Quick answers about saving, accounts, the Daily set and hints. If you just want to try a puzzle, open the Library. You don’t need an account.
Progress and accounts
Can I play without an account?
Yes. Choose Continue as guest and start playing. Puzzles you finish as a guest are saved in that browser, on that device. They won’t show up in another browser, in a private window or on another device, and clearing your browser data can remove them.
Does Ponder save unfinished puzzles?
No. Your moves, Undo history and resets only last while the board is open. Reloading, closing the tab or leaving an unfinished board means those moves are lost. Ponder records when you start a board and when you finish it, and finished puzzles stay on your record. If you want to keep a solve, finish it before you close the board.
Links to the guides, the journal and this page open in the same tab, so following one takes you away from your board. To read while you play, open the link in a new tab. A Daily Race clock keeps running while you read.
How do I add guest progress to my account?
Sign in on the browser where you played as a guest. In Settings, open Guest progress and account deletion and choose Add guest progress. Check that the account shown is the right one before you continue. Your account keeps everything it already had, and the guest records are removed from that device only after the server confirms the import.
The import brings across completed Library, Weekly and Calm puzzles. It doesn’t bring unfinished moves, Undo history, times or hint counts, and guest play never becomes a ranked Race result. If the import fails, leave your browser data alone and try again when you’re connected.
Why does the same puzzle show different progress in different places?
The Library, the Weekly collection, Daily Calm and Race each keep their own progress, so finishing a board in the Library won’t mark it finished anywhere else. Your Profile’s lifetime total counts each puzzle once, even if you’ve completed it in more than one place.
Daily and Weekly play
What’s the difference between Calm and Race?
Calm lets you work through the Daily set at your own pace and stop between boards. Race is one continuous timed run, and its results can be compared with friends and groups. Choosing Calm means you can’t enter that day’s ranked Race, so decide before you look at the puzzles. Choose a way to play explains more.
Can I pause or restart a Race?
There’s no pause. The clock runs across all the stages, including while the tab is in the background. Restarting makes that day’s attempt unranked rather than giving you a fresh one, and leaving or reloading doesn’t reset the time. If your clock is an estimate or a result is waiting for confirmation, Ponder needs a connection to confirm it.
When do new Daily puzzles appear?
The Daily set changes at midnight UTC. Today shows a countdown to the next set, so you don’t have to work out the time zone yourself. The next set can’t be opened before the countdown ends.
Can I come back to a Weekly collection?
Yes. The Weekly collection is meant to be played over several visits, and finished boards stay recorded. A collection you’ve started stays available after its week ends. Unfinished moves inside a board still follow the rule above, so finish a board before you leave it.
Hints and replay
What does Hint do?
It highlights a next move or an entry to rethink. Some hints explain a rule; others show part of the checked solution. You make the change yourself. After a hint there’s a short wait before you can ask for another. In a Race, your hint count appears next to your result but adds no time. How Ponder’s hints work has examples.
Can I replay a puzzle I’ve finished?
Yes, in the Library, and your first completion stays on your record. A replay is practice, so finishing the same puzzle again doesn’t add to your lifetime total of unique puzzles. Daily competition has its own rules, and replaying doesn’t create another ranked attempt.
Connection and help
Can I start a new board offline?
No. You need a connection to open or re-open any board, including the next Library, Weekly or Calm puzzle. If your connection drops mid-puzzle, keep the tab open and reconnect when Ponder needs to confirm something. Pages that load offline don’t mean a new puzzle can start offline.
Where are the appearance settings?
The theme and motion controls are in the game’s Settings and at the top of these reading pages. Guides and articles use the same light, dark and motion choices as the game, as long as you’re on the same browser and site address. Reduced motion settles the page straight away while keeping clues, feedback and controls readable.
How do I report a problem?
If a board looks wrong, check the family rules and try a hint first. If you still need help, email hello@decentsoftware.com.au with the puzzle family, the page address, your device and browser, and what happened. Please don’t send a sign-in code or password. The Privacy Policy explains how we handle what you send.