Koala Kam’s Triple Match

Finish a triple before opening another pair

The holding tray is a limited resource. A tile can look like progress while actually using the space you need for the next match. Compare two selection orders from exactly the same starting tray.

Original teaching example, not a screenshot or a numbered level from the app. The simplified rules below are stated explicitly; use the rules and available moves in your installed game.

The starting position

Assume a seven-slot tray. Three identical tiles disappear immediately when matched. The tray already holds two moons and two stars, leaving three empty slots. A moon, a star, and two planets are all available to select.

A pair is a commitment

Route B has not failed: the available moon can still complete a triple. But it leaves just one free slot and no completed match. If the next needed tile were covered, you would have little room to uncover it. Route A clears two existing pairs first and leaves the full tray available for the next section.

Apply the lesson to a crowded board

1. Count the free tray slots before choosing a tile.
2. Find an accessible third tile for any pair already in the tray.
3. If that tile is covered, count how many selections are needed to expose it.
4. Check that those selections fit before committing to the route.

This is a planning habit, not a universal “always match first” rule. Sometimes a different tile reveals a crucial group. The useful question is whether you can explain what your next few selections will accomplish without filling the tray.

Dorn Bros Entertainment · Teaching example added October 27, 2026 · Report a correction