Color Flood is a free online colour puzzle with one rule and a lot of depth. Your territory starts as the single block in the top-left corner. Every time you pick a colour, that whole territory repaints itself and absorbs any neighbouring cells already wearing the new colour — so a well-chosen colour can double your area in one move, and a lazy one barely moves the edge. Flood the entire grid before your move budget is gone. The budget is never guesswork: for each board the game runs a solver and sets par from what it needed, then gives you a few spare moves on top, tightening from six spare on level 1 to two on level 12 as the grid grows from 6x6 with four colours to 14x14 with seven. Beat par and you take three stars. Every board is seeded, so Retry gives you the exact same grid and New Board reliably gives you a different one.
How to play Color Flood
- Your territory is the connected block of matching cells in the top-left corner. It is outlined in white so you can always see its edge.
- Tap any colour in the palette below the grid. Your entire territory changes to that colour at once.
- Any cell touching your territory that already had the colour you picked joins your territory immediately — and so does anything touching those, in a chain.
- Each tap costs one move. The counter at the top shows how many you have used out of your budget for this board.
- Turn the whole grid a single colour before the budget runs out to clear the level.
- The Par number is what the built-in solver needed on this exact board. Match it or beat it for three stars; finish inside the budget for one or two.
Tips
- The biggest immediate gain is not always the best move. Look for a colour that puts you next to a large untouched region — it sets up a much bigger swallow on your next tap.
- Work toward the far corner. Reaching the bottom-right early usually means the remaining cells are shallow and clear up quickly.
- Late in a board, count what is left. If only two colours remain scattered, alternating between them is often shorter than chasing the biggest blob.
- Every board is seeded, so Retry gives you the identical grid. That is the fastest way to hunt down a three-star par run once you know the layout.
- The shape drawn on each cell repeats the colour information, so you can play by shape if two hues look close on your screen.
FAQ
Is Color Flood free to play?
Yes. It runs entirely in your browser with no download, no account, and no in-game purchases. Level progress saves on your own device.
Is every board actually solvable?
Yes. Each generated board is run through a solver before you see it, and the move budget is that solver's result plus a few spare moves. A board you cannot finish inside the budget is never dealt.
What does "Par" mean?
Par is how many moves the built-in greedy solver needed on this exact board. It is a good target, not a perfect one — a clever human line can sometimes beat it, which is why matching par already earns three stars.
Can I get the same board again?
Yes. Retry Board replays the identical grid, because every board is generated from a seed tied to the level and attempt number. New Board moves to the next seed and gives you a different layout.
Does it work on a phone?
Yes. The grid resizes to fit portrait screens and the whole game is played by tapping colour swatches, so there is nothing to drag or drop.