Tidal Orchard: Color Circuit

About Tidal Orchard: Color Circuit

Long ago an orchard grew in a glass arcade on the shore. The tide came in and the trees stayed, and now sea-glass fruit hangs in the sunlit water: frosted pebbles of teal, wave blue, coral, sand, kelp green and pearl, each with a kelp leaf on a short stem. Six colours come in six shapes, round, tent, box, kite, hexagon and star, so you can tell them apart without relying on colour.

Each board has a circuit, a short row of colours shown beside it. Clear the colours in that order and the current runs on; close the circuit as many times as the board asks to win. The twist is the relay. A combo grows only when the colour changes, so clearing teal, then coral, then sand is worth far more than clearing teal three times. The best moves set up a fall that changes colour, again and again.

The arcade shows you the current. Every link of a relay sends a glowing fish swimming from one clear to the next. A garland of glass floats hangs along the top, one for every colour of every circuit, and each step you finish lights one. A relay of four colours calls the whale, which sings as it passes the tall arched windows.

The music is a lazy shore groove on steel-pan marimba and an upright bass, and the sounds are wood, shell and water. Every board can be won: it is built together with a player that solves it first, and a hint is one press away. Settings offers more moves, or none at all, and a switch for the fish and the whale. Stars and best scores stay in this browser and nothing is uploaded.

How to play

Drag a piece of fruit toward a neighbour, or tap one and then the next. Arrow keys and Enter or Space also work.
Line up three or more of a colour to clear them. New fruit drifts down after every clear.
Clear the colours of the circuit in order. A colour out of turn does not break it: the current simply waits.
A combo grows only when the colour changes. Look for a swap whose fall clears a different colour.
Press H or the Hint button for a move that works. Press P, Escape or Start to pause.

Controls

Drag a tile, or tap two tiles — swap
Arrow keys or WASD, then Enter or Space — swap
H or Ⓨ — hint
P, Escape or Start — pause

Frequently asked questions

What is a relay?

A relay is a combo built by changing colour. Each clear that is a different colour from the one before it counts one more link, and each link is worth more than the last. Clearing the same colour again starts the count over.

How does the circuit work?

The circuit is a short row of colours beside the board. Clear the first colour, then the second, and so on to the end to close it. Clearing a colour out of turn does not undo anything: the current waits at the colour it needs.

What are the fish and the whale?

They are the relay made visible. A glowing fish swims from each clear to the next in a relay, and a relay of four colours calls the whale past the arcade windows. You can switch both off in Settings.

Does it save my progress?

Your stars, best scores and badges are saved in this browser only, and nothing is uploaded.