How the Mountain layout works
The Mountain is a broad 104-tile step-pyramid: a wide 10×6 base, an 8×4 middle tier, and a long 6×2 ridge running across the top. Its wide, shallow profile is the opposite of the steep Pyramid — you get plenty of exposed edges to start with, but the long ridge keeps the centre buried until the late game.
Just like the classic turtle board, you can only remove a tile that is free: nothing on top of it and at least one of its left or right sides open. Match two identical free tiles to clear them, and remove all 104 tiles to win. See the how-to-play guide for the full rules.
What makes the Mountain distinctive
The Mountain is all about breadth. With a long base and a wide middle tier, you almost never run short of moves in the opening — the challenge is using that freedom wisely rather than flattening the board into a dead end. The single long ridge is the board’s spine: how evenly you take it down decides whether the final tiles fall easily or leave you hunting for a buried partner. It is a forgiving board to start and a thoughtful one to finish.
Mountain strategy tips
- Chip away at both ends of the top ridge to open the middle tier evenly.
- Use the wide base edges as a steady supply of matches while you dig down.
- Don't strip one flank bare — keep options open on both sides of the ridge.
- Because moves are plentiful early, spend them on tiles that uncover buried ones, not easy edge pairs.
- Stuck? Use Hint, Undo, or Shuffle — every Mountain board on this site is guaranteed solvable.
Prefer something else? Try the Pyramid, the Fortress, or the classic Turtle. Compare all eight shapes on the layouts page.