How to play the Drop and Merge Number Puzzle

The board is 5 columns wide and 7 rows tall. Tap a column, and the next tile falls to the lowest empty spot in it. The Next box shows which number you are about to drop.

When two or more equal tiles touch side by side or top to bottom, they merge into one tile worth double. The new tile settles at the lowest spot of the group, and everything above falls to fill the gaps.

If that merge creates another matching pair, it merges too, and the chain keeps going until nothing else can join. The game ends when every cell on the board is full.

Tiles, chains and scoring

New tiles are always a 2, 4 or 8. A 2 comes up most often and an 8 least often.

Every merge scores the value of the tile it creates, so big tiles and long chains score far more than small single merges. Reaching a 1024 tile pays a one-time bonus.

One detail differs from some drop-merge games: a group of three or more equal tiles still makes just one tile of double value, not a bigger jump. The extra tiles in the group are used up for nothing.

There is no timer. Your score only goes up during a game, and a full board never takes back what you earned.

Drop and Merge tips

• Check the Next tile before every drop and pick the column where it will touch its match.
• Keep your biggest tile in a bottom corner and build smaller numbers beside it, like a staircase.
• Set up chains. Put a 4 beside the lower of two 2s that are about to merge; the new 4 joins it right away and the chain keeps rolling.
• Merge in pairs when you can. Three matching tiles still make only one doubled tile, so the third one is wasted.
• Avoid stacking unrelated numbers in one column. A tall column of mixed tiles is hard to unlock.
• Leave at least one column open as long as you can, so a bad tile always has somewhere to go.

Is the Drop and Merge Number Puzzle free?

Yes. HypeGameRoom is free: no sign-up, no download and nothing to buy to play. Arcade games reward Neons, a play-only currency that can never be cashed out.

How big is the board?

5 columns by 7 rows. New tiles are 2, 4 or 8.

When does the game end?

When all 35 cells are filled and nothing can merge. There is no timer.

What is the goal?

Score as much as you can. Building a 1024 tile earns a one-time bonus, and you can keep playing after that.