How to get better at spot-the-difference puzzles
Practice comparing regions, outlines and colors with Yyoki’s lotus pond puzzle. Learn how multiplayer scoring, the wrong-answer pause and small-screen controls work.
Written and reviewed by the Yyoki product team
1. Compare four regions in the same order
Divide both pictures into upper left, upper right, lower left and lower right. Finish one region before moving to the next so you can remember where you have looked. In the lotus pond example below, use the large leaves at the top, the bridge in the middle and the lower leaves as landmarks.
2. Check outlines and the empty space around them
Follow an object’s edge and look for an extra decoration or a small object outside it. In the lotus pond example, a dragonfly is added beside the large leaf at the top. Differences are not always on edges, so compare the inside of an object after checking its outline.
3. Match colors at the same location
Even when the overall scene looks similar, matching individual objects can reveal a color change. In the lotus pond example, one of the front posts on the wooden bridge turns green. Compare the vertical posts one by one instead of looking at the whole bridge at once.
4. Count repeated shapes and check their spacing
For pictures with repeated windows, petals or decorations, count the shapes in each picture. If the counts match, compare their spacing and direction. This is a comparison technique for repeated patterns; it does not mean every puzzle contains a change in the number of objects.
5. In multiplayer, choose clear differences that remain unfound
Yyoki awards one point for a difference accepted first by the server. A difference found by another player is marked for everyone and cannot earn another point. Exclude those marks and compare what remains. A wrong answer pauses your input for one second, so check a location before clicking instead of repeatedly guessing.
6. On a small screen, tap the center of a difference
A finger can cover part of a phone screen, so finish comparing before tapping the center of the change. The full game adjusts small input targets before the server makes the final check. When a Finder hint appears, you still need to tap its location to claim the answer. If the display or judging causes a problem, send your device and a description of what happened through the contact page.
7. Practice a comparison route in the trial and solo mode
The trial needs no login and contains one lotus pond picture pair with five differences. Three of them are explained below, so try the puzzle first and open only the explanations you need. To practice with several pictures, start as a guest from the home page and choose Solo. The full game’s solo mode records completion time without a time limit; multiplayer is a score contest within a shared time limit.
Practice a comparison route with the lotus pond puzzle
This is the actual puzzle in the Yyoki trial. Compare the pictures first, then open the explanations to check which kinds of changes you missed.
Show explanations for three differences (spoilers)
- Added object: compare the space beside the large leaf at the top. A small dragonfly appears in the changed picture. Follow the empty space outside the leaf as well as its outline.
- Color change: look at the posts descending from the wooden bridge in the middle. One front post turns green in the changed picture. Compare each vertical post before counting the horizontal planks.
- Added flower bud: compare the broad dark leaf at the lower right. A white flower bud appears in the changed picture. On a dark background, look for the outline of a light object.