Match Masters Solo Challenges: Rules, Targets & How to Win

In Match Masters Solo Challenges, every score target you reach gives you a prize: coins, trophies, stickers, SE and Legendary boosters, Booster Shields, perks, or Arcade Tokens. The prizes are different in every Solo Challenge. The event screen shows the score for each prize and the score you need to keep your booster. If you don’t reach that score, you lose the booster you played with.

Check that score and the event’s rules before you tap PLAY. That way, before you risk a booster, you can decide which one can get you to the target.

In this guide, we explain step by step how to keep your booster, what to check on the event screen, and the rules of every Solo Challenge type: Perfect Heist, Score Rally, Cosmic Rush, Mutation Lab, Speed Solo, Solo Quest, Booster Run, and Team Solo Challenge.

Match Masters Solo Challenges: Quick Guide

• No opponent, just score targets: In a Solo Challenge, you play alone and reach score targets one after another. Each target gives its prize once.
• Keeping your booster depends on your score: The “+ SCORE … POINTS TO KEEP YOUR BOOSTER” line on the event screen shows the score you need so you don’t lose your booster.
• You need a booster for every try: You can try the same Solo Challenge as many times as you like, but prizes you’ve already won aren’t given again.
• Some boosters work differently here: Match Masters has rebalanced some boosters for Solo Challenges. A booster you know from matches against an opponent may not have the same effect in a Solo Challenge.
• Pick your booster by game mode: The same booster can be very effective in one mode and less effective in another. Before you start the game, check the mode with the i icon on the PLAY button.
• Targets differ between events: Several Solo Challenges of the same type can be open at the same time. One may need 1,150 points, another 50,000 points.
• Each type unlocks in a league: Perfect Heist unlocks in the Master league, Score Rally in Grand Master, Cosmic Rush in Supreme Master, and Speed Solo and Solo Quest in the Legends League.

What Is a Solo Challenge and Where Do You Find It?

A Solo Challenge is a game you play alone, where you need to reach score targets. In a normal match, two players take turns on the same board; in a Solo Challenge, only you play on the board.

Solo Challenges are in the Events tab. Each Solo Challenge card has a 1P SOLO tag, the time left in the event, and a PLAY button. Several Solo Challenges can be open at the same time, sometimes even two of the same type. Each one has different targets and prizes.

Every Solo Challenge is played with a game mode. For example, in a Solo Challenge called “Score Rally – Hot Color”, the Score Rally rules and the Hot Color mode rules apply together. Some Solo Challenges also add a modifier (an extra rule for the board) on top of the mode; for example, the board can be bigger than normal. You’ll find how each mode works in our Match Masters game modes guide.

To enter a Solo Challenge, you need:

• League: Each Solo Challenge type unlocks in a certain league.
• A booster: You start every game with one booster and the perks you choose.
• Premium Pass for some Solo Challenges: Solo Challenges with the PREMIUM EVENT tag on their card can only be played while your Premium Pass is active.

Adventure Mode is not a Solo Challenge: Adventure Mode has no score targets, you play against opponents, and you have a limited number of lives. You can tell them apart by their card in the Events tab: an Adventure card has no 1P SOLO tag, says ADVENTURE instead, and has an ENTER button instead of PLAY.

How Do You Keep Your Booster in a Solo Challenge?

On every Solo Challenge event screen, this line appears under the prizes: + SCORE … POINTS TO KEEP YOUR BOOSTER. If you reach that score in the game, you keep your booster. If you don’t, you still get the prizes for the targets you’ve reached so far, but you lose the booster you played with. If you have a Booster Shield, your booster is protected here too: if you don’t reach the score, the Shield is used up and you keep your booster.

You can try the same Solo Challenge as many times as you like. Before you try again, know two things: prizes you’ve already won aren’t given again, and if you lost your booster, you need another booster for the next try.

Check the Event Screen Before You Tap PLAY

When you tap a Solo Challenge card, the event screen opens. It shows everything you need to know before the game:

• Move and time limit: The line under the title tells you how many moves or how much time you have. For example, a Speed Solo can say “45 seconds with 6 moves”, and a Perfect Heist “10 moves”. These numbers change from event to event.
• Targets and prizes: Each row shows a score target and the prize for that target.
• Score to keep your booster: The + SCORE line under the prizes.
• Mode and modifier: Tap the i icon on the PLAY button to open an info box. The top of the box shows the mode’s name and rule, and the bottom shows the modifier, if there is one. For example, in Lights Up mode, matches on the target column increase your score multiplier.
• Official rules: The “Learn more” link at the bottom of the screen opens the official description of that Solo Challenge type.
• Time left: The “Ends in” timer at the top shows when the event ends.

Solo Challenge Types and Rules

You’ll find the order of the leagues in our Match Masters trophies and leagues guide. Match Masters hasn’t published a league requirement for Mutation Lab. If a Mutation Lab card shows up in your Events tab, you can play it.

The rules below follow the official Match Masters help page for Solo Events.

Perfect Heist

In Perfect Heist, the goal is to crack Safes within the given number of moves. Each score row on the event screen is a Safe, and the number of Safes changes from event to event. Each Safe you crack gives its prize once, plus 1 Star.

You have 25 minutes to plan your moves. To win all the prizes and keep your booster, you need to crack every Safe. You can keep playing after the last Safe to get a higher score on the event’s Leaderboard.

Score Rally

Score Rally is made of laps. In each lap, you need to reach the next Checkpoint within the given number of moves. Each Checkpoint you reach gives its prize once per event, plus 1 Star. You have 25 minutes to reach all the Checkpoints.

• Moves reset: When you reach a Checkpoint, your move counter resets. You start the new lap from the last Checkpoint you reached.
• Leftover moves go to your booster energy bar: If you finish a lap with moves left, those moves are added to your booster energy bar.
• Extra points don’t count: While your score is below the next target, you can’t score past it. If the next Checkpoint needs 600 points, the move that takes you there counts only up to 600; the points above it are lost.
• The last Checkpoint: When you reach the last Checkpoint, you win the game; this time your moves don’t reset. You can use your remaining moves for a higher score.

Score Rally targets vary a lot between events: one can have targets of 100, 350, and 1,150 points, another 500, 5,000, and 50,000 points.

Cosmic Rush

Cosmic Rush has no move limit. Instead, you have an oxygen meter that drops over time. You reach new planets by matching pieces; each planet gives a prize and 1 Star.

• How to get more oxygen: Matching 4 or more pieces adds oxygen. Matches that give an extra move in a normal match give extra time here.
• While using your booster: Oxygen doesn’t drop while your booster activates. It does keep dropping during the booster’s follow-up effects.
• The last seconds: When oxygen is very close to zero, animation delays can stop you from using your booster and perks. Use your booster before the oxygen runs out.

Mutation Lab

A mutation is a special pick that changes the rules of the game. It can give you an instant advantage, a bonus for the next few moves, or change a rule for the rest of the game. Mutation Lab has no separate mode; the mutations you pick set the rules.

In Solo Mutation Lab, you have 25 minutes. Each time you reach a mutation point, you pick a new mutation and get 3 extra moves. Mutations stack, so pick the one that works best with your booster and the current board.

In Mutation Lab, you win prizes by collecting DNA. You earn DNA each time you reach a target in the game. The COLLECTED bar on the event screen shows the DNA you’ve collected, and the “How to collect” button shows how much DNA each score gives. Even if you don’t reach the final target, the DNA you earn adds up.

Think of prizes and your booster separately: you can win the prizes with DNA collected over several games, but you keep your booster only if you reach the score on the + SCORE line in that game. Master’s Challenge tasks work the same way: your Solo Mutation Lab game counts as a win only when you score enough points to pass the final checkpoint.

Speed Solo

Speed Solo plays like the other Solo Challenges; the difference is that the time is very short. The event screen tells you both the time and the number of moves; for example, you may need to reach the target within 45 seconds and 6 moves. To save time, plan your next move while animations play. The timer on the screen shows how much time you have left.

Solo Quest

Solo Quest is a series of Solo Challenges you play one after another. Each level has a different Solo Challenge type, game mode, and modifier: it can be Cosmic Rush, Mutation Lab, Perfect Heist, Score Rally, or Speed Solo.

Each level you pass gives a prize, and if you also beat the Final Game, you win the grand prize. You can try a level as many times as you like. You also earn special badges based on how many Solo Quests you’ve completed in total.

Booster Run

Booster Run is an event you play alone, made of levels you pass in order. The difference from other Solo Challenges is that you don’t use your own booster: each game gives you a booster and a few perks, and you play the game with them. These boosters and perks aren’t added to your inventory. Booster Run appears in the Events tab with a FREE PLAY tag and opens with the ENTER button.

Each Booster Run gives you 3 lives; if you fail a level, you lose 1 life. If you run out of lives, you can buy more; the price changes from event to event. The grand prize is at the end of the level path, and you need to finish the event before time runs out.

Games you play in Booster Run don’t count toward Daily Tasks or Master’s Challenge tasks, and they don’t earn Stars.

Team Solo Challenge

A Team Solo Challenge is a Solo Challenge you play for your team. It appears in the strip at the top of the Teams tab, and you can only play it if you’re in a team. The game itself is the same as other Solo Challenges: it can be a Perfect Heist, for example, and the move limit, score targets, and + SCORE line work the same way. The difference is in the prizes:

• Targets give Team Tokens: Each target you reach earns Team Tokens for your team; in one event, for example, the targets gave 20, 30, and 50 Team Tokens. Some targets also give you prizes of your own.
• Team Tokens fill a shared bar: When the bar reaches a prize, everyone in the team can claim it right away.
• Each target counts once: You earn a target’s Team Tokens only once. That’s why most team members need to play to reach the big prizes.
• TEAM PROGRESS: This list at the bottom of the screen shows how many Team Tokens each member has earned for the team.

Team events need at least 3 players in the team to start, and prizes must be claimed within 24 hours after the event ends. You’ll find the other team events in our Match Masters Teams guide.

Which Boosters and Perks Should You Use in a Solo Challenge?

There’s no single best booster for every Solo Challenge. The right pick depends on which game mode and modifier the Solo Challenge is played with. A booster that works very well in one mode can earn far fewer points in another. Check the five points below before you choose. You’ll find what each booster does in normal matches in our Match Masters boosters guide.

1. Check How the Mode Changes Points and the Board

The i icon on the PLAY button shows the Solo Challenge’s mode and its modifier, if there is one. Some modes change how many points pieces give, or which pieces are on the board:

• Colors give different points: In Hot Color mode, one color gives more points than the others. With the “Each color has a different score” modifier, every color gives different points. In these modes, boosters that clear every piece of a color or turn pieces into one color can earn more points.
• Some modes add their own pieces: Plunder Pirates mode has treasure chests, and Dustville Duel mode has Bandit pieces. Treasure chests that reach the bottom row fill your booster energy bar; matching Bandit pieces clears random pieces on the board. Pick your booster and perks so they work with these pieces.
• Mushrooms can raise your multiplier: In Multiplier Mushrooms mode, matching colored mushrooms raises your score multiplier. Once the multiplier is up, boosters that clear a color from the board can earn far more points.

2. Pick Your Booster by Move Count and the Score You Need

In Solo Challenges with a move limit, the game ends when you run out of moves. If you haven’t reached the score on the + SCORE line by then, you lose the game and the booster you played with. So pick your booster to reach the last target within the given moves, not just the first one.

3. Pick Your Perks by Mode

In some modes, your perk choice changes a lot. The biggest difference is which pieces fill your booster energy bar. You’ll find what each perk does in our Match Masters perks guide.

• Modes where blue pieces fill the bar: In most modes, blue pieces fill your booster energy bar. Star Maker adds blue pieces to the board, so in these modes it fills your booster faster.
• Modes where blue doesn’t fill the bar: In Rainbow Energy, colors fill the bar by different amounts; in Energized, two randomly chosen colors fill it; in Plunder Pirates, treasure chests that reach the bottom row fill it. In these modes, Star Maker adds little charge, so pick a different perk. Mini Cleo copies a piece you choose, so it’s still useful in these modes.
• A perk for mode pieces: In Plunder Pirates, Remove Cross clears the row and column of the piece you pick, which helps you bring treasure chests down to the bottom row.
• Use Energy Boost at the right time: Use Energy Boost before you blow up a special piece or a Bandit piece. That way, the pieces cleared in that move can fill your booster energy bar.

4. Consider Boosters That Lead to Extra Moves

Your moves are limited, so extra moves are very valuable in a Solo Challenge. A match of 4 or 5 pieces gives you an extra move.

Boosters that clear every piece of one or two colors from the board (UFO, for example) leave fewer colors on the board. With fewer colors, you get more chances for 4- and 5-piece matches, which can earn you extra moves.

In some Solo Challenge types, these matches help even more: in Score Rally, if you finish a lap with moves left, the leftover moves are added to your booster energy bar. In Cosmic Rush, matches of 4 or more pieces add oxygen.

5. Check What the Booster Does When You Activate It Again

Some boosters change their effect after the first activation. You can activate your booster several times in one game. Solo Challenges need high scores with limited moves, so boosters that stay strong on later activations make a difference:

• Froggy Fu: Still adds 2 lotus flowers when you activate it again.
• Mixy Meow: Works with 3 colors on the first activation, and with 2 colors on later activations.
• UFO SE: Adds 2 extractors on the first activation and 1 extractor on each later activation.
• Sweep It SE, Jelly SE, and Cleo Cadabra: Give 2 brooms, 2 jelly areas, or 2 scarabs on the first activation, and 1 on each later activation.

Solo Challenge Prizes

• Target prizes: Each target gives its own prize. Prizes change from event to event and are listed in order on the event screen. They can include coins, trophies, stickers, SE and Legendary boosters, Booster Shields, perks, and Arcade Tokens; the last target usually gives more than one prize. You’ll find what Arcade Tokens are for in our Match Masters arcade guide.
• Stars: In Perfect Heist each Safe, in Score Rally each Checkpoint, and in Cosmic Rush each planet gives 1 Star. These Stars are added to your account at the end of the game, without an animation.
• Solo album stickers: You can only get the cyan Solo stickers by winning Solo Challenges. Solo albums don’t give you the same sticker twice until the album is complete. Solo Challenges can also give normal and Seasonal stickers. You’ll find the details in our Match Masters stickers guide.
• Leaderboard prizes: Some Solo Challenges have a score ranking; you open it with the LEADERBOARD bar at the bottom of the event screen. Players in the top places get extra prizes. After you reach the last target, you can keep playing to raise your score in the ranking.
• Team Tokens: In a Team Solo Challenge, the targets you reach earn Team Tokens for your team.

Premium and All Star Solo Challenges

• Premium Solo Challenges: Solo Challenges with the PREMIUM EVENT tag on their card can only be played while your Match Masters Premium Pass is active. You can see these events without the Pass, but you can’t play them.
• All Star Solo Challenges: Solo Challenges marked All Star are for players who have reached Rank 10 in Ultimate Legends.

What to Do If You Can’t Reach the Target

• Compare the open Solo Challenges: When several Solo Challenges are open at once, their targets and move limits differ. The Solo Challenge with the bigger prize usually has a higher target too.
• Time your combos in Score Rally: If you make a big combo when you’re very close to a Checkpoint, the points over the Checkpoint don’t count. Make your big combo after you pass the Checkpoint.
• Go for 4-piece matches in Cosmic Rush: Matches of 4 or more pieces add oxygen, which gives you more time.
• Check the remaining prizes before you try again: Prizes you’ve won aren’t given again, and every try needs a booster. If you don’t want to spend another booster on the remaining prizes, you can skip that Solo Challenge.

Frequently Asked Questions