Digital Puzzle: Number Merge is a unique step-up merge game. Against a dark blue background, the game displays round-cornered numbered tiles in a 5x5 pattern. The player's goal is to merge three or more side-by-side, stacked or diagonal matching tiles to create new higher-numbered ones.
The player receives a goal in the upper-left area. For example, the game might request that they collect an 8 tile. Unlike with similar games, the tiles don't merge to form a new one that's the sum of one or more pairs of identical tiles. Instead, all tiles in a cluster merge at the last selection point to create the next-highest number. For example, three or more 6 tiles merge to form a 7 tile, and three or more 7 tiles merge to form an 8 tile.
The only way for the player to position tiles for a merge is by selecting individual ones. Any time the player selects a tile, the number increases by one. For example, an 8 tile becomes a 9 tile.
The player receives five red hearts in the upper-left area that act like penalty passes. These hearts allow them to upgrade tiles up to five times without losing. As long as they merge a cluster before they use all the hearts, the passes reset with one new heart rewarded after each new merge.
That said, Digital Puzzle: Number Merge allows the player to continue if they use all their hearts. They merely need to watch an advertisement. Otherwise, they must start a new game. The game allows them to undo moves at any time by watching ads as well.
