How to score high in Durae

Tapping fast actually costs you

A stone takes away more than a grain gives. So if you tap everything that pops up, your score is cut in half. When we ran sixty days while building it, tapping everything averaged 220 points and picking what to tap averaged 514.

So skill in this game comes from an eye that tells them apart, not from a fast hand. If you are unsure, do not tap. An empty tap is never punished.

Keep your hand in the middle

The squares are three by three, so from the center square it is one step to any other. Park your hand in a corner and the far side is two steps away, and you miss the short pop-ups.

Pop-ups get shorter as the round goes on, so late in the round do not move your hand far. Picking only what is close scores higher.

Memorize it and you improve

There is no randomness, so the same day pops up in the same squares in the same order. Memory beats reflexes, and your score climbs each time you retry.

When the round ends we tell you how many grains you missed. That number going down is the proof you are improving.

Where people get caught

• Drumming on one square. Tapping the same spot twice scores only once. Look at the next square.
• Getting greedy late. When pop-ups get short, it is better to give up the far ones.
• Tapping stones by reflex. Stones are gray and catch the eye, which is why your hand goes there first.

One round a day, the same order for everyone

The order comes from the day's date. Everyone who plays that day gets the same one, so scores can be compared. Everything runs in your browser and there is no sign-up.

Numbers worth knowing

This is a game of telling which is which, not of speed, so knowing the values makes your decisions quicker.

• A stone costs more than a grain pays. Grain earns 10 points and a stone costs 15. If you are unsure, not tapping is the better bet. Tapping one stone hurts more than missing one grain.
• The board is 3 by 3, nine squares. It all fits in one glance, so do not stare at one spot. Take in the whole board loosely.
• A round lasts 45 seconds. That is short, but you still have time to recover from one slip. If you rush early and tap a few stones, that day is hard to save.
• Everyone gets the same order on the same day. There is no randomness, so when you retry you can see exactly where you went wrong.

Common questions

Does tapping fast win?

No. Tapping a stone costs you a grain and a half, so on some days the faster you tap the more you lose. Telling them apart is the game.

Are missed ones penalized?

No. Something you did not tap costs you nothing.

Can I replay yesterday's round?

Yes. The past rounds list reopens the last fourteen days.

Is my record sent to a server?

No. The round and its scoring finish in your browser, and there is no sign-up.