Negative Number Puzzles: Make 10 With Positive and Negative Tiles

Negative number puzzles add a new dimension to Make 10. Once you reach Level 2, the tile pool includes negative numbers alongside the positives, and a line can total 10 even when some of its tiles are below zero. This guide explains how negative tiles work, which combinations clear, and how to use them strategically. Everything here is based on the game's actual configuration and code.

1. When do negative numbers appear?

Negative tiles are introduced as you progress through the levels. Level 1 uses only the positive numbers 1 through 4, so no negatives appear there. Negative tiles first show up in Level 2 and become more varied in Level 3:

• Level 1: tiles are 1, 2, 3, and 4. No negative numbers. Every clearing line is built from positives only.
• Level 2: tiles are 1 through 9 plus −1 and −2. All values are equally likely.
• Level 3: tiles are 1 through 9 plus −1, −2, and −3. Positive numbers appear about 80% of the time; negatives appear about 20% of the time.

When you unlock Level 2 or Level 3, the game shows an intro panel explaining the new negative tiles before you start playing.

2. The clearing rule does not change

Negative numbers change the arithmetic, not the rule. A line still clears when exactly four consecutive tiles in a straight line — horizontal, vertical, or diagonal — total 10. The four-tile count and the sum-to-10 target are the same in every level.

What changes is the range of combinations that can reach 10. With positives only, the maximum four-tile sum in Level 1 is 4 + 4 + 4 + 4 = 16. Using the numbers 1 through 4, there are five unordered four-tile combinations (with repetition) that sum to 10: 1 + 1 + 4 + 4, 1 + 2 + 3 + 4, 1 + 3 + 3 + 3, 2 + 2 + 2 + 4, and 2 + 2 + 3 + 3. Once negatives enter the pool, larger positive numbers like 8 and 9 become usable because a negative tile can bring the total back down to 10.

3. Combinations with negative numbers

Here are verified four-tile combinations that sum to 10 using the Level 2 tile pool (1–9, −1, −2):

• 8 + 5 + (−1) + (−2) = 10
• 9 + 4 + (−1) + (−2) = 10
• 9 + 3 + (−1) + (−1) = 10
• 8 + 4 + (−1) + (−1) = 10
• 7 + 5 + (−1) + (−1) = 10
• 7 + 6 + (−2) + (−1) = 10
• 6 + 6 + (−1) + (−1) = 10
• 9 + 5 + (−2) + (−2) = 10
• 8 + 6 + (−2) + (−2) = 10
• 7 + 7 + (−2) + (−2) = 10

With Level 3 adding −3, combinations that contain −3 become available. These are not possible in Level 2, which has no −3 tile:

• 9 + 3 + 1 + (−3) = 10
• 9 + 2 + 2 + (−3) = 10
• 8 + 4 + 1 + (−3) = 10
• 7 + 5 + 1 + (−3) = 10
• 9 + 5 + (−1) + (−3) = 10
• 8 + 7 + (−2) + (−3) = 10
• 9 + 6 + (−2) + (−3) = 10

Combinations using only −1 and −2 (listed above) are also available in Level 3, since Level 3 includes both of those tiles in addition to −3.

For the full set of four-number combinations that add up to 10 — including positives-only and zero-inclusive options — see Four Numbers That Add Up to 10.

4. Worked examples on the board

The diagrams below show four-tile lines that clear using negative numbers. Highlighted tiles form the clearing line.

5. Why negatives are useful

Without negative numbers, the largest useful positive tile in Level 1 is 4. Level 1 has five four-tile combinations summing to 10 from the numbers 1 through 4 (listed above), and none use any tile larger than 4. In Level 2 and Level 3, the positive pool expands to 1–9, but a line of four large positives like 8 + 9 + 7 + 6 = 30 far overshoots 10. Negative tiles let you use those large positives productively.

Concretely, negatives give you three advantages:

• Large positives become playable. 8 + 5 + (−1) + (−2) = 10 turns two tiles that would be unplayable together in Level 1 into a clearing line.
• Different combinations exist. Level 1 has five four-tile combinations summing to 10 from the numbers 1 through 4. Adding negatives and larger positives introduces many new combinations, so you have different ways to clear.
• Chain reactions still apply. When a clear causes tiles above to fall, the resulting board may form a new sum-to-10 line, triggering a chain reaction with bonus multipliers. Negative tiles introduce different possible combinations that could appear after a clear.

6. Strategy tips for negative tiles

1. Pair large positives with negatives. When you see an 8 or 9 in your queue, look for a column where it can sit near a −1 or −2. Lines like 8 + 5 + (−1) + (−2) = 10 clear reliably.
2. Do not hoard negatives. Negative tiles take up board space just like positives. If a negative cannot plausibly complete a line within a few moves, drop it where it does the least harm — ideally in a column that already has high-value positives nearby.
3. Watch for overshoot. A line like 9 + 4 + 1 + (−1) = 13 does not clear. Before dropping, confirm the four tiles you intend to connect actually sum to 10, not just "close."
4. Use the preview queue. The next several tiles are visible. If a negative is coming, plan where a large positive should land so the two can pair in a four-tile line.
5. Plan around the board and the preview queue.Whether a line with one negative or two is easier depends on the tiles already on the board and the upcoming tiles in the preview queue. If a needed negative is already in place or visible in the queue, a two-negative line may be just as reachable as a one-negative line. Count how many of each tile a candidate line needs and check whether those tiles are available before committing.

For broader strategy on planning drops and building chains, see Play Make 10 Strategy.

7. Try it: puzzle challenges

Each puzzle gives you three tiles already on the board. Pick the fourth tile that makes the four-tile line sum to 10. Open a puzzle to reveal the answer.

Level 2 puzzles (pool: 1–9, −1, −2)

Level 3 puzzles (pool: 1–9, −1, −2, −3)

8. FAQ

Do negative numbers change the clearing rule?

No. The rule is always exactly four consecutive tiles in a straight line summing to 10. Negative numbers only expand which combinations can reach that total.

Can a line clear with two or three negative tiles?

Two negative tiles can work — for example, 9 + 5 + (−2) + (−2) = 10 uses two negative tiles. Three negative tiles cannot form a four-tile line totaling 10 with the current tile pool: the largest positive tile is 9, and 9 + (−1) + (−1) + (−1) = 6, which is below 10. So at most two of the four tiles can be negative.

Are negative numbers available in Level 1?

No. Level 1 uses only the positives 1, 2, 3, and 4. Negatives appear starting in Level 2 (−1 and −2) and expand in Level 3 (−1, −2, −3).

How often do negative tiles appear in Level 3?

In Level 3, positive numbers (1–9) appear about 80% of the time and negative numbers (−1, −2, −3) appear about 20% of the time, split roughly equally among the three negatives.

Can a negative tile alone clear a line?

No single tile clears a line. You always need exactly four tiles summing to 10. A negative tile is one piece of a four-tile line.