Apple Ten guide: make space for the next move

The rules

Select a rectangle of apples whose values total exactly 10 to harvest them. Values range from 1 to 9. Score is one point per apple, not the sum of its numbers. You have 120 seconds. The round ends at the deadline, after clearing every apple, or when no sum-to-ten rectangle remains.

Boards are 8×8 / 12×10 / 17×10, measured width × height. The game fits a size to the screen and also lets you choose one. Rankings are separate by size. Cleared cells stay empty: apples neither fall nor refill. Every apple within your rectangle contributes, so an L-shaped selection is not possible.

Getting started

Start with neighboring complements such as 9+1 and 8+2. Calculating what a large value needs gives the search a target. Then inspect rows and columns containing several small values, alternating between pairs and longer combinations.

Check the rectangle’s interior before releasing. Matching endpoints do not exclude apples between them. Sum wide regions row by row; after a harvest, revisit horizontal and vertical spans through the new gap. These diagrams are cropped combination examples.

Find partners for large values

When you see 9, look for a rectangle with 1. The first pair harvests two apples. The neighboring 6+4 is another move, but selecting both at once totals 20. Once you identify the complement, consider how the nearby small values can support your next selection.

Check the edges

Check the edges for available pairs first. Edge apples have fewer directions for a rectangle to expand and can become isolated. Clearing the upper-left 8+2 creates space. Before using a central small value elsewhere, check whether an edge’s large value needs it.

Bridge cleared cells

Reconnect separated values after space opens. The first row’s 4 and 6 can share a rectangle because the intervening cells are empty. It scores only two apples. Extending into the lower row includes 1,2,3,4 as well and changes the sum.

Count apples and budget attention

Compare apple counts rather than rectangle areas. The sequence 1+2+3+4 totals ten and scores four points. Take clear pairs early, search longer spans as gaps develop, and execute already calculated moves promptly near the deadline. The board does not fall, so known combinations stay at their locations until harvested.

Common mistakes

Pause does not stop the deadline. Use arrows to move, Space or Enter to start and confirm a selection, and Esc to cancel. Cancel an overextended rectangle and reselect the region you calculated.

Leftover apples do not establish a generation error. A total divisible by ten still faces geometric and move-order constraints. After a round, inspect when an isolated large value could last have connected with its partner.

Records and challenges on this site

You have 3 hints per round. They do not subtract points or add a separate time penalty, although hint use affects achievement checks. A suggested rectangle is a legal move, not an optimal plan for the remaining board.

The server reconstructs the board and replays rectangles and timestamps to calculate the accepted score. When daily challenges are enabled and Apple Ten is selected, players share a size and board. Daily dates change at UTC midnight. Use the daily entry point to distinguish that round from ordinary size-specific play.

Frequently asked questions