The eight mechanics
Clear Arrows – Puzzle Escape
The basic rule stays the same in all 57 levels: an arrow can only be removed if its path is clear. What changes are the conditions around it. Eight mechanics are built into the game, and five of the eight currently take effect; Move limit, Anti-arrows and Dynamic traps are not switched on in any level. The active ones join the game one after another and are combined in later levels; each mechanic shows the levels in which it applies. How removing arrows works in general is explained in the How to Play guide.
Timer in levels 1–50, 53, 55, 57
In these levels a clock is running. When the time runs out, it costs a life: the clock restarts and the combo drops to zero. From level 11, every correct move gives time back, +7 s × combo multiplier, at most 28 s per move and never more than the level’s starting time. The level is only over when you lose your last life. The effect: the Timer rewards brisk, error-free play, because only an unbroken combo gives a lot of time back. If you ponder for a long time or lose the combo through mistakes, you feel the pressure.
Move limit built in, currently not active in any level
The game has a move limit, where every tap counts, wrong ones included, and the game ends when no moves are left. At the moment it is not switched on in any level: you can make as many moves as you need. The only limits on trying things out are your lives and, where there is one, the Timer.
Shifting Grid in levels 11–50, 52, 54–57
Every few moves the board turns: every arrow changes its direction by 90 degrees. An orange bar under the score shows how many moves are left until the next shift; when it pulses red, the shift comes with your next move. The effect: a solution that was right a moment ago no longer holds after the shift. So you plan in stages and use the moves before the shift for arrows that would be blocked afterwards.
Cascade traps in levels 16–50, 53, 56
Some arrows are invisible traps. If you tap a blocked arrow that is a trap, it costs not just one life, but one more for every armed trap directly next to it – above, below, left or right. The effect: a single wrong tap in a cluster of traps can cost all your lives at once. Removing a free arrow, on the other hand, stays safe, even if it is a trap.
Hidden mode in levels 21–51, 54, 56
The arrows are shown as question marks. A tap reveals the arrows in the surrounding cells for two moves. The effect: the logic puzzle becomes a game of memory and exploration. You work your way from the edges inwards and remember what you have already seen.
Coloured arrows in levels 52, 54–57
The arrows have colours and must be removed in a fixed order: red first, then blue, then green. The wrong order costs a life. The effect: on top of the question “is the path clear?” comes a second condition. A free arrow may still not be next in line; the colour sets the pace and narrows the choice.
Anti-arrows built in, currently not active in any level
When an anti-arrow is removed, the next arrow in the direction it points turns into a trap. The effect: a move that is right on its own can make the next move dangerous. You therefore remove anti-arrows with an eye on which arrow lies behind them, and plan the order so that this arrow is already gone.
Dynamic traps built in, currently not active in any level
Traps are inactive at first and only become armed after a certain number of moves; they are invisible, too. The effect: a cell that is harmless at the start becomes dangerous later. This gives the level a time window – moves played early are safe, later ones are not.
Two assists that are not mechanics
Both take difficulty away instead of adding it. That is why the game lists them under “Assists” and not among the eight mechanics.
Shift immunity
Arrows with a turquoise border and a shield symbol do not turn with the shift and keep their original direction. The effect: they are fixed anchor points on a board that otherwise keeps changing. You can build a solution on them that survives the shift.
Deadlock protection
If all remaining arrows block each other after a shift, the game detects the deadlock and removes up to three arrows for free – without costing a life or coins. The effect: a shift cannot make a level unsolvable. If arrows disappear on their own after a shift, that is this protection.