TraceNum
Combine numbers on a hex grid and dominate the board.
Game Overview
TraceNum is a numbers puzzle game played on a hexagonal grid. As the system automatically continues adding tiles to the board, you must trace and match tiles to the TARGET to clear them and maintain control.
The board consists of 37 spaces (radius-3 hex grid). Keep eliminating tiles before the board fills up to stack your score.
Screen Layout
| Timer (Top Left) | Displays remaining time as a pie chart. TIME MODE only. |
|---|---|
| Score (Top Center) | Current score and COLOR gauge. |
| Level (Top Right) | Current LEVEL and progress. |
| TARGET / TOTAL | The target value and your currently traced total. |
| Hex Board | The 37-space playfield. |
| Diamonds (Bottom Left) | Use your Diamond items here. |
| SHUFFLE / REROLL (Bottom Right) | Utility item buttons. |
| Hand Tiles (Bottom) | Your 3 hand tiles. The rightmost (gold frame) is active. |
| PAUSE | Pauses the game and opens the CUSTOMIZE menu. |
Tile Tracing
Trace tiles with your finger on the board to match the TOTAL of up to 3 adjacent tiles to the TARGET to clear them.
Touch a Tile
Touch any tile on the board to start tracing. The accumulated TOTAL will appear at the center of the screen.
Trace Adjacent Tiles
Move your finger to trace adjacent tiles in any of the 6 directions. You can select up to 3 tiles, and swiping back to the previous tile will cancel the selection.
Release When TOTAL Matches TARGET
When the TOTAL matches the TARGET, the TOTAL text will turn green. Release your finger to complete the clear! The tiles disappear, granting score and time recovery.
Release to Cancel
If the TOTAL does not match the TARGET, releasing your finger will simply cancel the action with no penalty.
Tracing HUD Display
Hand System
There are always 3 hand tiles displayed at the bottom of the screen. Aside from the system's automatic tile generation, your hand tiles allow you to strategically place specific numbers onto the board.
Score & Level
Every time you clear tiles, score is added, and your LEVEL increases based on that score. As your level goes up, the TARGET, number range, and the speed at which the system adds tiles will all change.
(50 + Bonus) × Combo MultiplierEx: Target=15 → Base 50 + Bonus 60 = 110pts × Multiplier
Same-Color Combo Multiplier
Clearing 3 tiles of the same color consecutively grants a combo bonus. Clearing different colors resets it.
Level Scaling
COLOR System
Every time you clear 3 tiles of the same color, that color gets added to one of the 5 gauge slots. Fill all 5 slots to trigger a COLOR Bonus!
- Only same-color clears fill the gauge (mixed-color clears do not).
- The gauge never resets (even if you change clearing colors, previous colors remain).
- Fill all 5 slots with the exact same color to earn +1 Diamond.
Diamonds
The system counts your total tiles cleared, and you earn 1 Diamond for every 50 clears (Max 5 stock).
Using a Diamond transforms all 3 hand cards into Almighty tiles. The ultimate trump card!
- Automatically granted every 50 accumulated clears.
- Fill all 5 COLOR Gauge slots with the exact same color.
Special Tiles
Occasionally, 3 distinct special tiles will appear in your hand. They are placed onto the board just like regular tiles.
COLOR WILD
Number is fixed, color is wild. Can be used to clear alongside any color combination.
Drop Rate 5%ANY WILD (Number WILD)
Color is fixed, number is wild. The system automatically supplements the missing value needed.
Drop Rate 3%ALL (Almighty)
Both color and number are wild. It adapts to any combination.
Drop Rate 1%- ANY: Automatically supplements the missing TOTAL while tracing (only effective if it reaches the TARGET).
- Almighty: Applies number supplementation + matches the color of the other 2 tiles for COLOR bonuses.
- Special tiles do not appear from the system's automatic spawning (Hand cards only).
Items
You may randomly receive an item upon leveling up (Max 3 stock). They can be used via the buttons in the bottom right corner of the screen.
SHUFFLE
Randomly rearranges the tiles currently on the board. Can turn out well or poorly, making timing critical.
REROLL
Exchanges all 3 hand cards for new tiles. A great breakthrough item when you are stuck.
Game Modes & Difficulty
TIME MODE
- Time limit
- Recover time by clearing
- Game over when time runs out
- Timer has a maximum cap
ENDLESS MODE
- No time limit
- Board filling up is the threat
- Aim for the highest score
- Timer is hidden
Difficulty Comparison
* Smart Hand Rate: The probability of drawing a hand tile that is immediately useful for clearing. Lower in ENDLESS mode (higher difficulty).
Game Over Conditions
- TIME MODE: The time limit reaches 0.
- Both Modes: The board is completely full and there are no valid moves.
If the board is full but you still have a valid move, the screen flashes red and a 5-second countdown begins.
- Clear tiles within 5 seconds → Countdown resets and flashing stops.
- 5 seconds elapse → Game Over
Strategy & Tips
Clearing 3 tiles of the same color consecutively earns you a multiplier and fills the COLOR Gauge. While placing hand tiles, try to plan "which color to collect".
Actively placing hand tiles to create clearing routes is key to improving. Higher number tiles especially contribute to clearing.
Transforming your entire hand into Almighty tiles is incredibly powerful. Use it during Danger Mode to instantly turn the tables.
Using a SHUFFLE on an organized board might ruin your setup. It is safest to use only when the board looks hopeless.
The ANY WILD tile can act as any required number. Place it near clusters where you struggle to clear, acting as an adjustment valve.
Triggering a COLOR Bonus with 5 identical color slots grants +1 Diamond. It is efficient to focus on a single color early on to build your Diamond stock.
Unselect a tile by sliding your finger back to the previous tile while tracing. Stay calm and easily fix accidental traces.
ENDLESS MODE has no time limits, making it perfect for beginners. Master your fundamental tracing skills here first before tackling TIME MODE.
CUSTOMIZE
| LANGUAGE | Select 日本語 / English. Usually follows your device language. |
|---|---|
| SE VOLUME | Volume for touch, clearing, and other sound effects (0-100). |
| BGM VOLUME | Volume for the background music (0-100). |
| LEFT-HANDED MODE | When ON, the UI layout is horizontally inverted so your active hand tile aligns with the left side of the screen. |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1. There is no game sound (BGM or Sound Effects)
A. Please check your device's volume settings or the volume sliders in the in-game CUSTOMIZE screen.
Additionally, the sound might temporarily stop due to OS behavior if you receive a phone call or activate Siri while playing. In this case, please completely close the app and restart it, or adjust the volume sliders in the CUSTOMIZE screen to re-enable sound.
Q2. When using the screen recording feature, there is noise in the recorded audio
A. Due to iPhone specifications, noise may occur in the audio when recording the screen while playing sound through the built-in speaker, depending on your recording settings. Please try the following:
- Enable the microphone when recording (recommended): Long-press the record button in Control Center and turn on "Microphone Audio." This helps reduce noise.
- Use Bluetooth headphones or earphones: When Bluetooth headphones or earphones are connected, no noise will occur regardless of whether the microphone is on or off.
Q3. When the app starts, the screen is black or the background image shows briefly and freezes
A. When the game starts, it loads the title screen images and sound effects. The screen may remain dark or only show the title background for a few seconds until loading is complete. This is not an error — please wait a moment.
Q4. As soon as the board became full, it was an instant Game Over
A. If all 37 hexes on the board are filled and there are no clearable combinations — even using special tiles such as WILD or ALL (Almighty) — the game ends immediately. This is intentional behavior.
If clearable combinations still remain, the screen will flash red and a 5-second countdown begins (in both TIME MODE and ENDLESS MODE). Clear a set before time runs out to keep playing.
Q5. The game runs slowly or stutters while playing
A. Depending on your device's performance or other apps running in the background, the game's frame rate may drop. Please close background apps and then try launching TraceNum again.
Q6. Are there recommended OS versions?
A. We recommend iOS 16.0 or later for this app. If you are using an older OS version, some features may not work properly, or you may be unable to install the app. If possible, please update your device to the latest iOS.
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