How to play Lily Escape

Lily Escape is a tap puzzle about order. The pond is crowded with arrows, and each of them wants to slide off the board in the direction it points. Your job is to work out who has to leave first. There is no timer and nothing moves until you tap.

The rules

1. Tap an arrow to send it off the board.
2. It slides in a straight line in the direction its head points.
3. It only leaves if every cell between its head and the edge is empty.
4. If something is in the way, the arrow bumps, stays where it is, and you lose a heart.
5. Clear every arrow to win.

Arrows come in different lengths and some of them bend around corners. Only the head matters for leaving: look at the cells straight ahead of the head, all the way to the edge. The body of an arrow matters for everyone else, because it is what stands in their way.

Hearts

You start each level with three hearts. A blocked tap costs one. When the third heart is gone the attempt is over, and you can retry the level at once with all three hearts back. Nothing else is lost.

Restart in the toolbar puts every arrow back and refills your hearts whenever you want a clean start. There is no undo: once an arrow has left, it has left.

Hints

The Hint button lights up one arrow that can leave right now. You get three hints per attempt, and restarting or retrying the level gives them back.

Stars

Stars count the blocked taps of the attempt that cleared the level:

• Three stars for no blocked taps.
• Two stars for one or two.

Taps and time are shown on the result but do not change the stars, so there is never a reason to rush.

Daily level and the level list

One new level arrives every day and is the same for everyone. Clearing it on its own day keeps your streak going, and earlier days stay in the archive.

Beyond the daily level there are hundreds of numbered levels. They start on a 5 by 5 board with a handful of arrows and grow to large, crowded ponds. Levels are grouped in bands, and a band opens when the one before it is done. A cleared level can be played again for fun; your first result keeps its stars.

Questions

Is there a time limit?

No. Lily Escape never times you. A clock is shown and can be hidden in Settings.

What happens when I lose all three hearts?

The attempt ends and you can retry the same level straight away with full hearts and fresh hints. A lost attempt is not recorded against you.

Can every level be cleared?

Yes. Every level is built so that at least one order of taps frees all the arrows.

Is Lily Escape free?

Yes. The web game is free, needs no account and saves your progress in your browser.

Want to clear levels without losing a heart? Read the Lily Escape tips, or play today's level. Lily Escape is made by One Thumb Games.