Play Make 10 Strategy: Plan Your Drops and Build Chains

Successful Make 10 play involves recognizing sums, choosing where tiles land, and anticipating what falls after a clear. These strategies improve decision-making but do not guarantee a win. The board is seven columns wide and six rows tall, tiles fall to the lowest empty cell in their column, and you need exactly four consecutive tiles in a straight line — horizontal, vertical, or diagonal — that total 10 to clear them.

1. Know the five basic combinations

In Level 1, every tile is 1, 2, 3, or 4. The five unordered combinations that total 10 are:

• 1 + 1 + 4 + 4 = 10
• 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 = 10
• 1 + 3 + 3 + 3 = 10
• 2 + 2 + 2 + 4 = 10
• 2 + 2 + 3 + 3 = 10

But tiles must occupy exactly four consecutive cells in a valid straight line. Four suitable numbers scattered across the board do not clear. For a deeper look at every combination, see Four Numbers That Add Up to 10.

2. Calculate the missing number before dropping

The core calculation is simple: the needed tile equals 10 minus the sum of the other three tiles. If three aligned tiles read 1, 2, and 3, you need 10 − (1 + 2 + 3) = 4.

Arithmetic alone is not enough. The next tile must actually land in the required cell, and the required value must exist in the current level. In Level 1, only 1–4 are available, so a line needing a 5 cannot be completed there.

3. Check the landing position

Gravity determines where a tile lands: it falls to the lowest empty cell in the chosen column. You cannot place a tile above an empty space. If a column already has tiles stacked partway up, your next tile lands on top of them, not at the bottom.

In this illustrative position, column 4 (the fourth column) already has tiles at rows 5 and 4. The bottom row shows 1, 2, 3 in the first three columns:

Dropping a 3 into column 4 lands it at row 5, next to the 3 already in row 5 — not above the 1 and 2 that sit higher in the same column:

This matters because a player expecting the 3 to land next to the 1 and 2 (to build a vertical line) would be disappointed. Always check where the tile will actually rest.

4. Use the upcoming tile preview

The game shows four tiles: the one you are about to drop and the next three. You can plan a short sequence using only those visible tiles.

For example, if the preview shows 4, 2, 3, 3 and the bottom of column 4 already has 1, 2, 3, you can drop the 4 there to complete 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 = 10. Then the next tile (2) can go toward a new line. You cannot predict tiles beyond the preview, so plan only with what you can see.

5. Preserve useful space

Uneven column heights can limit your placement choices. If one column is nearly full, dropping a tile there may leave you with fewer options for future moves. Keeping columns at similar heights gives you more flexibility.

This is a situational heuristic, not a rule to always choose the shortest column. An immediate clear or a setup that creates a chain can justify filling a taller column. The goal is to avoid running out of options, not to keep the board perfectly flat.

6. Look for horizontal, vertical, and diagonal opportunities

Lines can form in any of four directions: horizontal, vertical, and two diagonals. Here is an illustrative diagonal-down example where dropping a 4 into column 6 completes 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 = 10:

Adding to a promising line can sometimes block another opportunity. A tile that helps one direction might fill a cell that a different line needed. Before dropping, check whether the same cell serves two potential lines or blocks one.

7. Understand simultaneous clears versus chains

When multiple valid lines clear in the same wave, those are simultaneous clears. Each line scores 100 points. When tiles fall after a clear and create another valid line, that is a chain. The second wave scores 200 points per line, a third wave scores 300, and so on.

Here is a genuine two-wave chain. The board starts with a tile waiting above column 4:

Dropping a 2 into column 4 lands it at row 2, completing the vertical line 2 + 2 + 3 + 3 = 10:

Wave 1 clears that vertical line. The 4 above falls to the bottom of column 4:

Wave 2 clears the horizontal line 1 + 1 + 4 + 4 = 10, scoring 200 points. The board is now empty:

Before choosing the move, the player could see the 4 waiting above and the 1, 1, 4 already in the bottom row. Recognizing that the vertical clear would drop the 4 into a horizontal match is what makes this a chain rather than a single clear.

8. Use negative tiles thoughtfully

Level 2 introduces the numbers 5–9 plus −1 and −2. Level 3 adds −3. Negative tiles can bring a larger positive total down to 10, but they must still fit the four-tile straight-line rule.

For example, 8 + 5 + (−1) + (−2) = 10 works as a diagonal:

Negative tiles are not automatically helpful. A −1 or −2 in the wrong position can block a line that needed a positive number. Use them when they complete a line that positive tiles alone could not.

9. Common mistakes

• Counting three or five tiles. Only exactly four consecutive tiles clear. Three tiles summing 10 or five tiles summing 10 do not count.
• Assuming an entire column disappears. Only the four tiles in the valid line clear, not the whole column.
• Ignoring gravity. Tiles always fall to the lowest empty cell. Planning a placement without checking the landing position leads to missed lines.
• Missing diagonal opportunities. Diagonals are easy to overlook but can be just as effective as horizontal and vertical lines.
• Planning around unavailable numbers. Level 1 only has 1–4. Waiting for a 5 or a negative tile in Level 1 will never work.
• Chasing a chain while the board fills. A chain setup that takes several moves may cost more space than it earns. If the board is nearly full, take the available clear instead.

10. Short FAQ

Is there a guaranteed winning strategy?

No. Make 10 involves random tiles, so no strategy guarantees a win. Good play improves your odds by recognizing combinations, checking landing positions, and managing board space.

Should I always take an available clear?

Usually yes, but not always. If a clear would drop a tile into a cell you need for a larger chain, waiting one move can score more. However, if the board is nearly full, take the clear to free space.

How do chain reactions work?

After a line clears, tiles above the gap fall. If the fallen tiles create a new valid line, that is a second wave. Each wave scores more points: 100 per line in wave 1, 200 per line in wave 2, 300 in wave 3, and so on.

Why did my numbers total 10 without clearing?

The four tiles must be consecutive in a straight line — horizontal, vertical, or diagonal. Four tiles summing 10 but scattered across the board do not clear. Check that your tiles are adjacent and aligned.