Puzzle matching games cracked the world of gaming open for many of us years ago, converting those who only wanted smartphones for social media into gamers. At the helm of that conversion wave is the iconic Candy Crush.
Despite having simple mechanics, nobody thought that lining objects up by threes turned out to be alluring (okay, “addicting” would be a much more fitting term). Admit it, whether you are a competitive or casual gamer, it’s nearly impossible to just play one round.
Now, games in the genre come in different flavors and themes—it’s not all about candies, cakes, and fairies anymore. Let’s face it, those older forms do not appeal as much to boys who–after all–still comprise the majority of the global gamer population.
That likely explains the brilliant move made by Space Ape Games, the developer behind Chrome Valley Customs, to build one for the boys. Gearheads, grease monkeys, and—well simply everyone who adores cars regardless of gender—now have a go-to puzzle matching game!
In Chrome Valley Customs, you help run an auto restoration shop where you take on one client’s request per chapter. You need to earn coins to pay for new parts and other actions needed to restore vehicles. Your duty is to turn what’s derelict into dashing!
To get coins, you need to finish levels, which will become increasingly complicated as you advance to further chapters. In this Chrome Valley Customs guide, we aim to give you tips, tricks, and strategies that will rev up your puzzle-solving engine. Put your mechanic clothes on and open the garage gate up as we get things started!
1. LEARN TO SURVEY THE BOARD
Before you attack the tiles and begin a swiping spree, it is advisable to see the entire picture first. Simply going for what can match will be a short-lived strategy. We will digest here what a board offers.
Checking the number of moves available will give you an idea of how easy or tricky a level is. Another sign is the difficulty indicator—yellow means Normal, red is Hard, and purple means reminds you that you’re at a Super Hard level. Basically, the harder the level, the fewer errors you are allowed to have.
When you get to higher levels, the number of objectives increases while the moves allowed decrease. Keep this in mind to gradually prepare yourself in prioritizing matches to create or anticipate Boosters. We will be tackling the power of each Booster and their combos in this guide too.
While at it, inspect how the board looks. Specifically, you want to see how many tiles are exposed, what kind of barriers are there, and what Booster combos would be the most appropriate to use.
As you progress through higher levels, new board elements will be introduced. Normally, it happens at every 50 levels. You will be given a brief run-through on how to deal with them; just pay attention and remember how to tackle every obstacle type.
The most crucial thing to remember about Chrome Valley Customs and what sets it apart from other puzzle matching games is that you are not scored for the matches you make. There is no such thing as bonuses for continuous, free-flowing matches like streaks or combos either.
Your focus should be purely on meeting the objectives. The task is to remove or collect whatever items are listed on the left-hand side of a puzzle screen.
Most objectives can be dealt with just by matching tiles next to them and there are also ones that require a Booster to be “smashed.” Calculate your moves and allocate Boosters to handle items like Radiators and Emblems.
2. BE FAMILIAR WITH THE BOOSTERS
When tiles are arranged in a particular pattern and quantity, Boosters or power tiles appear. Using them is more efficient than plainly matching tiles in threes.
As you advance to higher levels and encounter ones rated Hard or Super Hard, you will have to rely on Boosters. This section of our Chrome Valley Customs guide is dedicated to telling you everything you need to know about power tiles.
Engine Fan (spinner)
An Engine Fan is created each time four, identical, normal tiles are arranged in a 2×2 square. When activated, it will hit four adjacent tiles (the one on its top, bottom, left, and right).
While it hits the least amount of tiles upon use, its secondary action is what makes it special—it will fly and seek to take out one objective regardless of location. Although they are generally reliable, if you have four objectives, the chance to hit a preferred target is essentially split into four (that’s a 25% chance of hitting what you actually want).
Nitro (line rocket)
A Nitro is produced when four identical, normal tiles are lined vertically or horizontally. Its specialty is taking out an entire row or column, depending on its orientation.
If a Nitro is created through the usual tile spawning (the natural refilling of spaces when tiles are removed), their orientations are random. Meanwhile, if one is made by manually switching tiles, it will depend on the swipe that invoked it. If it’s an upward or downward swipe, it’ll be a vertical Nitro; if it’s sideways, then it’s horizontal.
Oil Barrel (Bomb)
An Oil Barrel will appear when five identical, normal tiles form two connected lines of 3s; it can be in an “L” or “T” pattern. When detonated, it will hit tiles within a 5×5 area with the Oil Barrel as the center.
If the required pattern for an Oil Barrel is achieved through the natural replenishment of tiles, it will be prioritized over a Nitro even if one of the segments of the T or L has four tiles lined up.
Turbo (colored gauge)
The strongest power tile in the game. It is created when five identical, non-obstacle tiles form a line. Given that, it takes luck or planning to make one because it needs two pairs of identical tiles lined up separated by a different one in the middle.
A plain tap on it will randomly select one of the tiles it touches and then all identical tiles throughout the board will be removed. Alternatively, actively switching with a nearby tile will eliminate the random element.
However, the true power of the Turbo is its effect when used with another Booster. When combined with any of the above three power tiles, a certain amount of exposed tiles of a particular color will be turned into whatever power tile it is merged with. Consider it a blessing when you’re able to combo up!
Turbo + Engine Fan: Mixing these two will create Engine Fans which will all go off and do their standard 1-2 effect as usual. Take note that the number of transformed objects will depend on how many tiles are visible, so this combo is the least efficient when most of the board is not exposed yet.
Despite potentially offering the most limited tile coverage, this duo is the most effective when dealing with multi-layer targets because each activated Engine Fan counts as one hit each. Aim for this for those stubborn objectives!
Turbo + Nitro: Exposed tiles of a particular color will be converted to Nitro which will activate as usual. The spawned Nitros will have random orientations so a few spots may be missed. If a lane or a grid is affected by a Nitro more than once, it will take more than one instance of damage.
This combination may miss some squares, but the lanes of damage and chance to hit twice make a great tool when dealing with Hot Rods, Tool Cabinets, Vending Machines, and Pistons.
Turbo + Oil Barrel: Some visible tiles will become Oil Barrels which will all explode at once. If you get to mix these two, there is a good chance that all current normal tiles will be cleared!
Aim to go for this combo if you are dealing with a board that has Coolers and Blue Ring Makers. Although it offers the best chance to hit everything, the bombs going off at the same time means it can only deal one layer of damage, making it the least efficient against layered objectives.
Turbo + Turbo: Having two Turbos already takes luck to happen, let alone merging two of them. When this fortunate scenario is available to you, seize it as will cause an explosion that will hit every grid on the map twice!
The sheer power of a Turbo combo can solve a lot of problems so it is often worth to devote 2-3 moves to make one. That is especially true when there are already other Boosters nearby.
To recap, all areas covered by Fog, Gates, and similar barriers that offer a layer of protection won’t spawn power tiles. However, such barriers can be dealt with as usual once the Boosters activate.
Sometimes, combining lesser power tiles is enough to do the clearing work. That is applicable when you want to save a Turbo for later use. It helps to be familiar with how other Boosters interact and they are listed below:
Engine Fan + Engine Fan: A small detonation will happen on a 3×3 area and then three Engine Fans will fly to take out valuable tiles that will help with the objectives.
Engine Fan + Nitro: The phase one action of the Engine Fan will take on the grid/square where the combination happens. After which, the Nitro will be sent to fly across the board where objectives will be hit.
It is important to note that the orientation of the Nitro will remain the same upon landing. What’s good about this combo is that it can land on a row or column where tiles cannot spawn, enabling you to hit hard-to-reach objectives/barriers.
Engine Fan + Oil Barrel: The Engine Fan will activate on the grid/square of the switch, taking out nearby tiles within its usual cross pattern. Similar to what happens with Nitros, the Oil Barrel will be sent to explode at an objective-rich area.
Nitro + Nitro: Upon combining, the Nitros will do their usual single-lane effect but with a cross pattern. This is regardless of whether the two Nitros are both horizontal or vertical. Think of the result as the phase one effect of an Engine Fan on steroids!
Nitro + Oil Barrel: From the square/grid where the switch takes place, a huge cross-pattern explosion will rage on. The explosion lane has a width of three squares, giving it an effective, long-range clearance effect. Essentially, a beefed-up version of a double Nitro.
Oil Barrel + Oil Barrel: If an Oil Barrel can cover a 5×5 zone, combining two amps up the blast radius to 9×9. It can take out nearly the entire board if the explosion happens at the dead center! Just note that despite the wide area, objectives and obstacles will only be affected once.
Basically, all power tiles can amplify each other’s effect. There are only two things you need to consider when there is more than one combo available for you.
First, take note of what Boosters are available and their effects when used as solo or in combination. Their specialties should be considered—Engine Fans for multi-hit obstacles, Nitro for lined-up or distant targets, and Oil Barrel for area coverage.
Second, be mindful of the number of objectives left. If it requires more than one combo to clear them, it will be smart to “budget” the Boosters and avoid setting them off at the same time. In the screenshot above, the Oil Barrel + Oil Barrel combo can first be used to hit a wide area while saving up the Turbo + Engine Fans to finish the job.
With the strengths of each Booster and their combinations now clear, you should now have an idea of when to equip one or the entire set when faced with a challenging board. Consuming start-up Boosters is most fitting when reattempting a level that you have failed in since you already know what can work best.
3. BUILD YOUR PLAYING MOMENTUM
Each time you clear a board, you are given a Supercharger stack. You can hold a maximum number of three at a time. Supercharger gives you a jumpstart through free Boosters:
1 stack = Engine Fan and Nitro
2 stacks = Engine Fan, Nitro, and Oil Barrel
3 stacks = Engine Fan, Nitro, Oil Barrel, and Turbo
If the free Boosters are not enough of a reason to keep on playing, think instead of the bar on top of the screen that gets filled each time you finish a puzzle. That, right, there is for the event rewards.
A wide array of bonuses awaits you each time you fill that bar and the sweetest of them is the infinite lives for a limited duration. In Chrome Valley Customs, just like with any puzzle matching game, the most valuable resource is the lives—the chances you get to finish a board.
The best part about getting an infinite lives buff is that your lives will be replenished back to 5/5, assuring that you can hold a longer puzzle-solving session! Not only that, if you manage to get another such buff, the duration will be extended in full.
Other perks from it are coin multipliers, infinite Boosters (time-limited), and gems. You can check the plotted rewards by tapping on the bar. All these nifty rewards are useful and act like the game’s way to acknowledge that Chrome Valley Customs is not a walk in the candy store *wink*.
There’s a bit of a catch, though. Those rewards and the requirements to fill the bar have a time limit so the bonus you’re expecting and the progress you made—say, if you play today–might no longer be there if it will take you a day or two to return to the game.
A similar feature is the version of a battle pass in Chrome Valley Customs, the Chrome Pass. Just like anywhere else, it has multiple checkpoints with equivalent rewards.
If you continuously play, and finish levels, you can bank the perks up and “withdraw” them whenever you wish. You can opt to harvest the time-limited buffs for stretches you feel ready to take on multiple levels!
Another reason for playing continuously is the chance of being ranked in the Master Mechanic list. This is the leaderboard of Chrome Valley Customs.
The competition to be a top-ranked Master Mechanic is stiff and you need to stay active for its standard two-day duration so it’s really quite a feat. If you manage to make it to the top 10 at least, you are guaranteed a few rewards.
Still on the account of playing continuously, progressing in the story part can be postponed–just focus instead on finishing levels. While this trick is only psychological, it will be functional if you get to stock up on enough coins to finish a chapter.
At the end of every chapter, you will be given a bunch of rewards including a full set of Boosters, active items, gems, and–best of all–infinite lives. This can give you the surge you need when you get stuck with a particular board.
4. USE THE ACTIVE ITEMS WISELY
Active items are the ones on the right-hand column when you’re on a board. The earlier levels of Chrome Valley Customs have tutorials for each but in case you have speed-tapped past them, check the below recap and some tips on when it is best to use them.
Hammer – removes a normal tile and damages an objective once per use. It serves as a precise solution to hit just one square/grid. However, it will not work on Tires.
The best use for this is to remove a tile that prevents you from merging two Boosters. In the screenshot above, hammering the green tile will let you merge the Turbo and the Nitro. Limit the use of Hammer just for such occasions.
Saw – Hits the entire row where you tap it on. It is the perfect tool to hit multiple objects that are usually horizontally lined up like Coolers and Stereos.
Jack – Hits the entire column you select upon use. Best for dealing with vertically arranged Coolers and Stereos. Also, this is the go-to item for clearing an entire column where Tires are trapped, saving you the moves required to take out tiles underneath them.
Shuffle – rearranges all visible, normal tiles and Boosters across the board. If the only exposed items are Boosters and obstacles (like Cones and Tires), it will not do a thing.
Take note that of all the active items in Chrome Valley Customs, Shuffle is the only one with a random effect. Make sure to only use it when shaking the board up can likely give you favorable results.
In the screenshot above, the Turbo is trapped where only one column of tiles can reach it. A Shuffle is ideal to free it up and doing so may present a chance to bring it closer to the other Boosters, thus opening the possibility of a combo.
The most important thing to remember about active items is that they are hard to come by; the only certain means to get a few for free is by finishing a chapter. Occasionally, there may be trickles in event rewards, and due to their sheer rarity, you must only use them when necessary and on extremely difficult levels.
In general, the impact of active items is situational. They are best used when you barely have any moves left and when you are sure that you can finish a board with their help. Note that using them won’t count towards the moves limit.
5. KNOW THE BEST TIME TO USE GEMS
There are two main uses for the Gems: to refill your lives or get five more turns when you run out of moves. Both options require 900 Gems.
Considering that you only get 30 to 60 Gems each time you complete a level (depending on how many unused moves and Boosters remain), it will take quite a work to farm a usable amount.
The bonus Gems you get from rewards do help but no feature in Chrome Valley Customs gives an outright 900. It will take multiple levels and a few playing sessions to gather that much.
You know what that means—only use Gems when you truly need them. When is it exactly advisable to buy more lives or extend chances in a board?
Paying for five more moves is suitable when you are tackling a Hard (red) or Super Hard (purple) level and you’re certain that you are just within three moves away from clearing a puzzle. Getting to such a point takes luck because difficult levels often include fog or other obstacles where you cannot take on objectives right away—you must be given a good set of opening tiles to get there.
Another reasonable time to extend your turn is when you have already committed an active item and you realize that you still lack a couple of turns to finish the board. You have spent a limited resource anyway; might as well make it worth it and finish what you started.
One more clever use of life extension is when the event reward at hand is an infinite lives buff and you’re just a few (of whatever required) items away from earning it. You may not be able to recover the 900 gems for the buff’s duration but the momentum it can give you will help you finish or at least progress on your current chapter.
As for buying five lives, it is ideal when you have at least two time-limited, free Booster buffs. Starting a board with two readily available Boosters allows you to cut through tiles and objectives quickly, giving you a good chance to advance a few levels.
The life regeneration time in Chrome Valley Customs is 30 minutes while the longest duration of an infinite Booster buff is 45 minutes. Buying five lives to maximize the power tiles’ potential is perfectly justifiable since the handy Boosters will be instrumental for a head start.
Gems can also be used to buy additional active items but it will cost 1,900 to get three pieces. Since the most ideal time to use an active item is when you are nearly out of moves, simply going for the 900-gem option when a win is apparent is way more economical.
That completes our Chrome Valley Customs Tips, Tricks, and Strategies guide! We hope that what we have shared here equipped with you the tools and knowledge needed to finish every project and enjoy the stories that come with each of them.
Although the information we shared here is guaranteed to sharpen your puzzle matching prowess, always remember that no amount of skill can offset bad luck. There will be times that you may be stuck with one board for a day or two simply because good tiles are not coming.
Don’t get discouraged; that’s normal. The tide of the tiles will favor you soon if you just keep on trying. Every Master Mechanic went through that and we sure hope that everyone in our community can make it to the list with the help of this Chrome Valley Customs guide.
There are a lot of mechanics who have already completed all 16 available chapters to date. If you are one of them and we missed a trusty strategy, please share it with the Level Winner community. Likewise, if you are a new mechanic and want to know more, let us hear you.
Thank you for the time you spent reading our Chrome Valley Customs guide. Make sure to let your personality out with each project that you put your hands on and style the road up fancy!