline, and the privacy section lists only the data the game truly needs.
• Warning sign: It won't start without a connection, or it asks for an account or personal details just to play a puzzle.

Score it

Give the game one point for every "fair".

• 6–7: It's playing fair. Enjoy it. If you pay for something, it's your choice.
• 4–5: Mixed. Play, but set a spending limit before you start, say $0, and stick to it.
• 0–3: The design is working against you. Stop spending, because the next level will cost the same as this one.

If a game fails

1. Stop buying. The level won't get kinder because you paid.
2. Set a limit. If you decide to keep playing, pick a number of dollars and a number of minutes before you open the game.
3. Ask for a refund if you paid in the last few days. Apple and Google both have refund request pages for purchases.
4. Say what happened in a store review. Describe the specific test it failed. Be calm and specific, since that's what other players find useful.
5. Find a game that passes. Test it with this list before you get attached.

How we tested ours

We built Pebblepop to pass all seven, so you can check us:

1. Replay: Every level is a fixed layout. It's the same every time you play it, and the level details show its seed.
2. Move count: The moves shown are the moves you get. There are no paid extra moves.
3. No boosters: Every level has a solution stored inside the app. If you're stuck, use the free hint and see it.
4. Difficulty curve: Difficulty doesn't change based on how much you play or spend, and each level shows its par move count.
5. Lockout: There are no lives and no timers. Undo is unlimited.
6. Store page: We show real gameplay only.
7. Airplane mode: It works fully offline, with no account. Progress stays on your phone.

Pebblepop is a calm tap-to-clear puzzle game: tap a group of matching river pebbles and they pop. It's free, with 200 levels at launch and a daily puzzle, and it's coming soon to iPhone and Android. An optional SwipeFinch Pro adds a new level pack each month, themes, a level editor and backup, from $2.99 a month or $19.99 a year. Pro never changes how hard a level is.

Want to know when it's out? You're on our list, so we'll tell you when it reaches the stores.

Made by SwipeFinch, apps made for everyone. Clearwater, FL.