Support
Tap a piece, then where it goes, or drag it there. While you hold a piece over a square, the board shows what the magnets would do if you let go: blue for a pull, orange for a push, and a red ring if your king would be left in check. Press and hold any square to learn what is on it. The first guide walks you through the basics; Guide on the title screen explains every rule, and Settings can show the basics again.
Because it is iron. After every move, by either side, each magnet takes the nearest piece on its rank and file; if that piece is iron, it slides up beside the magnet. Iron pieces have a blue rim; wooden ones are never pulled, and they shield whatever stands behind them. Kings are always wood.
A move is legal only if your own king is not in check once the magnets have acted. A piece that blocks a check can be pulled straight back off the line, and a piece that steps aside can let a magnet drag a defender away. The magnets act after every move, so a move that leaves your king open after they act is not allowed.
Three stars for a solve with no hint and no take-back, two if you took moves back, one if you used a hint. Each puzzle keeps its best.
The hint button shows the move to play next, from wherever you are. You can take moves back as often as you like, and press and hold a square to see what is on it. Every puzzle has been proved to have exactly one first move that works, so the answer is there.
The first three worlds, today's daily puzzle, the two-player game on every arena, and the engine at Apprentice and Miner on Open ground and The Core are free. Lodemate Full is one purchase, made once: Worlds 4 to 12, every arena and the Random pit against the engine, Foreman and Lodemaster, the game review, and every past daily puzzle. The Board styles and Piece sets packs are separate one-time purchases that only change how the game looks.
Open Settings, or tap anything locked, and choose Restore purchases, signed in with the same Apple Account. Family Sharing is supported, so the purchases are shared with your family group too.
At midnight, by your device's clock. The streak counts the days you solved the puzzle on its own day, and it still stands on a day you have not played yet. Past days can be played again from the Daily screen with Lodemate Full; they do not change the streak.
Touch and hold the Home Screen, tap Edit, then Add Widget, and choose Lodemate. It shows today's board, its goal, whether you have solved it and your streak, and tapping it opens the daily puzzle.
Apprentice sees one move ahead, and not always that. Miner sees two moves ahead and takes what's loose. Foreman looks a few moves deep. The Lodemaster thinks hardest and rarely forgives a slip. Choose the strength in Settings or on the Versus screen; it takes effect from the engine's next move.
No. Everything, the engine included, runs on your device, so the game works in airplane mode. Only buying or restoring a purchase needs the App Store.
Yes. Settings has a switch that keeps the iron filings still and the camera from moving, and the system's Reduce Motion setting does the same.
Lodemate is one app for iPhone and iPad, in portrait on both, and runs on iOS 17 or later. It is not offered on the Mac or on Apple Vision Pro.
Progress is kept in the app's own data on your device, so deleting the app deletes it. A device backup that included Lodemate restores it with the app. Purchases are never lost: Restore purchases brings them back.
If something is broken, tell us what device you are on, which puzzle you were playing (its number is at the top, like 4-03) or which arena, and what happened. If a puzzle seems impossible, say which one: every puzzle has been proved, so either there is a move you haven't seen yet or we have a bug to find.
Questions, bugs, or a puzzle that won't come right?
support@pablin.me