How to play Number Pop

Number Pop is a browser game about connecting adjacent numbers in ascending order. Drag with your finger on a phone, or use a mouse or keyboard on a computer. You can start playing without an account or a download.

Connect at least 3, earn 1 point per tile

Connect 1 → 2 → 3, 2 → 3 → 4 or 3 → 4 → 5 to score. A full 1 → 2 → 3 → 4 → 5 path earns 5 points. Move horizontally or vertically, never diagonally, and do not skip numbers. Backtrack one tile to undo your last selection.

Choose your challenge

Score Challenge

Start with 90 seconds. Each connected tile adds 0.3 seconds, up to 90 seconds remaining. Choose Relaxed, Progressive or Challenge difficulty.

Popbot Duel

Take turns with Popbot on the same board. Choose a target of 30, 50 or 100 points; the first to reach it wins. You have 10 seconds to complete a connection. If time runs out, your turn passes to Popbot without scoring.

Useful tips for your first game

Check where a path ends

Starting at 3 lets you connect 3 → 4 → 5. To connect all five tiles, look for a path from 1 to 5. You cannot repeat a number or wrap from 5 back to 1.

Backtrack to change your selection

After selecting 1 → 2 → 3, moving back to 2 removes only the last 3. Passing deeply through a non-adjacent tile or an out-of-order number invalidates the drag. Release and start again.

Understand the time reward

Three tiles earn 3 points and up to 0.9 seconds; five earn 5 points and up to 1.5 seconds. Near the 90-second cap you may receive less time. Invalid connections earn neither points nor time.

Look ahead while Popbot thinks

Each bot level has a different thinking delay and preferred path length. Tiles fall and new numbers appear after Popbot’s move, so check your route again when your turn starts.

Touch and keyboard controls

On a phone, press a number, drag your path and release to confirm. On a computer, use mouse drag or arrow keys to move, Space to select, Enter to confirm and Esc to cancel. Sound and vibration controls are in the pause menu; vibration support depends on your browser.

Frequently asked questions