How to play Orbitrio
A ring of bubbles, a number in the middle: you drop numbers into the ring, bring equal ones together and let them join – before the ring is full. The rules take a minute to explain; here they are in full, with every special case.
Starting a game
In the menu you pick the difficulty level – Easy, Normal or Hard (see below) – and tap New game. The ring starts with a 1 and a 2. Before the very first game the in-game guide opens by itself; later you reach it via “How to play” in the menu or the ? at the top of the game.
Dropping
A number waits in the middle. Drag it with your finger between two bubbles of the ring and let go. While you aim, the gap and its two neighbours light up. If you let go too close to the middle, the number flies back – nothing happens.
Joining
If after dropping three or more equal bubbles sit side by side, they become one bubble of the next higher number: three 1s a 2, three 2s a 3 and so on. Four or five equal ones join at once too – but likewise only into the next higher number. The ring is closed: a row may run across the point where it starts.
The new bubble checks its neighbours right away. If it forms a row again, it joins on – a chain reaction that plays out step by step in the game:
The number in the middle
The number in the middle is random – between 1 and the highest number you have reached in this game, even if that bubble left the ring long ago. Low numbers come far more often than high ones; how much more often depends on the difficulty level. The highest number reached is shown at the top of the game under “Highest”.
Special bubbles
About every fourth time a special bubble appears instead of a number: a dark, wobbling blob with a glowing edge. It does not go into a gap but onto a bubble in the ring and changes its number. While you aim, a small preview shows the new number. If the changed bubble then forms a row, it joins as usual.
Special bubbles never add a bubble to the ring. When it fills up, they buy you room.
Points
Points come only from joining: each time the new number times the number of bubbles joined. Dropping alone scores nothing, and a special bubble alone does not either – only the joins it causes.
| What happens | Sum | Points |
|---|---|---|
| three 2s become a 3 | 3 × 3 | 9 |
| three 5s become a 6 | 6 × 3 | 18 |
| five 2s at once (a 2 between two pairs of 2s) | 3 × 5 | 15 |
| chain: three 1s into a 2, then three 2s into a 3 | 2 × 3 + 3 × 3 | 15 |
So high numbers score far more than low ones, and long chains more than single steps.
End of the game
The game ends as soon as the ring is full after a move. How many bubbles it holds depends on the level; the counter under the middle shows how full it is and turns red shortly before the end. Then you see your score, the highest number and – if it worked out – “New highscore!”.
Difficulty levels
| Level | Places in the ring | Special |
|---|---|---|
| Easy | 18 | high numbers and big special bubbles come less often |
| Normal | 16 | the standard the game was designed around |
| Hard | 14 | high numbers and big special bubbles come more often |
The level applies from the next new game; a game in progress keeps its own. Every level has its own highscores and its own best score.
Colours and moons
Every number has its colour. After ten numbers the colours repeat – so from 11 on a little moon circles the bubble, from 21 two, and so on up to five. That way 1, 11 and 21 never look alike.
Highscores
“Highscores” in the menu shows the ten best games of each level with score, highest number and date, and below them the recent games of all levels. Games you left before the ring was full – by starting a new game or closing the app – appear greyed out and never count as a highscore.
During the game
- Menu takes you to the menu without ending the game; “Continue” brings you back.
- ? opens the guide, ♪ the sound settings.
- Android's back button first closes an open dialog, then goes from the game to the menu, and in the menu closes the app.
Tips
- Keep pairs together. Two equal ones side by side are half a hit – put the next matching number next to them, not just anywhere.
- Set up chains. If a pair of 3s sits next to a pair of 2s, the third 2 makes two steps at once.
- Rows of five pay off. A number between two pairs joins five at once – more points and more room.
- Don't scatter small numbers. Lone 1s and 2s between big bubbles clog the ring. Collect them in one place.
- Use special bubbles wisely. A +1 can complete a row, a −n can make a big bubble fit – and when it gets tight, every special bubble buys you a move of room.