Chum Rush tips and strategy

1. Look before you tap

The easiest way to waste moves is tapping the first group you see. Take a second to scan the whole board. Look for a group that will drop matching Chums onto each other when it pops. One clever tap can make a group of seven for free.

2. Grow groups instead of popping small ones

A group of 2 or 3 scores little and makes no power. Pop small groups that are in the way of a bigger one, so the pieces fall together. A group of 5 makes a bomb, 6 makes lightning, 7 or 8 makes a rocket and 9 or more makes a rainbow.

3. Work from the bottom

Pops near the bottom shift everything above them, which mixes up the board and often creates new groups. Pops near the top barely change anything. When you are stuck, popping low gives you a fresh board.

4. Save powers for combos

Power Chums don’t disappear if you leave them. When you have one, try to make a second power right next to it. Tapping a power that touches another power fires both together. Two rockets clear far more than two rockets fired one at a time.

5. Match the power to the goal

• Goo levels: bombs are great for goo packed in one area. Lightning finds scattered spots of goo on its own.
• Crates and chains: lightning targets blockers first, so it is the best tool for crates in awkward corners.
• Collect levels: try to build groups of the colour you need. Every Chum of that colour a power pops counts.
• Baby Chums: pop directly under the babies so they fall faster. Rockets clear their whole column in one go.

6. Beating King Grump

King Grump only takes damage from pops right next to him, and from powers that reach him. Rockets fired from his row or column hit him from far away. Keep the area around him busy, and don’t waste moves at the top of the board.

7. Use the Quake meter well

You can hold up to three Quake charges. In levels, saving them for a Triple Quake near the end often finishes a goal when you are a move or two short. In Quick Play, firing a Quake while your combo is high multiplies everything it shakes loose.

8. Quick Play: speed beats perfection

In the 60-second mode your combo multiplier depends on how fast you keep popping. A steady rhythm of quick taps usually scores more than stopping to plan the perfect group. Grab golden Chums whenever you see them, because they triple the group’s score.

9. The Daily board is the same for everyone

Every player gets the same Daily board, so it is the fairest place to compare scores with friends. Play it once to learn the board, then go again knowing where the big groups come from.

10. Keep your streak going

Winning levels in a row builds a win streak that starts your next level with powers already on the board. Playing every day adds up daily rewards, and the seventh day is a mystery chest. If a level is going badly, a few extra moves can be cheaper than losing the streak.

Still learning the rules? Read how to play first.