Whack-a-Mole Tips: How to Get a High Score
To get a high score in Whack-a-Mole, keep your combo going: not letting a single mole escape is worth more than being fast. Grab golden moles first, hit the mole that came up first when two are out, rest your hand in the middle of the field, and never hit the turtle, which costs points and resets your combo.
1. Know what every pop-up is worth
In GameLake's Whack-a-Mole a round lasts 60 seconds, and three kinds of things pop out of the holes. Before you think about speed, it helps to know exactly what each one does to your score:
| Pop-up | Points | What else happens |
|---|---|---|
| Brown mole | 10 | Adds 1 to your combo |
| Golden mole (with a crown) | 50 | Adds 1 to your combo, and hides sooner than a brown mole |
| Sleepy turtle (blue nightcap) | −25 | Resets your combo to zero |
| Empty hole | 0 | Nothing: a miss costs you no points |
Two things stand out. A golden mole is worth as much as five brown ones, so it's always the first target. And a tap on an empty hole is free, so it's fine to swing early when you're sure a hole is about to open. The only tap that hurts is the one on the turtle.
2. Your combo matters more than your speed
Every mole you hit in a row adds to your combo, and a long combo multiplies the points of every mole after it. The multiplier is shown next to your score (×1, ×2, ×3 or ×4):
| Moles in a row | Multiplier | A brown mole is worth | A golden mole is worth |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–4 | ×1 | 10 | 50 |
| 5–9 | ×2 | 20 | 100 |
| 10–19 | ×3 | 30 | 150 |
| 20 or more | ×4 | 40 | 200 |
The combo ends when a mole or golden mole hides without being hit, or when you hit the turtle. Missing an empty hole doesn't break it. That changes how you should play: twenty brown moles hit in one unbroken run score 480 points, while the same twenty moles hit in short runs of four score only 200. Letting one mole get away in the middle of a long run costs you far more than the 10 points it was worth.
When the field gets busy, it's better to calmly hit every mole a little later than to rush, miss one, and lose a ×3 or ×4 combo.
3. When two moles are up, hit the oldest one first
As the round goes on, moles appear more often and stay up for less time, so you'll often see two or three at once. Most players hit whichever is nearest. A better rule is to hit the one that came up first: it will be the first to hide, and an escaped mole breaks your combo. The newer mole will still be there a moment later.
A mole that is starting to sink is the clearest sign: it has only a fraction of a second left. Golden moles are the exception to the rule. They hide sooner than brown moles and are worth five times as much, so go for gold first and then deal with the rest.
4. Rest your hand in the middle
Most people react to something they see in roughly a quarter of a second, and then the finger or mouse still has to travel. You can't do much about the reaction, but you can shorten the trip. Between hits, bring your finger (or mouse) back to the middle of the field. From there, every hole is a short move away, and no hole is a long trip from where you were.
On a phone or tablet, try using two thumbs: one for the left column and one for the right, with either thumb taking the middle. GameLake counts several fingers at once, so two moles that pop up together can be hit together. On a computer, the keyboard is often faster than the mouse: the keys Q W E, A S D and Z X C match the three rows of holes (on Easy, the top two rows).
5. Never hit the turtle
The sleepy turtle is the one thing in the game that punishes speed. Hitting it costs 25 points and wipes out your combo, so one careless tap during a ×4 run can cost you hundreds of points. Turtles also stay up longer than moles and become more common later in the round, exactly when you're tapping fastest.
- Learn its shape. The turtle is wider than a mole, green, with a shell and a blue nightcap. Moles are tall and brown (or gold).
- Look, then tap. Something green appearing in your eye's corner is your cue to slow down for a split second.
- Leave it alone. You never have to deal with the turtle. It sinks by itself, and letting it go costs nothing.
6. Pick the right level and practise smart
Each level changes the field and the pace. On Easy there are 6 holes and moles stay up for almost two seconds at the start. Medium has 9 holes and up to three moles at once. Hard has 9 holes and moles that hide after about half a second by the end of the round, with more turtles. Stars are awarded for your score on each level, so a three-star Easy round is a great goal before moving up.
Turn on Teach me to practise with Hop: he points at the next hole a mole will pop out of before it happens, warns you when the turtle appears, and slows the round down a little. Coached rounds don't count for your best score, so you can experiment freely. When you're ready, the Daily gives everyone the same moles in the same holes, which makes it the fairest way to compare scores with friends, and the Race tab lets you play the same round against someone else at the same time and watch each other's score live.
New to the game, or curious where it came from? Read what Whack-a-Mole is and how it started, then play Whack-a-Mole and see how long you can keep that combo going.
Frequently asked questions
What's the best strategy for Whack-a-Mole?
Keep your combo alive: hit every mole before it hides, golden moles first, the oldest mole first when two are up, and never the turtle. A long combo multiplies your points up to four times.
Does missing cost points?
No. Tapping an empty hole costs nothing and doesn't break your combo. Only letting a mole escape (which ends the combo) or hitting the turtle (−25 points and the combo ends) hurts.
How many points is a golden mole worth?
50 points, five times a brown mole, before the combo multiplier. With a ×4 combo a golden mole is worth 200.
Is it faster to play with the mouse or the keyboard?
For many people the keyboard is faster, because each hole has its own key and your hand doesn't have to travel: Q W E, A S D and Z X C match the rows of holes.
Why do I keep losing my combo near the end?
Moles appear more often and hide sooner as the 60 seconds run down, so two or three are up at once. Hit the one that came up first, because it hides first, and don't let the turtle tempt you.