Puffaloo is a match-3 puzzle game for iPhone and iPad. Swap neighbouring pals to line up three or more of a kind, and clear each level's goal before you run out of moves. There are 48 levels across four chapters: Sunny Meadow, Candy Shore, Starlight Snow and Autumn Forest. Chapter 1 is free to play; the Full Game purchase unlocks the rest.
How to play
Swap two pals that sit next to each other to make a row or column of three or more of the same kind, or a 2×2 square of four. If the swap doesn't make a match, the pals swap back and no move is used. Matched pals pop, the pals above fall into place, and new ones drop in from the top, which can set off a chain. If the board has no matches left to make, it shuffles itself.
The first levels walk you through each move step by step. If you stop for a few seconds, a hint shows a match you can make.
Special pals
- Striped Pal: line up four. Match it again and it clears its whole row or column.
- Bomb Pal: match in an L or T shape. Match it again and it blasts the pals in the area around it.
- Rainbow Pal: line up five. Swap it with a pal to clear every pal of that kind from the board.
- Balloon Pal: bring four of the same pal together in a 2×2 square. Match it again and it floats off to pop one useful target: an ice tile first, then a crate, then a pal the level still asks you to collect, otherwise any pal.
- Combos: swap two special pals with each other for a bigger effect than either one alone.
Square matches and the Balloon Pal
Four pals of the same kind in a 2×2 square count as a match, on every level. A square on its own makes a Balloon Pal; if the square is part of a line of three or more, the line decides which special pal you get and the square just adds its pals to the match. Level 4 shows you how it works.
When a Balloon Pal is matched it lifts off, flies to its target and pops it like a one-cell blast: ice and crates lose a layer, a special pal at the target goes off. Swapping a Balloon Pal into another special pal carries that pal's effect to the balloon's target:
- Balloon + Striped: the striped beams fire from the target, clearing both its row and its column.
- Balloon + Bomb: a bomb blast goes off at the target.
- Balloon + Rainbow: every pal of the balloon's kind turns into a balloon; up to six take flight and the rest pop where they are.
- Balloon + Balloon: two balloons fly to two different targets.
Level goals, ice and crates
Each level shows its goal and how many moves you have. A level might ask you to collect a number of certain pals, crack all the ice, break all the crates, or reach a target score. Ice sits under pals on the board: clear the pal on top of it, with a match or a special pal, to crack it. Thick ice has two layers and needs to be cracked twice.
Wooden acorn crates appear in the Autumn Forest. A crate takes up a cell by itself: it can't be swapped, it doesn't fall, and pals rest on top of it. To break one, make a match right next to it (above, below or beside it) or hit it with a special pal's blast. Each hit knocks off one layer; crates with iron bands have two layers and need two hits. A broken crate leaves a gap that pals fall into, and the cells underneath are refilled by pals sliding in from the neighbouring columns.
Stars
Each level has up to three stars, earned by your score when you clear it: one for clearing the level, two for a good score and three for a great one. Special pals and chains score more. You can replay any level you've unlocked from the map; Puffaloo keeps your best result.
Running out of moves
If you run out of moves before you reach the goal, you can take five extra moves for free, once per attempt. If you still don't make it, try the level again: the goal and your moves start over.
Music, sound and haptics
Pause a level to turn the music or sound effects on or off. These settings are saved on each device. Haptics follow your system settings; if you don't feel them, check System Haptics in Settings › Sounds & Haptics.
Playing on more than one device
Your progress (unlocked levels, stars, best scores, balloon targets popped and achievements earned) syncs through iCloud between your iPhone and iPad. Both devices need to be signed in to the same Apple Account with iCloud turned on, and need an internet connection to sync. Open Puffaloo on the other device and give it a moment; if you've played on both, Puffaloo keeps the best result for each level. Music and sound settings don't sync. The Full Game purchase comes from the App Store rather than iCloud: it's available on every device signed in with the same Apple Account (see below).
Game Center
Puffaloo has Game Center leaderboards for total stars and levels cleared, and achievements to collect. If you're signed in to Game Center, Puffaloo signs you in automatically; the Game Center button on the title screen opens your leaderboards and achievements. If you're not signed in, Puffaloo may offer to sign you in on the title screen or the map, never in the middle of a level. You can also sign in at any time in Settings › Game Center. Game Center is optional: everything else in Puffaloo works without it.
Starting over
Puffaloo doesn't have a reset button. Because your progress is saved in iCloud, deleting and reinstalling the app on one device brings it back. To start from level 1, delete Puffaloo from all of your devices, delete its data from iCloud in the Settings app (your name › iCloud), then reinstall. Game Center keeps the scores and achievements you've already earned, and the Full Game stays yours: if the chapters show as locked after reinstalling, tap Restore Purchases on the Full Game card.
The Full Game purchase
What's free, and what does the Full Game include?
Chapter 1, Sunny Meadow (levels 1–12), is free to play, with every mechanic and no limits. Full Game is Puffaloo's one in-app purchase: it unlocks every other chapter on the map, including new chapters added in future free updates. It's a one-time purchase, not a subscription: buy it once and it's yours to keep.
How do I buy it?
Play through chapter 1, then tap the first level of chapter 2 (or any later level you've reached) on the map. Instead of the level's start card you'll see the Full Game card with the price in your App Store currency; tap the unlock button and confirm with the App Store as you would any purchase. Once the purchase goes through, the same level's start card appears and you can carry on. If a purchase needs a parent's approval (Ask to Buy), the card says it's waiting for approval and your chapters unlock as soon as it's approved.
I already bought it. Why are the chapters locked?
Make sure the device is signed in to the App Store with the Apple Account that made the purchase, then tap Restore Purchases on the About & Privacy card (the ⓘ button on the title screen, or About & Privacy in the pause menu) or on the Full Game card (tap the first level of chapter 2, or any later level you've reached, on the map). Puffaloo asks the App Store what this account owns and unlocks the chapters right away. You never pay twice: buying again with the same account just restores it.
Can my family use my purchase?
Yes. The Full Game supports Family Sharing. Turn on Purchase Sharing in the Settings app (your name › Family Sharing) and family members can tap Restore Purchases in their own copy of Puffaloo. Each person's progress and stars stay their own.
I reached chapter 2 or 3 before the purchase existed. Do I lose those levels?
No. If you had already unlocked levels beyond chapter 1 in an earlier version of Puffaloo, those levels stay open for you. Only the levels beyond the point you had reached need the Full Game.
Is there anything else to buy?
No. There are no other purchases, no subscriptions, no lives or energy, no boosters and nothing that helps you win a level. The five extra moves you can take when you run out are free, and there are no ads.
How do I get a refund?
Purchases are handled by Apple, so refunds are too. Go to reportaproblem.apple.com, sign in with the Apple Account that made the purchase, and request a refund for the Full Game. Apple decides on refunds under its own terms; I can't issue them myself. If a refund is granted, the chapters lock again.
Anything else
Email me at chen.he@icloud.com. A screenshot, the level number, and your device and iOS or iPadOS version help.