This article contains everything you need to know about Arkadium's Bubble Shooter game.
Use the list below to navigate specific topics about Bubble Shooter.
How to play
Aim and shoot using your mouse to match bubbles and finish the level to earn more moves
Tips
1. Study the board before taking your first shot
At the beginning of each level, identify:
large groups of matching colors;
bubbles supporting large sections of the board;
narrow openings leading to the upper rows;
Steel, Lightning, Explosive, and Ice Bubbles;
colors that appear only a few times.
A few seconds of planning can help you avoid blocking an important path or wasting bubbles on small, isolated matches.
2. Remember that a match requires three bubbles
A group pops when your shot creates a cluster of at least three connected bubbles of the same color. The bubble you fire counts as part of that group, so you can shoot one bubble into a matching pair to remove all three.
Check that your shot will connect directly to the intended group. If it attaches to the wrong side or lands in an empty space, it may add another obstacle instead of removing bubbles.
3. Aim carefully before releasing the shot
Accuracy is especially important near narrow gaps and crowded sections of the board. Use the aiming guide to confirm where the bubble will land and consider how neighboring bubbles may affect its final position.
A missed shot can block access to a valuable group, close a useful shooting lane, or bring the bubble formation closer to the bottom of the playing field.
4. Prioritize bubbles that support large sections
Look for a small group of bubbles connecting a much larger section to the ceiling. If you remove that supporting group, every bubble no longer connected to the ceiling will fall.
This is usually more efficient than popping several small groups individually. It also produces a higher score because falling bubbles are worth twice as many points as bubbles removed through a standard match.
5. Use the next-bubble preview
Always check both the current bubble and the next bubble before choosing a target. Your current shot should ideally prepare a useful position for the color that follows.
If the next bubble completes a stronger match, consider using the current bubble to build toward it rather than taking a small immediate match elsewhere.
6. Switch bubbles when the next color creates a better opportunity
You can switch between the two bubbles shown in the shooter. Before every shot, compare the available targets for both colors.
Switch when the next bubble can:
complete a larger group;
reach a more valuable supporting bubble;
activate a special bubble;
open a blocked path;
avoid placing the current color in an unhelpful position.
Do not switch automatically. Consider which firing order creates the stronger two-shot combination.
7. Set up future matches when no immediate match is available
Sometimes neither available bubble can create an immediate group of three. In that situation, place a bubble beside another bubble of the same color to prepare a match for a later shot.
Choose a setup position that remains accessible. Avoid placing the bubble where another color may block it before the matching shot becomes available.
8. Target hanging bubbles instead of clearing them individually
When several bubbles hang beneath a small supporting group, target the connection holding them to the ceiling. Removing that connection can drop the entire section at once.
Before taking the shot, trace the group upward and confirm which bubbles are keeping it attached. The most obvious matching cluster is not always the most valuable target.
9. Use bank shots to reach blocked areas
A bank shot bounces the fired bubble off a side wall. Use it to reach groups that cannot be targeted with a direct shot or to pass around bubbles blocking the center of the board.
Follow the aiming guide carefully and check the complete path before firing. A small change in the angle can make the bubble land in a different position than intended.
10. Preserve clear shooting lanes
Avoid filling narrow gaps unless doing so creates an immediate advantage. An open lane may allow you to reach a valuable group near the ceiling or activate a special bubble later.
When choosing between two similar matches, prefer the one that leaves more of the upper board accessible.
11. Use special bubbles strategically
Special bubbles can change the board significantly:
Lightning Bubbles clear a horizontal line when activated.
Explosive Bubbles destroy the surrounding bubbles when hit.
Steel Bubbles cannot be matched and must be disconnected from the ceiling.
Ice Bubbles change color when matches are made beside them.
Before activating a special bubble, check whether another move could increase the number of bubbles affected.
If a Lightning or Explosive Bubble is dropped without being activated, it may be added to your shooter for controlled use. Consider whether collecting it would be more valuable than triggering it immediately.
12. Use power-ups on difficult obstacles
The Instant Lightning power-up adds a Lightning Bubble to the shooter. Use it when a horizontal clear will remove a difficult section or disconnect a large group.
The Heat Wave changes frozen bubbles to match the color currently loaded in the cannon. Use it when Ice Bubbles are blocking an important route or preventing a large match.
Save power-ups for situations where they materially improve the board rather than using them on groups that can already be cleared normally.
13. Conserve bubbles in the early levels
Later levels become more difficult, so complete the early stages with as few shots as reasonably possible. Extra bubbles carried forward can provide more opportunities when the layouts become crowded or contain additional obstacles.
Do not sacrifice a strong board-clearing move merely to save one shot. Efficient clearing is more important than conserving bubbles without a plan.
14. Play for falling bubbles to maximize your score
Bubbles removed through a regular match are worth:
10 × number of bubbles × current multiplier
Bubbles that fall because they are disconnected from the ceiling are worth twice as much:
20 × number of falling bubbles × current multiplier
Completing a level increases the multiplier by one. As the multiplier grows, large drops become increasingly valuable.
15. Plan combinations instead of isolated shots
Before firing, think about how the board may look after the current bubble is placed or removed.
A strong plan may involve:
placing a bubble to build a group;
switching to the next color;
removing a supporting cluster;
dropping the bubbles beneath it;
opening a path to a special bubble or another large group.
The best shot is often the one that creates the strongest follow-up opportunity, not the one that removes the most bubbles immediately.
Types of Bubbles
There are several types of bubbles in the game, which have different effects against other bubbles.
Regular Bubble
The regular bubble can be matched with three or more bubbles of the same type. When hit in clusters of 3 or more, it will pop, along with all of the bubbles of the same color touching it.
Lightning Bubble
The lightning bubble, when matched with two of the same color, will horizontally drop every bubble in its own line, giving you a massive advantage.
If you manage to drop the bubbles holding a lightning bubble without popping it, it will be added as your next bubble to fire. This bubble can fire in a line clearing any path you want in the board.
Steel Bubble
The steel bubble can't be matched with others of the same color. It functions as an obstacle. To drop one, simply clear all of the bubbles around it, so that it can fall.
Explosive Bubble
The explosive bubble blows up all of the others around it, as long as it's hit by any bubble, no matter the color. If you manage to match the bubbles around it and drop it, it will be added as your next bubble to fire, with the same effect, but under your control.
Ice Bubble
Clusters of ice bubbles will be an obstacle for you. These bubbles can't be matched with others of the same color, but you can slowly melt them by matching bubbles around them. Any bubble matching done that's touching ice bubbles, will convert the touching ice bubbles to the same color.
Power-ups
Introducing the all-new power-ups. These are bonus items that can help you defeat hard obstacles in the game. They can be purchased for gems, and one of each is included for Arkadium Plus subscribers.
The Instant Lightning will add a lightning bubble to the top of your cannon, while the Heat Wave will melt the frozen bubbles into the same color as the bubble on the top of your cannon.
Scoring
This is how the scoring of the game functions.
Bubbles popped by match: 10 * number of bubbles popped * multiplier
Bubbles popped by falling down: 10 * 2 * number of bubbles popped * multiplier [in other words, bubbles that fall down are worth 2x as much as matched bubbles]
NOTE: completing a level adds +1 to the multiplier