Basic Gameplay
At its core, Drop & Lock is about creating sequences of colored hexes. Sequences are created by steering a ball by tilting your device to lock it next to matching colors. Every level has a limited number of balls and one or more specially marked "star" hexagons. The goal of each level is to lock the star hexagons in a sequence and remove them from the board.
Choosing a Level
Drop & Lock’s 48 levels are split into 4 groups. Each group is locked until the previous group’s levels have all been completed. First choose the group to play, then choose a level within the group.
Balls
There are two types of balls. Balls launched from a launcher count against the level’s total ball limit. Bonus balls, given whenever a sequence is formed, do not count against the limit. Bonus balls are very important in order to complete most levels. Balls roll around the level based on how the device is tilted. The goal is to steer each ball next to hexagons of the same color and lock it in place. Balls can be locked by either tapping it or waiting for the timer to run out.
A. Ball Launcher - new balls launched from here count against the level’s ball limit.
B. Ball - when the timer circling the ball runs out, it will automatically lock. The ball can also be tapped to lock it immediately.
C. Ball Limit - indicates the color of the next ball as well as the number of remaining balls that can be launched from the ball launcher.
There are several special balls that make the game more interesting and challenging.
4x Multiplier Ball
When this ball is locked, your score multiplier increases by four.
Unlocker Ball
When locked, this ball turns all adjacent hexes back into balls.
Grayscale Ball
This ball will turn every hex gray until it's locked.
Blind Ball
This ball makes every hex invisible until it's locked.
Gravity Inverter Ball
Gravity (up and down) is flipped until this ball is locked.
Wild Ball
This ball has an unknown color until it's locked.
Color Rotating Ball
This ball randomly cycles through colors.
Bomb Ball
When locked, this ball will destroy all adjacent hexes.
Sequences
The primary objective of each level is to lock the star hexagons in sequences. A sequence is formed by locking three or more hexes of the same color next to each other. Sequences stay on the board until a ball is locked that does not create or expand a sequence. When that happens, all sequences on the board will be removed.
Every time a sequence is created or expanded, the score multiplier increases. The multiplier slowly decays if no sequences are being formed. In order to get huge scores, it’s important to keep the multiplier as high as possible.
Winning
To beat a level, all star hexes must be locked in a sequence and removed from the board.
When a level is complete, a star rating between 1 and 5 is earned based on the score. Any unused balls earn bonus points that can help increase the level’s star rating.
Losing
There are only two ways to lose a level. The first is to run out of balls. Every level has a limited number of available balls and every time a ball is launched from the ball launcher, the count is reduced. The second is to block the ball launcher. If a ball needs to be launched and it can’t because a hexagon is on top of it, the level has been lost.