How streaks work
Complete the daily puzzle on back-to-back days and your streak grows. Miss a day without a shield and it resets to zero. It's simple — and surprisingly motivating once you have a number worth protecting.
Your current streak and personal best are both shown on the home screen. The streak counter updates as soon as you complete the daily puzzle for the day.
The row of day indicators on your home screen shows recent daily completions at a glance. Today's circle fills when you finish the puzzle.
What breaks a streak
Only one thing breaks your streak: going a full calendar day without completing the daily puzzle and having no active shield to cover the gap. Partially completing a puzzle, using hints, or playing pack puzzles don't affect your streak in any direction — only the daily puzzle counts.
Only the daily puzzle counts. Completing pack puzzles, starter puzzles, or replaying old puzzles does not contribute to your streak or protect it from breaking.
Streak shields
A streak shield automatically activates on a day you miss the daily puzzle, protecting your streak from resetting. Think of it as a grace day — your streak is preserved as if you played, and the shield is consumed.
Shields are consumed one at a time and only when needed — if you complete the daily puzzle, no shield is used that day regardless of how many you have. Your shield balance is visible on the home screen next to your streak counter.
Free shields: One streak shield is granted automatically each week, whether you need it or not. They accumulate if unused, so regular players tend to build up a comfortable reserve over time.
Buying more: Additional shields are available to purchase in bundles by tapping on the shields counter on the Home Screen if you want extra peace of mind. Like hint bundles, shield bundles are consumable purchases and are not family shareable.
Shields don't expire. Unused shields carry over indefinitely. There's no rush to use them.
Streak milestones
Reaching certain streak lengths triggers a special haptic and visual reward — a moment of recognition for the habit you've built. Milestone streaks also correspond to Game Center achievements.
Frequently asked questions
Does my streak reset if I use a hint?
No. Hints have no effect on your streak whatsoever. A completed puzzle is a completed puzzle.
What if I complete the puzzle just after midnight — does it count for yesterday?
No. Puzzles reset at midnight local time, and completion is credited to the day you finish on. If you complete Wednesday's puzzle at 12:01am Thursday, it counts as Thursday's completion — Wednesday would need a shield (or to have been completed before midnight) to stay in your streak.
Can I have more than one shield active at once?
Yes. Shields accumulate in your balance and are used one per missed day. If you miss two days in a row, two shields would be consumed.
If a shield covers a missed day, does my streak number still go up?
No. A shielded day preserves your existing streak count — it doesn't increment it. Your streak only grows on days you actually complete the puzzle.
What happens to my streak if I reinstall the app?
Your streak and stats are stored on your device with SwiftData. If you restore from an iCloud backup, your streak should be preserved. A clean install without a backup will reset your local stats, though your puzzle pack purchases are always restorable via Settings.