The new browser version of Threes follows up on multiple ports released in the wake of its initial launch in February of 2014. The in-browser port of Threes is compatible with a number of devices ranging from desktop computers to mobile phones, and is freely playable with no ad breaks, interruptions, or paywalls.
Threes is a sliding-tile puzzler in which players must merge numbered squares in order to earn a high score. Tiles with the same face value can combine to form a square with a larger point value, and more tiles enter the playfield with every move.
The core challenge in Threes involves positioning squares so that they’re likely to join up with like-numbered tiles within an increasingly crowded playfield. As the screen fills with tiles, matches must be carefully planned in advance, or players risk becoming overwhelmed with unusable squares.
Threes was a hit with critics, and a number of clone games hit mobile app stores shortly after its initial launch. Clone games like 2048 toned down Threes‘ high degree of difficulty, making for a more accessible (if watered-down) experience.
Despite Threes‘ popularity, developers Asher Vollmer and Greg Wohlwend faced difficulty in making their creation consistently profitable. An Xbox One edition with Snap support targeted the console market in late 2014, and an ad-supported, free-to-play version of Threes found success earlier this year in mobile app storefronts.
“It’s been working out pretty well,” Vollmer stated in response to a question regarding the free-to-play edition during a recent Reddit AMA. “One concern was that it might cannibalize sales of the paid version in some way but it seems to help out the paid version.”
Vollmer continued: “It is nowhere near the kind of reach that we’d of [sic] got if we released the original version for free, but that’s some hindsight nonsense. We’re definitely happy we made a free option for people to try, I feel it has been financially worth it and has really increased our audience. Now I even see Threes on the train sometimes!”
In addition to the free web version, Threes is also available as an app for iOS, Android, and Windows Phone devices.
