Chroma

One square, one color, one rule. Absorb the board and leave no rival shades standing.

Chroma took me about ten seconds to understand and then twenty minutes to put down. You control a single colored square sitting somewhere on a grid, and every tap changes your shade. Any neighboring square that matches your new color gets absorbed into your blob. Your blob grows, the board shrinks, and the goal is brutally simple: make every square on screen the same color. Where it gets tricky is the planning. Since you can only change to one color at a time, every choice locks you into a path. I found myself staring at a corner cluster of four teal squares for a ridiculous amount of time, only to realize that switching to orange first would let me swallow half the board in a single move. That's the magic of Chroma—it looks like a casual color-matching game, but it's really a tight little spatial puzzle. You start recognizing patterns: big blocks of one shade are gold, and small isolated squares can become dead weight if you ignore them too long. There's no timer breathing down your neck in most modes, but the game still pushes you to be efficient. Each move matters, and finishing with the fewest color swaps possible becomes an obsession. I'd restart a board just to shave off a turn, convinced there was a cleaner route. If you enjoy games that make you think two steps ahead without needing a manual, Chroma hits that sweet spot between relaxing and mentally sticky.

You are a colored square. Change your color to add the surrounding squares to you. When there is only one color left, you win.

Always scan the entire board before your first move—the biggest color blob touching your corner is usually the only opening you need. Ignore tiny isolated squares unless they connect two large blocks; chasing them early wastes turns. Corners are natural anchors. Expanding into them locks off a section of the board so it can't revert. Think two colors ahead: if a huge patch of blue sits next to a smaller purple patch, grab purple first to join them. Don't repaint your main blob for a single stray square unless it unlocks at least two new fronts. If you're stuck, restart and try a completely different first color—sometimes the entire board opens up from an unexpected side.

Q: Is Chroma free to play? A: Yes, Chroma is completely free to play in your browser with no hidden charges. Q: Can I play Chroma on my phone? A: Yes, it works on most mobile browsers since it's built with HTML5 and responds to touch. Q: Do I need to download or install anything? A: No, Chroma runs directly in your browser—just open the game and start playing. Q: What are the controls for Chroma? A: Just click or tap a color to change your square. The game highlights which squares will be absorbed. Q: Is there a move limit? A: Some versions track your moves, but the core goal is to make the whole board one color. Aim for fewer moves for a better score. Q: Can I restart a level if I make a mistake? A: Yes, most versions include a restart button, and you can also refresh the page to start over.