Game Is Hard

Game Is Hard Level 97 Walkthrough - Solution & Tips

Need help with Game Is Hard level 97? Find the answer and video guide here.

Level 96 Level 98
Share Game Is Hard Level 97 Guide:

Game Is Hard Level 97 Pattern Overview

The Overall Puzzle Structure

Level 97, titled "these grids need a repaint!", presents players with a 5x5 grid filled with numbers ranging from 1 to 8. Initially, all cells are a uniform dark blue. Below the grid, there are ten distinct bars: five green on the left side, seemingly corresponding to columns, and five red on the right, which could relate to rows. The core mechanic involves tapping a cell, which causes its color to cycle through a sequence: Red, Orange, Yellow, Light Green, and finally Green. Upon reaching the correct set of colors across the active cells, the game automatically resolves, turning all cells uniformly green with a celebratory flourish, and revealing the hint: "It's like coloring by numbers."

The level fundamentally tests a player's ability to deduce a hidden initial state or a contextual rule that modifies the simple "coloring by numbers" mechanic. The central challenge lies in understanding how the number within each cell dictates its target color or required number of taps, especially since identical numbers don't always behave the same way on the first tap. The "repaint" instruction suggests that cells aren't starting from a truly blank state, but rather from a pre-determined, incorrect color that needs correction.

The Key Elements at a Glance

The most important elements in this puzzle are:

  • The 5x5 Grid: This is the primary interactive area, containing 25 cells that must all eventually turn green.
  • Numbers 1-8: Each cell contains a number. These numbers are the crucial "colors" in the "coloring by numbers" metaphor, but their interpretation is key to solving the puzzle. They dictate how many taps are needed for a cell or what its intermediate target color should be.
  • Color Cycle: Tapping a cell cycles its color through a fixed sequence: (Dark Blue) -> Red (State 1) -> Orange (State 2) -> Yellow (State 3) -> Light Green (State 4) -> Green (State 5). After Green, it presumably loops back to Dark Blue. The goal is to get specific cells to a particular state within this cycle.
  • Bottom Bars (5 Green, 5 Red): These are static visual elements that run along the bottom of the screen. They are highly deceptive; while they visually suggest properties for columns and rows, their direct function in determining cell states or tap counts is not straightforward and serves as a major misdirection. They do not deplete or change and are not interactive.
  • Automatic Completion: The game resolves itself by coloring all cells green once a specific set of player actions are completed, indicating that the goal is not merely to tap every cell until it's green, but to reach a specific intermediate configuration.

Step-by-Step Solution for Game Is Hard Level 97

The core principle here is that the number N in each cell determines the final state (Green, state 5) it needs to reach, and the number of taps required from its specific starting color. This means some cells are 'pre-tapped' to an advanced color, while others are less so. The player's task is to apply the remaining taps.

Here's the most efficient sequence of taps to solve Level 97:

Opening: The Best First Move

The optimal first step is to address cells that are closest to their target state with minimal taps, or those whose initial color reveals a clear path. The player in the video starts with (Row 1, Column 5), which contains the number 5.

  1. Tap (1,5): The cell displays 5. On the first tap, it immediately turns Light Green (State 4).
    • Why it simplifies: This cell needs to become Green (State 5). Since it's already Light Green, it requires only one more tap to reach its final green state. This is an efficient use of an initial tap, bringing a cell very close to completion.

Mid-Game: How the Puzzle Opens Up

After the initial tap, the player proceeds by targeting other cells, methodically bringing them closer to their required states.

  1. Tap (2,4): The cell displays 5. On the first tap, it turns Yellow (State 3).
    • Why: This cell needs to become Green (State 5). From Yellow, it needs two more taps (Yellow -> Light Green -> Green). The player immediately applies a second tap.
  2. Tap (2,4) (Second Tap): The cell turns Light Green (State 4).
    • Why: This brings the cell one step closer to Green.
  3. Tap (3,1): The cell displays 3. On the first tap, it turns Orange (State 2).
    • Why: This cell needs to become Yellow (State 3). From Orange, it requires one more tap.
  4. Tap (3,2): The cell displays 3. On the first tap, it turns Yellow (State 3).
    • Why: This cell needs to become Yellow (State 3). Since it turned Yellow on the first tap, it has reached its intermediate target state and requires no further immediate action.
  5. Tap (3,3): The cell displays 2. On the first tap, it turns Green (State 5).
    • Why: This cell is one of the "exceptions." Despite having the number 2, it turns fully Green on the first tap and is left in this state. It indicates its target state is indeed Green, not Orange as implied by the "N to color" rule.
  6. Tap (4,3): The cell displays 1. On the first tap, it turns Green (State 5).
    • Why: Similar to (3,3), this cell with 1 also turns Green on the first tap and is left in that state, indicating its target is Green.
  7. Tap (3,2) (Second Tap): The cell displays 3. It turns Light Green (State 4).
    • Why: This cell was already Yellow. The player makes an additional tap, advancing it past its target Yellow state to Light Green. This suggests a slight misstep or a deferred resolution.
  8. Tap (3,1) (Second Tap): The cell displays 3. It turns Yellow (State 3).
    • Why: This cell was Orange. The second tap brings it to its target Yellow state.
  9. Tap (3,1) (Third Tap): The cell displays 3. It turns Light Green (State 4).
    • Why: The player applies an additional tap, moving it past its Yellow target. This, combined with (3,2)'s action, indicates the player might be "over-tapping" or that the true completion condition is more nuanced than simple "N to target color".

End-Game: Final Cleanup and Completion

The latter part of the mid-game and the end-game focus on a group of cells displaying 2 that are currently untouched.

  1. Tap (1,2): The cell displays 2. On the first tap, it turns Red (State 1).
    • Why: This cell with 2 is different from (3,3). It starts at Red, implying it needs multiple taps to reach its intermediate target, which for N=2 is Orange (State 2).
  2. Tap (2,2): The cell displays 2. On the first tap, it turns Red (State 1).
    • Why: Similar to (1,2).
  3. Tap (4,2): The cell displays 2. On the first tap, it turns Red (State 1).
    • Why: Similar to (1,2).
  4. Tap (5,3): The cell displays 2. On the first tap, it turns Red (State 1).
    • Why: Similar to (1,2). This confirms that most N=2 cells do not turn Green on the first tap.
  5. Tap (1,2) (Second Tap): The cell turns Orange (State 2).
    • Why: This cell reaches its target Orange state.
  6. Tap (2,2) (Second Tap): The cell turns Orange (State 2).
    • Why: This cell reaches its target Orange state.
  7. Tap (4,2) (Second Tap): The cell turns Orange (State 2).
    • Why: This cell reaches its target Orange state.
  8. Tap (5,3) (Second Tap): The cell turns Orange (State 2).
    • Why: This cell reaches its target Orange state.

At this point (0:36 in the video), with multiple cells left in Light Green (for N=3, N=5 cells) or Green (for N=1, N=2 (3,3) cells), and other cells untouched (those with numbers 1, 2, 6, 6, 5, 7, 8), the game automatically completes, turning all cells uniformly Green. This is the crucial ending, revealing that the player's goal was to bring a specific subset of cells to their determined target states, not necessarily all to green manually.

Why Game Is Hard Level 97 Feels So Tricky

Level 97 throws several curveballs that make it genuinely hard, living up to the game's title. The primary difficulty stems from a series of misdirections and hidden rules.

Deceptive "Coloring by Numbers" Hint

The hint "It's like coloring by numbers" appears only after the level is completed and all cells are magically green. This phrase usually implies that each number corresponds to a specific final color. However, the initial goal is not to turn every 1 red, every 2 orange, etc. Instead, the final resolution turns all cells green. This misdirects players into thinking they need to set temporary colors based on N, only for the actual completion to override it. The real "coloring by numbers" refers to N dictating the intermediate target color that needs to be achieved for the auto-completion trigger.

Inconsistent Initial States for Identical Numbers

The most perplexing trap is the inconsistent behavior of cells with the same number. For instance, the cell (3,3) containing 2 turns Green on the very first tap. In stark contrast, (1,2), (2,2), (4,2), and (5,3)—all containing 2—turn Red on their first tap. This implies that each cell has a hidden "pre-applied taps" count (T_start) that is unique to its position or some complex interaction, rather than being solely dependent on its numerical value. Players attempting to apply a consistent rule based on N will quickly get frustrated as it fails to predict the first tap's outcome. The solution lies in observing the first tap's color to deduce T_start, and then calculating remaining taps.

Misleading Bottom Bars

The five green and five red bars at the bottom of the screen are a significant source of misdirection. Visually, they suggest rules or properties for columns (green) and rows (red), or perhaps indicate a count of certain colored cells. However, they remain static throughout the gameplay and do not interact with the grid or change based on taps. Their purpose is purely to mislead players into searching for complex positional logic (e.g., column parity, row sums) that doesn't actually exist. They are a red herring, diverting attention from the true logic of individual cell states and tap requirements.

Complex Intermediate Target Logic

The game doesn't require all cells to be manually tapped to green. The auto-completion signifies that the puzzle is solved when a specific set of cells are brought to their intermediate target colors based on their N values, and then the game takes over. For example, most N=2 cells need to be brought to Orange, while N=3 cells need to be brought to Yellow. Crucially, some cells like (3,3) with 2 and (4,3) with 1 are meant to be green at this intermediate stage. This dual-layered target (intermediate N-color then universal Green) makes it hard to pin down the exact completion condition without trial and error.

The Logic Behind This Game Is Hard Level 97 Solution

From the Biggest Clue to the Smallest Detail

The fundamental logic of Level 97 hinges on two key components: the "coloring by numbers" hint and the observed color cycle. Each cell has a number N that indicates its intermediate target color. The cycle of colors is a fixed sequence (Red=1, Orange=2, Yellow=3, Light Green=4, Green=5), with Blue as the initial (state 0) and the cycle wrapping around after Green (state 5) back to Blue (state 0).

For each cell:

  1. Determine Target State (S_target): The number N in the cell maps to a target color state.
    • If N=1, target is Red (state 1).
    • If N=2, target is Orange (state 2).
    • If N=3, target is Yellow (state 3).
    • If N=4, target is Light Green (state 4).
    • If N=5, target is Green (state 5).
    • For numbers greater than 5, the pattern repeats: N=6 targets Red (state 1), N=7 targets Orange (state 2), N=8 targets Yellow (state 3). This can be generalized as S_target = (N - 1) % 5 + 1.
  1. Determine Hidden Initial State (T_start): When a cell is first tapped, it transitions from its hidden initial state (T_start) to S_first_tap = (T_start + 1) % 6. By observing S_first_tap, we can deduce T_start = (S_first_tap - 1 + 6) % 6. This T_start is unique for each cell, as evidenced by identical numbers yielding different first-tap colors.
  1. Calculate Required Taps (P_taps_needed): The player needs to apply P_taps_needed = (S_target - S_first_tap + 6) % 6 taps to bring the cell from its revealed first-tap state (S_first_tap) to its S_target.
  1. Identify Exceptions: A critical detail for cells (3,3) (value 2) and (4,3) (value 1) is that they are meant to be Green (state 5) as their intermediate target, not Orange (for 2) or Red (for 1). When tapped once, they turn Green and are left alone. This overrides the standard N to target color mapping for these specific cells. The level resolves automatically once all relevant cells (standard N mapping plus these exceptions) reach their respective intermediate target colors.

The Reusable Rule for Similar Levels

This level teaches a crucial pattern recognition skill common in "Game Is Hard" puzzles:

  • Observe First Tap Behavior: When a puzzle involves cycling states, always pay close attention to the first interaction with an element. If identical elements behave differently on the first tap, it indicates a hidden initial state or offset, likely determined by position.
  • Deduce Hidden States: Use the observed first-tap color and the known cycle to work backward and deduce the element's actual starting state.
  • Infer the "True" Rule for Numbers: If an overarching "coloring by numbers" or "number of taps" rule is given, test it against the observed behavior. If it's inconsistent, look for specific exceptions or positional overrides that adjust the rule for certain elements. The "Game Is Hard" often means the obvious interpretation of a number is flawed or contextual.
  • Look for Auto-Completion Triggers: If a game level ends automatically, it signals that the goal isn't necessarily to manually complete every single element but to achieve a specific configuration or trigger condition. Identify what states, for which elements, trigger this completion.

This approach—combining direct observation with backward deduction and an awareness of common puzzle misdirections—is invaluable for solving many similar challenging levels in the "Game Is Hard" series.

FAQ

Q1: Why do identical numbers (like 2) turn into different colors on the first tap? A1: This is the main trick of Level 97! Each cell starts with a hidden "pre-applied taps" count. This initial state varies across the grid, even for cells with the same number. When you tap a cell for the first time, its revealed color tells you its unique starting point in the color cycle, from which you then calculate the remaining taps needed.

Q2: What do the green and red bars at the bottom mean? A2: The five green and five red bars are primarily a visual misdirection. In Level 97, they don't directly influence the color cycling logic or the number of taps required for any specific row or column. Their presence is meant to mislead players into looking for complex positional rules that aren't actually part of the solution.

Q3: How do I know when to stop tapping a cell if the goal is "coloring by numbers" but everything turns green in the end? A3: The "coloring by numbers" hint refers to an intermediate target state for each cell. You need to tap each cell until it reaches the color corresponding to its number (e.g., 3 to Yellow, 2 to Orange, 5 to Green), based on the color cycle. However, some specific cells (like (3,3) with 2 and (4,3) with 1) have an overridden target of Green. Once all active cells reach their respective intermediate targets, the level automatically completes by turning all cells uniformly green.