After level 120 you have met every kind of special glass. The last two named chapters, Desert Dunes (levels 121 to 140) and Snow Cabin (levels 141 to 160), mix them together. After that, the eight scenes begin again with Roman numerals, such as Sunroom II from level 161, and the levels keep going. This guide explains what changes and how to keep improving.
What to expect
Every board from here on is 5×5, with four to six panes. Par usually sits between 6 and 9 swipes, and most bosses have a par of about 8. PaneSlide never makes boards bigger than 5×5. Instead, later levels get harder through more panes, more mixed cells, and more combinations of special cells.
Desert Dunes: levels 121 to 140
The Desert Dunes feature locked glass and mystery pictures most often. These two together are a nice test:
- Locked glass never moves, and its colour is always visible on the board. On a mystery level, that gives you a fixed piece of the answer from the start. The cells under a locked pane will show its colour, or a mix with it, in the final picture.
- Because locked glass is a stopper that is always in place, it is often the key to a safe first swipe, which then reveals more of the picture.
Level 140: the Desert Dunes boss has a par of 8 and uses both. Look for the pane that will stick on the locked glass, and make that swipe early to reveal more of the picture.
Snow Cabin: levels 141 to 160
The Snow Cabin brings back gems and stone pillars most often. Pillars split rails into short sections, and gems reward routes that sweep across empty cells.
- On a rail with a pillar, a pane can only be on one side of it. Decide which side first.
- To collect gems without extra swipes, look for a pane that has to cross the gem's cell on its way to its final spot anyway. Gems are a bonus, never required for stars.
Level 160: the Snow Cabin boss combines pillars and gems, with a par of 8.
Beyond level 160: the scenes repeat
From level 161 the eight scenes repeat in order: Sunroom II, Greenhouse II and so on, then III, IV and onwards. Each new chapter still has its own stained-glass window in the House and a boss every 20 levels.
What changes from chapter to chapter is which mechanics are featured. Each chapter features the two mechanics that have gone longest without being featured, and usually brings back every other mechanic you know at least once. For example, the boss at level 180 (Sunroom II) features ice and sand, and the boss at level 200 features one-way glass with a two-colour picture.
Par levels off at about 7 to 8 swipes from around level 150. That is deliberate: the game is designed to stay calm and solvable in a few minutes, not to become a test of endurance. Levels 1 to 1,000 are prepared in advance and checked by a solver. Beyond level 1,000, your device builds each level with the same rules and checks.
Habits that help at this level
- Name the stoppers. For each pane, list what could stop it: the edge, a pillar, sand, a same-rail pane, a crossing pane it would stick on (but not on ice), locked glass.
- Find the forced panes. Some panes have only one possible final spot that matches the picture. Place them in your head first.
- Find the order. Panes that need a moving stopper must wait for it. One-way panes can never come back, so time them carefully.
- Look for the trap. Aha levels (ending in 4, 7 and 9) are built so that the most obvious first swipe is not the best one. If a swipe looks too easy, check what it blocks.
The advanced strategy guide goes deeper into these ideas.
Tip. The map shows a trophy on challenge levels and a crown on bosses. If you want a gentler session, breathers on levels ending in 1 and 6 are a good place to warm up.
Keeping it fun
Later levels can take a few minutes each. If one is not clicking, it is fine to leave it and come back, or to use a hint. Your progress is saved after every solved level, and hints never cost stars. Many players enjoy mixing a few levels with the day's daily puzzle.