Threader
Steer through walls of rock, each with a single gap. Hold either side of the screen to move, let go to hold your line. Every wall you clear speeds the field up and narrows the next gap — and each gap is placed within reach of the last, so every flight is survivable.
How it works
- Hold the left or right side of the screen to steer. Let go to hold your line.
- Walls of rock scroll towards you, each with a single gap to thread.
- Every wall you clear speeds the field up and narrows the next gap.
- Your score is the number of walls threaded. One collision ends the flight.
- Each gap is placed within reach of the last, so every flight is survivable with good steering.
Good if you want…
- Nerve rather than reaction speed
- A run that gets tighter as it goes
- No reading and no rules to learn
How to get better at Threader
Small corrections
Holding a side steers, and letting go holds your line. Most crashes come from over-steering: holding too long, overshooting the gap, and swinging back too late. Short taps and releases keep you under control.
Line up early
Look at the next wall as soon as it appears and start moving towards its gap straight away, so that by the time it arrives you are already in position and holding still. A gap reached early is easy; a gap reached at the last moment is a gamble.
Trust the spacing
Every gap is placed within reach of the last one, so there is always time to get there with good steering. When the field speeds up and gaps narrow, the answer is to start moving sooner, not to steer harder.
Choosing a speed
The tiers change more than speed. On the gentlest, gaps start wide and narrow slowly, and there is plenty of time between walls to reposition. On the hardest, the first gap is already tight, it closes up faster with every wall, and the time you have to react between walls is much shorter. The steering is the same throughout, so a tier you find comfortable is the best place to build the habit of small corrections.
Read two walls ahead
Because each gap is placed within reach of the one before, the path through a run has a shape: it drifts left or right rather than jumping about. Once you are through one gap, glance at where the next two are. If they are drifting the same way, start easing in that direction early and you will arrive at both in position.
When the next gap is on the far side of the screen, commit to the move straight away rather than waiting. A long move started early needs only a gentle hold; the same move started late needs a hard swing and a lucky stop.
Keep your thumbs relaxed
Tension leads to over-steering. Rest your thumbs lightly on either side of the screen and think of the controls as nudges rather than a steering wheel. Many players find their scores jump the day they stop gripping the phone.
Common mistakes
- Holding a side until you reach the gap. You will overshoot.
- Watching your ship instead of the next wall.
Threader questions
How is Threader scored?
By the number of walls threaded. One collision ends the flight.
Does it get harder?
Every wall you clear speeds the field up and narrows the next gap.
Threader in Winters Puzzles
Threader is one of 40 puzzles in Winters Puzzles, so it sits alongside Runner, Tower Stack, Rebound and everything else in the app rather than being a download of its own. It counts towards your stats and streak like any other puzzle. It is not one of the puzzle types included in Pip’s dailies.
Play Threader.
Free on iPhone and iPad, with 39 other puzzles alongside it. Or play it in your browser — no download, nothing to sign up for.
