Every tenth level from level 30 is an Expert level, marked with a purple Expert tag above the board. Hard levels arrive every fifth level from 15. Both use the same rules as every other level: an arrow can leave only when the straight lane from its head to the edge is clear. What changes is the scale.
What makes Expert levels hard
- Size. Expert boards often hold a hundred arrows or more, against about 20 on level 1.
- Long, winding arrows. Longer arrows lie across more lanes, so each one blocks more of its neighbours.
- More of the board starts blocked. On a big board, most arrows begin with something in their way, and the free ones can be anywhere.
- Small cells. Fit a big board on a phone screen and each arrow gets small, which is when misreading a lane costs a heart.
None of that changes how you solve the board. It changes how carefully you look. There’s no timer on any level, so take it slowly.
Step 1: Zoom in on a corner
Pinch to zoom in until the arrows are comfortably big, and drag to a corner. Double-tapping an empty spot jumps in there too, and double-tapping again zooms back out.
Corners are the best place to start because they have two edges, so more arrows sit on the rim pointing outwards with short, clear lanes.
Step 2: Clear the rim
Work along the edge from your corner and clear every arrow that points straight off the board. These are almost always free, and each one opens lanes for the arrows just inside it. When that edge runs dry, move to the next corner and repeat.
Step 3: Follow chains inward
Once the rim is clear, the work moves inward. For any arrow you’d like to clear, look along its lane, find what’s blocking it, and ask the same question of the blocker. Clear the free arrow at the end of the chain and work back.
Remember that any free arrow is a safe tap: removing an arrow never blocks another, so you can’t paint yourself into a corner by clearing free arrows in the “wrong” order.
Step 4: Hunt for the long arrows
On a dense board, the most valuable moves are long free arrows that cross the middle. Each one lies across many lanes, and clearing it frees a whole group at once. If you can see one, take it before the small ones.
Step 5: Check before you tap
With cells this small, the most common way to lose a heart is reading a lane one row off. When you’re not sure, press and hold the arrow to see its way out. Letting go only hides the preview, so it costs nothing.
Step 6: Protect your hearts
Every level gives you three hearts. On an Expert level, treat your second-to-last heart as a signal to slow right down. If you do run out, you can keep going once per level with two more hearts, for 120 coins or a short video. The board stays exactly as you left it.
Step 7: Spend a hint at the right moment
A hint lights up the free arrow that unblocks the most others, which on an Expert board is often the key to a whole region. Use one when you’ve been round the rim and checked the neighbours of your last clear and still can’t find a move.
Hints cost 60 coins. An Expert clear pays 30 coins, plus 5 more without a mistake, so it’s worth arriving at an Expert level with a few hints’ worth saved up.
After the Expert level
Each Hard and Expert level is followed by a lighter one, so you get a breather straight away. Your first Expert clear also earns the Expert Eye badge, and every tenth level opens a chest.
Want the basics first? Read how to play Arrowslide, or our nine tips for solving arrow puzzles.