Game rules.
Better moves.
These guides explain the rules, controls and decisions in our browser editions. Learn Sudoku deductions or arcade timing, then use the game library to put the lesson into play.
Start with puzzles
Puzzle rules and solving guides
These guides teach deduction. They show which clue to read first, when a step is certain, and how to stop guessing on a board that already tells you the answer.
Puzzle · THE PLAYBOOKPuzzle games: less guessing, more solving.
Separate deduction, information gathering and board planning before choosing your next move.
Make your next move
Puzzle · THE PLAYBOOK2048 corner strategy: give your biggest tile a home.
A practical corner strategy, with the exceptions that keep it useful.
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Puzzle · THE PLAYBOOKSudoku for beginners: start with what you know.
Rows, columns, boxes and the first two deductions worth learning.
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Puzzle · THE PLAYBOOKMinesweeper patterns: read what the clues share.
Learn the basic deductions before relying on memorized patterns.
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Puzzle · THE PLAYBOOK15 Puzzle, Lights Out and Mastermind: three ways to reason.
Slide tiles, switch lights and decode colors with a clear purpose for each move.
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Puzzle · THE PLAYBOOK5×5 Nonogram: start where the clues overlap.
Turn five-cell clues into definite filled and empty squares.
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Puzzle · THE PLAYBOOKPeg Solitaire rules: keep the next jump connected.
Read the cross as a network of possible jumps, not separate pegs.
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Puzzle · THE PLAYBOOKHangman strategy: let the pattern narrow the word.
Use the category, repeated letters and previous misses together.
Make your next moveClassic arcade rules and strategy
Arcade classics reward small habits. These guides cover the angles, spacing and route choices that separate a short run from a long one.
Classics · THE PLAYBOOKArcade games: small rules, better moves.
Read the different clocks in Snake, Breakout, Pong and Tetris: grid steps, collisions and falling pieces.
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Classics · THE PLAYBOOKSnake: save some room for the way back.
Plan a legal next step, an exit after food, and a different route for Snake II’s wrapping board.
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Classics · THE PLAYBOOKBreakout paddle angles: watch the return path.
Use this Breakout paddle’s actual contact rule to choose central and angled returns.
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Classics · THE PLAYBOOKBrowser game controls: get comfortable.
How controls, local saves and fullscreen work on Free Games.
Make your next moveRunning game controls and timing
Runners give you one input and no brakes. These guides work on rhythm, on reading an obstacle early, and on the moment to commit to a jump.
Runners · THE PLAYBOOKRunning games: find your rhythm.
A jump, a flap, a lane change and a corner tap solve four different movement problems.
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Runners · THE PLAYBOOKShort-break games: find a round that fits.
Choose by the round’s stopping rule: an active timer, a fixed number of moves or a finish you set yourself.
Make your next moveSports game aiming and technique
Aiming games hide two separate decisions: direction and power. These guides split them apart so you can fix the one that is actually costing you points.
Sports · THE PLAYBOOKSports games: aim, practice, repeat.
Compare drag shots, timed kicks and live puck returns before trying to improve the score.
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Sports · THE PLAYBOOKMini Putt: make the next shot easier.
Read the nine-hole Mini Putt course: the opening lane, center block, sand and windmill.
Make your next moveArcade shooting controls and strategy
Shooters get crowded fast. These guides cover screen space, firing discipline and the order to clear threats before the board closes in.
Timing, memory and steering guides
Skill games measure one thing each. These guides explain what is being measured and the practice that moves the number.
Board game rules and strategy
Board games are decided a turn before the mistake shows. These guides cover threats, forced replies and the openings worth knowing.
Strategy · THE PLAYBOOKBoard game strategy: think one turn ahead.
Gravity, forced captures, extra turns and legal replies change what “think ahead” means on each board.
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Strategy · THE PLAYBOOKTic-Tac-Toe forks: create and block two threats.
A short guide to winning moves, blocks and forks.
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Strategy · THE PLAYBOOKChess clocks: starting time and increment, explained.
Set up a shared-device timer for the board game you are actually playing.
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Strategy · THE PLAYBOOKConnect Four: make your threats playable.
Read gravity, block immediate wins and make use of the center.
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Strategy · THE PLAYBOOKReversi: the biggest capture can wait.
Learn why legal moves and secure corners matter more than an early disc lead.
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Strategy · THE PLAYBOOKCheckers rules: read the capture before the move.
Learn forced jumps, connected pieces and the difference a king makes.
Make your next move
Strategy · THE PLAYBOOKMancala Kalah: count the landing stone.
Use extra turns, capture threats and the final sweep in Kalah.
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Strategy · THE PLAYBOOKDots and Boxes: see the chain before it opens.
Count sides, avoid easy gifts and make extra turns work for you.
Make your next moveMaze routes and escape tips
Maze games are route problems with something chasing you. These guides cover planning an exit before you need it.
