The Arcade: play, compete and earn
At a glance
- New:
Play streaks: Each game keeps one current and best streak, whatever mode, size or daily challenge you play.
- New:
Streak overview: Arcade cabinets and every game's header show your streak, today's status and the next 00:00 UTC reset.
- New:
Streak recovery: Missed a single day? Play that game the next day, then spend coins to bring the streak back.
- New:
Puzzle sizes: Mini and XXL join Normal, with Easy, Medium and Hard puzzles at every size.
- Improved:
Separate progress: Each size keeps its own unfinished puzzle, pencil notes and fastest times.
- Improved:
Size-aware rankings: Leaderboards separate each size and difficulty. Daily puzzles remain Normal.
- New:
Daily Snake: Play the same daily rules, board and seeded fruit sequence as everyone else.
- New:
Daily records: Keep a separate daily best and compete on daily leaderboards.
- Improved:
Midnight continuity: Finish a run for its original date after midnight; regular setup, records and coin rules are unchanged.
- Improved:
Trophy Room: See every achievement's real name, description, icon, goal, progress and reward from the start.
- Improved:
Reward discovery: Search all achievements and rewards, filter by reward type, and follow reward links directly to their achievement.
- Improved:
Same milestones: Earning requirements and one-time rewards are unchanged; Vault codes and secret cosmetics remain secret.
- New:
Arcade → Leaderboards: Top 25 players for each game and mode, with your own placement even when you're outside the list.
- New:
Ranks button: Every game's header opens the leaderboard for the mode you're playing.
- New:
Unique display names: Leaderboards show your display name (never your email). Names are unique, so no two players share one; without a name you appear as an arcade name like "Velvet Otter 42".
- Improved:
Home → Achievements: The Achievements card at the bottom of Home is a lit trophy alcove with your medal count and a gold sill that fills as you earn medals.
- Improved:
Arcade → Achievements: The header link has a gold frame, a trophy medal and a soft light sweep on hover.
- Improved:
Home sections: The Earned achievements section is gone from Home and Customize Home; your medals live on the Achievements page.
New features
Keep the flame going
A day counts when a game round actually starts, or when a Sudoku move or note is saved. Opening a page does not count. Playing again on a later UTC day extends the streak, and missing a day ends it, while your best streak is kept. If you missed exactly one day, play that game the following day and you can recover it once. The price is 25 coins plus 5 per streak day, up to 300 coins, and it is shown before you confirm. Streaks pay no coins and don't change rewards, records or leaderboards. Streak days are rebuilt from the runs and Sudoku solves already on record, so a streak can't be longer than you really played.
From Mini to XXL
Choose a size before starting a regular puzzle. Mini uses 1–4 and 2×2 regions; Normal keeps 1–9 and 3×3 regions; XXL uses 1–9 plus A–G and 4×4 regions. XXL supports letter keys, full pencil notes and a scrollable board on narrow screens. Every generated puzzle has one solution. Mini and XXL difficulty tiers increase the number of blanks; Normal retains its existing difficulty ratings. Existing saves and records stay with Normal, and daily puzzle identities and results are unchanged. Hints, server-verified completion, coins and achievements work at every size.
One challenge, every day
Choose Daily in Snake to see the challenge date, fixed rules, daily best and countdown to the next 00:00 UTC reset. Daily rounds use the same seeded board and spawned items for everyone. A run started before midnight keeps its original challenge date, while the next run uses the new day. Regular play retains your saved setup and separate records. Daily runs use the existing verification, achievements and coin eligibility without extra rewards.
Leaderboards for every Arcade game
2048, Flutter, Snake, Sudoku, Fruit Slice and Tower Stacker each have ranked boards. Each mode ranks separately, so different board sizes, modes, Snake setups, Sudoku difficulties and each day's daily challenge are never mixed. Highest score ranks first; Sudoku ranks the fastest solve first, with fewer hints breaking a tie. Only runs the server timed and checked count, one best per player, and boards start fresh with runs played from now on. Viewing leaderboards earns no coins or achievements.
- Pick a game, then a mode or a daily challenge from the last seven days.
- Snake lets you pick any mode, size, fruit count and speed, jump back to your own setup, or choose from setups someone has ranked on.
- Your own row is highlighted, and shown below the list when you're outside the top 25.
- Players appear under their display name; emails are never shown. Display names are now unique (ignoring upper/lower case), and players without one appear under an anonymous arcade name.
Improvements
No concealed milestones
Light Sculptor and Seal Breaker now show their full details even at zero progress, just like every other achievement. Their rewards appear in search and reward filters, and reward links open the corresponding achievement. Progress, earning conditions, earned history, reward grants and celebrations are unchanged.
Trophy Room entrances
The Achievements card at the bottom of Home and the Achievements link beside Home in the Arcade header have a gold-framed, lit look. On Home, the medal sits in an arched alcove, the card shows how many medals you've earned, and the gold line along its bottom fills to match. Hovering or focusing either one sends a light across the frame; the glow and the sweep follow your motion setting.
Earned achievements removed from Home
The optional Earned achievements section and its Customize Home toggle were removed. Every medal you've earned is on the Achievements page, reachable from the card at the bottom of Home.