How much time do I start with?

You start with 100 seconds. Each star adds 2 seconds and clearing a scene adds 20 more.

Do the stars get harder to find?

Yes. On each new scene the stars get a little smaller and blend in more with the background.

What scenes are there?

Scenes are drawn as a cozy room, a sunny park, outer space or an underwater reef, with new layouts every game.

Hidden Stars Tips: Find Every Star Faster

Hidden Stars is a race against the clock. Each scene hides ten small stars tinted to blend in with their surroundings, and every scene hides them a little better than the last. You start with 100 seconds, and each find gives a little time back. These tips help you search smarter, waste fewer taps and clear more scenes in one game.

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Search in a pattern

Random scanning makes you look at the same spots twice. Zoom in a little and sweep the scene in strips, left to right, then move down. Pay most attention to busy areas such as shelves, flower beds, rocks and coral, where small shapes hide easily. Check the edges of the scene too, since they are easy to skip. Pinch or scroll to zoom and drag to pan, so you never need to strain your eyes.

Look for the shape

Stars take on the colours of whatever is behind them, so do not search for a yellow star. Search for the five-pointed outline instead. Points and straight edges stand out against round objects like leaves, bubbles and planets. Zooming in makes the outline much clearer, especially on later scenes where stars get smaller and fainter.

Avoid wasted taps

Each tap that misses costs 2 seconds, so only tap when you are fairly sure. If you think you see a star, zoom in to check before tapping. Each correct find adds 2 seconds and 10 points, so a careful find is always better than a quick guess. Found stars stay marked, so you will not waste time on the same spot twice.

Save your hints

You get three hints per scene. A hint circles the area around one remaining star and moves the camera there. Use hints for the last one or two stubborn stars rather than the first few, which you can usually find on your own. Clearing a scene without hints also earns an achievement. A hint is also worth using when the clock is low and one more find would save the run.

Bank time for later

Finding all ten stars adds 20 seconds and 50 points, and the clock carries over to the next scene. Fast clears in early scenes build a time cushion for the harder ones later. If a scene is going badly, a hint that finishes it quickly is worth more than struggling until time runs out.

Questions

How much time do I start with?: You start with 100 seconds. Each star adds 2 seconds and clearing a scene adds 20 more.
Do the stars get harder to find?: Yes. On each new scene the stars get a little smaller and blend in more with the background.
What scenes are there?: Scenes are drawn as a cozy room, a sunny park, outer space or an underwater reef, with new layouts every game.

Hidden Stars
Play Hidden Stars ›