How to play Pixel Peeps: rules, controls and tips

What do the numbers in Pixel Peeps mean?

Each number is a run of filled squares with no gap inside it. A row marked 5 in a 5 wide grid is completely filled. A row marked 1 1 has two single squares with at least one empty square between them, and the order of the numbers is the order of the runs from left to right, or top to bottom for columns. A 0 means the whole line is empty. Every puzzle has exactly one answer, and you can always reach it by logic, so you never need to guess. When a line is finished, its numbers turn grey and its empty squares are crossed for you.

How to play Pixel Peeps step by step

Here is level 3, a small 5 by 5 puzzle, solved from start to finish.

1. 1Step 1: Start with the biggest number. The second row says 5 in a grid that is 5 wide, so every square in it is filled. Tap each square, or drag along the row to paint it in one stroke.
2. 2Step 2: Tap Cross in the dock to mark squares you know are empty. Columns 1 and 5 say 1 1, and the full row already holds one of those single squares, so the squares just above and below it must be empty. Cross both ends of rows 1 and 3. Now the 3 in row 3 can only be the middle three squares. On a computer, right-click does the other mode.
3. 3Step 3: Keep switching between rows and columns. Columns 2 to 4 say 3 and cannot reach the bottom row, so its two squares are the corners; row 4 then takes columns 2 and 4, and only at the end is the top square in the middle. When every filled square is found, the grid turns into the finished picture in colour, here a star, and you get up to three stars.

What happens when you tap a wrong square?

The game fixes it on the spot with a shake and a red flash, and you lose one of three hearts, shown at the top next to Pixel, the painter OvO who coaches you. If all three hearts are gone you can refill them with tokens, watch a short video for a refill, or try the level again for free. If you would rather learn without that pressure, turn on Relaxed mode in Settings and the hearts go away. Your stars depend on how clean the solve was: three stars means no slips and no hints.

Tips to beat the hard levels in Pixel Peeps

Grids grow from 5 by 5 to 8 by 8, 10 by 10, 12 by 12 and finally 15 by 15, and every tenth level is a hard one with a bigger grid. These habits help. If a number is more than half the line, its middle squares are always filled: in a 5 wide row a 3 always fills the centre. Add up the numbers plus one gap between each, and if the total equals the line length, as with 2 2 in a 5 wide row, the whole line is decided at once. Cross squares you know are empty, because crosses show the next lines where a run cannot go. A filled square touching the edge belongs to the first or last number, so you can extend that run from the edge. On a 15 by 15 grid, use the guide lines every five squares to count, and start with the longest clues on the outside. When you are really stuck, Hint fills or crosses one square that logic can prove.

Is Pixel Peeps free, and can you play it on a phone?

Yes to both. Pixel Peeps has 300 levels, the first 40 are free, and the optional OvO Pass unlocks the rest. Restart is always free, and there is also a daily puzzle and a Challenge a friend mode. It runs in the web browser on phones, tablets and computers, and in the OvO.games app, and it plays best with a phone held upright. On a keyboard, the arrow keys move, Space or Enter fills, X crosses and M switches the mode. The menus come in English, Vietnamese, Japanese, Chinese and Korean.

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