Your first three moves
Choose First shift in the game for a guided introduction. Mabel has helpfully decided to be straightforward for once.
Know your rooms
| Floor | Garden view | Courtyard view Beside the lift | Street view |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upper floor | 201 | 202 | 203 |
| Garden floor | 101 | 102 | 103 |
Rooms 101, 103, 201 and 203 are away from the lift. A room’s floor and its view are separate things: room 201 is upstairs with a garden view.
- Next door
- Neighbouring rooms on the same floor. 101 and 102 are next door; 101 and 103 are not.
- Directly above
- The room upstairs in the same column. 201 is directly above 101.
- Request symbols
- ✓ satisfied · ! needs attention · ○ waiting for the relevant placements.
A few questions from reception
What do the numbers on my result mean?
Guests settled shows how many guests are correctly accommodated when you finish: 6/6. Hints used counts help requested in that puzzle. The final number is either your daily streak or the number of different practice puzzles you have solved.
Why is my streak one day after several games?
A daily streak counts consecutive calendar dates on which you complete the daily puzzle. Several games on the same day still count as one day. Practice puzzles and First shift do not add to the daily streak. Hints do not break it.
When does the daily puzzle change?
At midnight UTC. That is 1am in the UK during British Summer Time and midnight during GMT. Everyone gets the same puzzle for the same UTC date. If you leave the game open overnight, select Daily puzzle to start the new one.
How do the two hints work?
The first offers a deduction from the written requests. The second reveals one correct guest-and-room pairing. Asking for a hint uses it immediately, even if you do not follow it. Previously used hints stay available to reread for free.
Undo, restarting and refreshing do not restore hints. Each daily or practice puzzle has its own allowance. First shift has unlimited help while you learn.
Why did replaying a practice puzzle not increase my total?
Practice progress counts different puzzles solved, out of 30. Replaying a completed puzzle leaves that total unchanged. Restarting a solved practice puzzle does not remove the completion you already earned.
Can I undo, restart or remove a guest?
Yes. Undo takes back your latest placement. Restart clears the current arrangement while retaining hint usage and previously earned completion. Select a placed guest and choose Return guest to put them back in reception. You can rearrange freely until the puzzle is complete.
Does my progress follow me to another device?
Progress is saved in this browser on this device. There is no account or cross-device sync. A different browser, private browsing or a different website address has separate storage. If you played on the earlier vercel.app address, those saved games stay there; they do not automatically transfer to bedandbaffled.com.
Clearing site data removes saved games and streaks. The game warns you if your browser cannot save progress.
Can I install it or play offline?
After opening the game online, your browser can save the game files for offline play. This depends on the browser allowing and retaining that storage.
On iPhone or iPad, open the site in Safari, choose Share, then Add to Home Screen. On supported Android and desktop browsers, use the browser’s Install or Add to Home Screen option. Installation is optional.
Does sharing reveal the answer?
No. The share button sends the puzzle date or practice number, your result and a link to play. It does not include your room arrangement.
Are Mr Crumb’s remarks extra clues?
No. The guests’ written room requests contain every clue. Character chatter, the reception bell and lost property add a little hotel nonsense. No biscuit interrogation is required.
Can I play with a keyboard or reduce the animations?
Use Tab to move between guests and rooms, then Enter or Space to choose them. Close dialogs with Escape. The game follows your device’s reduced-motion setting, which switches off its animated flourishes. Requests use text and symbols as well as colour.