Spooky Bonus Gameplay Tips

From the text file you get when you buy directly from Grey Alien Games

General

• The game screen starts with a grid of different items.
  
• You can swap two adjacent items by clicking on one and then another (the destination item). Alternatively, you can click and drag an item to its destination. However, the swap must result in a match of three or more items in a row, vertically or horizontally, otherwise it is not a valid move.
  
• Matching items will pop and the items above will fall down to fill in the gap. Then new items will drop in from the top of the screen (or nearest gap)
  
• Whenever a match occurs, any tiles underneath the items will be removed.
  
• A bonus item will appear after you have made a match of 4 or more items. More powerful bonuses appear if you manage to match 5 items. Also some levels start with bonus items already in place.
  
• Levels have different goals: some require you to match a certain item, some require you to remove all gold tiles, some require you to collect golden skulls by dropping them off the bottom of the game grid, and some require you to break all the stone blocks by making matches next to them.
  
• As you complete levels you will be able to decorate your house and yard with spooky ornaments that you either find or buy with gold. Every decoration has a direct effect on gameplay. You can get bonuses, multi-level powerups, and other useful effects.
  
• Some items are trapped in cobwebs and cannot be moved. You must line up other items to make a match with a trapped item to destroy the cobweb OR use a bonus item or powerup to destroy the cobweb.
  
• If you get stuck, the game will automatically suggest a move after a short wait.
  
• If no more valid moves are possible, the shapes will explode off the grid and you will be told “No More Moves”. Then the level will be restarted and the time and score will be reset.
  
• To use a bonus item, either double click it and it will activate immediately, or drag it vertically or horizontally to activate it in a better location.
  
• Making matches with glowing shapes will release magic dust, which charges your powerups at the bottom of the screen.

Bonus Items

• Pumpkin Bomb: Explodes in a 3x3 grid.
  
• Mega Pumpkin Bomb: Explodes in a 5x5 grid.
  
• Small Flashlight: Explodes an entire row.
  
• Huge Flashlight: Explodes 3 entire rows.
  
• Silver Bullet: Explodes an entire column.
  
• Triple Silver Bullet: Explodes 3 entire columns.
  
• Silver Cross: Explodes a 5x5 cross.
  
• Golden Cross: Explodes a huge cross.
  
• Flaming Torches: Explodes a 5x5 diagonal cross.
  
• Fireworks: Explodes a huge diagonal cross.
  
• Holy Water: Explodes an 8-way 5x5 cross.
  
• Mega Holy Water: Explodes a huge 8-way cross.
  
• Mega Garlic Bomb: Explodes a huge 7x7 area.

Powerup Items

• Wooden Stake: Can be used to remove items and tiles from the grid. Has 3 levels.
  
• Hammer: Can be used to remove stone blocks. Has 3 levels.
  
• Broom: Can be used to remove cobwebs. Has 3 levels.
  
• Lightning Scroll: Fires off random lightning that destroys whatever it touches. Has 3 levels.
  
• Crystal Ball: Creates random bonuses on the grid. Has 3 levels.
  
• Tarot Card: Shuffles all exposed items on the grid. Very useful.

Tips

• Try to drop bonuses into positions where they will be more effective.
  
• If you need a bonus try to match 4 or more items and one will appear.
  
• More powerful bonuses appear if you manage to match 5 items.
  
• Remove silver tiles by matching over them to reveal gold tiles underneath.
  
• Make matches next to stone blocks to crack and destroy them.
  
• As you add more decorations to your house and yard you will gain more bonuses and multi-level powerups to use in the game!
  
• Click coins and gold bags to collect as much gold as possible to buy decorations for your house and yard.
  
• Matching glowing items will release magic dust that charges up your powerups at the bottom of the screen.
  
• Make matches under golden skulls so that they fall off the grid.
  
• Bonuses and powerups can also be used to drop golden skulls off the grid.
  
• Make a match with an item trapped in a cobweb to release it.
  
• Bonuses and powerups can be used to remove tiles as well as destroy stone blocks and cobwebs.
  
• You can change from timed to relaxed mode on the map screen on a per-level basis.
  
• When you complete a level you can set the background as your desktop wallpaper (PC only).
  
• When you finish the game you can read a personal message from the game’s creator.

Credits

All credit for this information goes to Grey Alien Games. I only edited an image to make it look nice for the thumbnail and put everything together here on Steam for you to view.

[sscott74a]

Thanks for the info. We've been playing this fun game for ages at Halloween and it never gets old.

[genkicoll]

I love this game, especially at Halloween time. Glad it helped!

[kris.aalst]

Thanks for posting this. I didn't find the instructions file referred to in the readme file so came here to better understand what I'm actually doing while playing the game