Skull Swap Guide
The Basics
You get 25 matches. The goal is to squeeze maximum points out of each one.
Every tile cleared = 10 points. A plain match-3 gives you 30 points. That's the floor – not the ceiling.
The Two Special Tiles
CARBON (grey bomb)
- Created by matching exactly 4 tiles in a row or column
- When detonated, wipes its entire row + entire column
- Scoring: 10 pts per tile cleared + 25 point bonus
DIAMOND (black bomb)
- Created by matching 5 or more tiles
- When detonated, wipes the entire board
- Scoring: 10 pts per tile cleared + 50 point bonus
On an 8×8 board a Diamond bomb clears ~63 tiles = 680 points in one move. A plain match-3 gives 30. That's the gap you need to close.
How to Detonate Bombs
Bombs sit on the board like normal tiles. To set one off, slide it into a 3-match with tiles that share its icon. The explosion happens automatically after the match resolves.
Chain Detonations Are Where Big Scores Come From
Only a match of five sets off the bombs in it. Line five up and every one detonates, one after another, and the match forges a Diamond that fires last too – plus +150 for each bomb beyond the first, because every one cost a match to build. A match of four does not fire them: it spends them, credits you for each one, and forges the Carbon it earned, which then detonates. A match of three is just three tiles.
If a bomb explosion hits another bomb, the second bomb chain-detonates for an extra:
- Carbon chain = +50 bonus
- Diamond chain = +100 bonus
Stack bombs near each other intentionally. One Diamond detonating into a Carbon = massive combo.
⚠ The End Game Trap
When your 25th match fires, all remaining bombs auto-detonate – but you lose the manual bonuses (+25/+50). You still get 10 pts per tile, but nothing extra.
Don't leave bombs on the board when you hit match 25. Detonate them manually in the moves before your last match to collect the full bonuses.
Priority Order
- Always take a 5-match over a 3-match – Diamond bomb is worth hundreds of points
- Take a 4-match over a 3-match – Carbon bomb beats a plain clear every time
- Match five bombs into each other – all five detonate, the match forges a Diamond that fires too, and you get +150 per extra bomb. The biggest move in the game. Four is not the same move: it pays you for the bombs and gives you a Carbon
- Position your drag endpoint – where you release determines where the bomb spawns, so place it where it can chain or line up with another
- Detonate before match 25 – never let the game auto-fire your bombs at discount rates
Quick Score Reference
| Move | Points |
|---|---|
| Match 3 | 30 |
| Match 4 (makes Carbon bomb) | 40 |
| Match 5 (makes Diamond bomb) | 50 |
| Manually detonate Carbon (13-tile cross) | ~130 + 25 = 155 |
| Manually detonate Diamond (full board) | ~630 + 50 = 680 |
| Chain: Carbon into Diamond | +100 bonus on top |
| Match five bombs together | every one detonates, +150 each beyond the first |
| Match 4 bombs | credits each bomb spent and forges a Carbon, which detonates |
