Space Tiles power-ups: Plasma torch, Magnet, Hint

Space Tiles has three power-ups that put tiles in their right spot for you: the Plasma torch moves one square, the Magnet moves one whole tile, and the Rescue team moves three tiles. Power-ups never cost a move. The Hint is not a power-up: it is free and you can use it as often as you like.

The three power-ups at a glance

You can keep up to 9 of each. Rewards only come the first time you finish a puzzle. The full reward list is on space station and rewards.

How to use a power-up

With touch or a mouse:

1. Tap the power-up button on the left. A bar opens with a short help line, Use it and Cancel.
2. For the Plasma torch, tap the square of a tile you want to move. For the Magnet, tap a tile. The Rescue team chooses its own tiles.
3. The spot where the squares will go glows yellow.
4. Tap Use it. Or tap Cancel if you changed your mind.

With keys or a controller the steps are the same; the buttons are on the controls page. If you have none of a power-up left, the bar says "You have none left. Fix planets to get more!"

Plasma torch

"Tap a square of a tile. That square jumps to its spot." The torch cuts one square off a tile and puts that one square exactly where it belongs. The rest of the tile stays where it was, in the tray or in the frame. If the cut splits the tile in two, you now have two smaller tiles.

Smaller tiles are easier to fit, so the torch is great for one awkward, bumpy tile that won't go anywhere. It is also the power-up you get most often, one for every new planet.

Magnet

"Tap a tile. It jumps to its spot." The Magnet moves a whole tile into its right spot, already turned the right way. A tile that needs a drop and two turns would cost you three moves; with the Magnet it costs none.

ROB shows you the Magnet on planet 3 of galaxy 1. If you have no Magnet left by then, the game gives you one, so you can always try it.

Rescue team

"Rescue team: three tiles jump to their spots." You don't pick the tiles. The Rescue team always takes the three biggest tiles that are not in their spot yet. If fewer than three are left, it moves the ones that are left. The yellow glow shows you which squares they will fill before you say Use it.

The Rescue team is the rarest power-up, so keep it for the biggest frames in the later galaxies.

What happens to tiles in the way?

A power-up always puts its tile in the right spot, even if another tile is lying there. That other tile goes back to the tray, still turned the same way. Sending it back costs no move, but dropping it in the frame again is a normal move.

Does Undo give a power-up back?

Yes. If you use a power-up and then press Undo, the tiles go back and so does the power-up. Start again in the pause menu also gives back every power-up you used on that board, and sets your moves to 0. More on moves and stars.

The Hint

Tap ?, or press H (LB on a controller). The game picks the biggest tile that is not in its spot yet and its spot glows with a dashed yellow outline for about four seconds. The hint doesn't show how to turn the tile: you work that out. Hints are free, never cost a move and never run out. The glow goes away as soon as you make your next move.

The hint and the Rescue team both start with the biggest tiles. That is a clue: big tiles first is a good plan. More ideas are in the puzzle tips.

When should you use power-ups?

• To get 3 stars. Power-ups don't count as moves. A Magnet on a tile that needs a lot of turning saves you several moves.
• On a replay. Replays give no rewards, but power-ups still work. A power-up used on a replay is gone.
• Not on tiny frames. In the first galaxies you can find every spot with a hint or two. Save your power-ups for later.

See also

• Advanced tips: when a power-up saves the most moves.
• Big Junk Ships: where you earn Rescue teams.
• The daily puzzle: a Rescue team every day.
• Play Space Tiles and try a Magnet.

• About Space Tiles
• All game guides