Every 20th level in PaneSlide is a boss: level 20, 40, 60 and so on, for as long as the levels go. Bosses are marked with a crown on the map. They are a little harder than the levels around them, and beating one restores the stained-glass window for that chapter. This guide explains how bosses work and gives a plan for beating them.
What makes a level a boss
A boss is built from the same rules as every other level, with a few differences:
- It features the chapter's main mechanics. From the second chapter on, a boss usually combines two kinds of special glass or cells that the chapter has been practising. For example, the level 60 boss uses sand and stone pillars, and the level 80 boss uses gems and ice.
- It has to beat the obvious move. Like "aha" levels, a boss is checked by the game so that simply moving the most obvious pane each time does not solve it.
- Par is near the top of its chapter. The first boss (level 20) has a par of 5 on a 4×4 board. From level 40 bosses are on 5×5 boards, with par 6 at level 40, 7 for the next few, and about 8 from level 140.
Like every PaneSlide level, a boss has exactly one arrangement of panes that matches the picture, and its par is the proven minimum number of swipes.
What you get
- 15 bonus shards the first time you beat each boss.
- The chapter's stained-glass window is restored. In the House, each chapter has a window of 20 pieces. Each level you clear in that chapter lights a piece, and the boss completes it. You can open the House from the home screen to see every window you have restored.
- A milestone. Every tenth level is a milestone, so a boss can also give you a free hint if you have room for one (you can hold up to five).
- The boss also counts towards the Boss breaker badge, for beating three bosses.
A calm plan for any boss
Bosses reward patience more than speed. There is no timer, and every solve earns at least one star.
1. Read the whole picture before touching anything. Go cell by cell. Plain cyan, magenta or yellow means one pane; blue, green or red means two; black means all three. Empty means no glass.
2. Find each pane's final spot. Each pane moves on one rail, so its final spot is usually forced by the picture. Write it down in your head (or on paper, which is honestly useful on hard bosses).
3. Mark the special cells. Which cells are ice (no sticking), sand (stops glass), pillars (block), or gems (bonus)? Which panes are locked, one-way or frosted?
4. For each pane, ask what will stop it in the right place. The edge, a pillar, sand, a same-rail pane, or a crossing pane it will stick on. If its stopper is not in place yet, that pane must wait.
5. Build the order backwards. The last swipe is usually a pane whose stopper is placed by an earlier swipe. Working backwards from the finished picture often shows the order faster than working forwards.
6. Make the first swipe and check. After each swipe, compare the board with your plan. If a pane stopped somewhere unexpected, undo and look again. Undo does not refund the swipe, but it saves you from building on a mistake.
Tip. If you are stuck for more than a few minutes, take a hint. Hints never cost stars on levels, and a single hint is often enough to unlock the whole plan.
Common boss traps
- The tempting first swipe. Bosses are built so the most obvious move is not the best one. If a pane looks like it slides straight into place, check whether you will need it as a stopper for something else first.
- Moving a correct pane. If a pane is already in its final spot, leave it unless it is in the way. Moving it away and back costs at least two swipes.
- Forgetting ice. On ice, a pane will not stick to crossing glass. It glides on until something solid stops it.
- One-way regret. A one-way pane cannot come back. Move it only when nothing else needs it where it is.
Stars on a boss
Three stars need par or par + 1. On a par-8 boss that is 8 or 9 swipes. If you got through a boss with one or two stars, you can replay it from the map at any time. Stars only go up, never down, and the window stays restored.
If you would like to practise the skills bosses test, the guides to planning your swipes and advanced strategy are a good next read.