How I Went from Novice to a Master of Sutek's Tomb

     Hang on… can you really call yourself a master by just scoring 39k? That’s just enough to get a silver trophy in the middle of the month. Oh, right, so I upgraded my trophy to gold the next day with a score of 81k in a single attempt (which I decided to stop just because the game is too long)

     If this sounds convincing enough, keep reading and I’ll tell you what may not be mentioned in other guides but are game changers to me.

     1.Make Sure You Really Understand the Game

     In Sutek’s Tomb, your task is to switch the places of the symbols to make matches of at least three of the same symbols. In hard mode, making a match of three will earn you 10 points, a match of four will earn you 30 points, and a match of five will earn you 70 points; additional points will be awarded if you can trigger chain reactions when tiles fall into place after forming a match.

     Therefore, it seems that you should try to make large matches with the most chain reactions. However, if this is how you have been thinking, then it’s very likely that you have been misunderstanding the game (and therefore, finding it difficult to score high)!

     In fact, the aim of the game is not about making the best matches but about getting as much time as possible.

     2. Strategies

     2.1 Do NOT try to set up large matches

     I mean, if you see large matches and chain reactions that are very easy to set up, why not? But otherwise, don’t waste your time looking for and setting them up. Yes, they give you slightly more points, but it definitely isn’t worth the time and risk of losing the whole game. Instead, just match whatever is handy, and don’t be afraid to keep making matches of threes. This is important because each match will give you a bit of additional time. Furthermore, you need to clear space and keep new symbols showing up, hoping that the “Coins” (which are also wildcards that can be matched with any symbols) will drop to give you more extra time.

     2.2 DO try to form matches in vertical lines

     “Bombs” are another significant bonus in the game. They can clear the symbols in the same column above them when they’re dropped two spaces or more from their original position in a single move. Therefore, although you should still make matches that are most convenient, if you see an obvious potential vertical match, do go for it. This applies even if you don’t see a bomb at the moment, because a bomb might drop with the new tiles that come right after you complete a match, and it can be activated instantly to clear the column.

     2.3 Not every bonus is useful

     While coins and bombs are useful bonuses, Scarab, Ankh, and Ollie (a man’s face) are not really. Even though they can give you bonuses points from 100 to 500 when they reach the bottom of the game board, these points are not a large amount, and they will not give you lots of additional time after being cleared. It’s far more important to manage your time to make the game sustainable. It’s also important to highlight that if your game board needs to be reshuffled because no matches are possible, these bonuses will be gone. Therefore, again, only clear the symbols below them if you see obvious matches, but don’t waste time trying to make them reach the bottom.

     2.4 Pyrami - bread

     When you really get stuck, you can use the code “pyramibread” to get a hint for a possible match. This can be used as many times as you want throughout the game without penalties. You can type “pyramibrea” at the beginning of the game so that you only need to type “d” to activate the code quickly when needed. Then, you can take the time to type “pyramibrea” again while the new symbols are dropping after you have formed the match, so that you can activate the code quickly again by typing “d” next time. Nevertheless, use it wisely and don’t rely on it too much, as finding the hint might take more time than making the match on your own, and it can interrupt your pace.

     3. Extra tip (depends on your style)

     Generally, it is not recommended to look at the timer in a timed game, but personally, I find peeking at the timer from time to time helpful because it can help me utilize the coin bonuses better. This is because, as mentioned earlier, the coins are also wildcards, meaning that they can be relatively easily cleared in a chain reaction that can bring you additional points without much effort. Therefore, if I find that I have a lot of time remaining, I will just leave them alone and wait for chain reactions, unless they’re needed for the only obvious possible match. Conversely, if I don’t have much time left, I’d prioritize using the coins. Do remember to stay calm, anyway, if you take this approach.

     4. Best of Luck!

     Lastly, did I mention that you can use the code “plzsutekcanihavemoretime” to get an extra 30 seconds once per game? No, because it won’t be a game changer, and once you get the rhythm of the game, it’s pretty much like a Zen mode game where you’ll just keep having enough time (unless you become extremely unlucky at some point, when Sutek keeps giving you game boards that have very limited possible matches).