Bolt Workshop

Puzzle · 1 player

How to play

The master's workbench is piled with overlapping wood, metal and glass plates, all held down by colorful bolts. Unscrew an exposed bolt and it flies into the box of its color; full boxes ship out, and any plate with nothing left holding it clatters to the floor. Plan badly and the holding tray fills up, jamming the whole workshop. 60 hand-tuned levels, a daily job and 17 achievements are waiting.

1. 1Tap a bolt with no plate on top of it; it comes out and goes to the box of the same color.
2. 2If no box matches its color, the bolt drops into the holding tray below. A full tray blocks new bolts, so think about the order.
3. 3A box ships out once it holds three bolts and the next color arrives; matching bolts in the tray jump into it on their own.
4. 4Drop every plate to finish the level. Finish without any help to earn 3 stars.
5. 5Stuck? Undo, drill out a covered bolt or open an extra tray slot. Drills and extra slots are earned every four levels and from the daily job.

About Bolt Workshop

Bolt Workshop is a sorting puzzle in which you clear a crowded workbench by removing the bolts that hold overlapping plates in place, in the right order. The plates are made of wood, metal, glass and other materials, and bolts come in eight colours. Every coloured box takes three bolts; once it fills up it leaves and the next colour arrives. That queue is the heart of the puzzle, because any bolt you remove before its box shows up has to wait on the small holding tray below.

Sixty levels climb through six tiers, from the Apprentice bench to Head master. Early levels have few plates and plenty of tray space, while later ones tuck plates beneath each other, mix colours together and fill the tray fast. The Daily job, refreshed every day, adds a short but demanding task, and finishing it on consecutive days builds a streak.

It appeals to anyone who likes to think at a calm pace: there is no timer, only the limit of the tray. Seventeen achievements, collected stars and a running bolt count show your progress. Helpers such as the drill and the extra tray come to the rescue when you are stuck, but using them means three stars are out of reach for that level.

Strategy and tips

• Before tapping a bolt, check whether a box of that colour is on screen; removing bolts that already have a box keeps the tray empty.
• Prioritise bolts that will release the topmost plate; every plate that falls uncovers the bolts below and widens your choices.
• Keep track of the colours waiting on the tray. When a matching box arrives, the waiting bolts of that colour slide into it on their own and the tray suddenly breathes again.
• When only one tray slot is left, avoid opening a new colour; save that last space for a bolt whose box is about to arrive.
• The drill removes even a covered bolt, so save it to rescue a critical colour that is buried while the tray is almost full.
• The extra tray can be opened only once per level. Use it only when there is truly no way out, since both helpers are restocked every four levels and by the Daily job.
• If you spot a mistake, undo it right away; even after the tray fills and the workshop locks, stepping back one move is often enough.

Frequently asked questions

Is the level lost if the workshop locks?

No. When the tray is full and no bolt can be removed, you can undo one move or restart the level from the beginning.

How do I earn three stars?

Finish the level without any help. Using undo, the drill or the extra tray lowers the number of stars you receive.

How are the drill and extra tray earned?

They are added to your stock every four levels and whenever you finish the Daily job. The achievements window shows how many you have left.

Can I play on a phone?

Yes. Just tap the head of the bolt you want to remove; the helper buttons sit at the bottom of the screen.