How it works
Two scenes appear, one above the other on a phone and side by side on a wider screen. Tap either scene wherever you think something has changed. A correct tap marks the spot in both scenes; a wrong tap costs you two seconds.
The five change types
- Object missingAn object present in scene A is gone in scene B.
- Colour changedSame object, same place, different colour.
- Size changedThe object grew or shrank noticeably.
- Object movedThe object shifted position — often the hardest to see.
- Extra objectAn extra object appears that has no twin.
Scoring
Three stars means you beat the target time with no hints. Using a hint costs a star, and five or more wrong taps costs another. Hints highlight the region a difference lives in — they never reveal the change itself. The target time scales with how many differences a scene holds, so three stars means roughly the same thing on every puzzle.
Get faster
Scan in horizontal bands, top to bottom, instead of jumping between halves. Count repeated objects: a mismatch in count is a free find. And save your hints for the last difference, which is statistically where everyone stalls. There are nine more techniques in our guide to getting better at spot the difference.
Try today's challengeFrequently asked questions
Playing
How do you play spot the difference?
Two near-identical scenes appear, stacked on a phone and side by side on a wider screen. Tap either scene wherever something has changed. A correct tap marks the spot in both scenes, a wrong tap adds two seconds to your time. The puzzle ends when every difference is found.
What kinds of differences are hidden in each puzzle?
Five change types are used: an object is removed, recoloured, resized, moved, or an extra object is added. Nothing is hidden behind a single-pixel detail — every change is large enough to tap comfortably with a thumb.
Why can't I find the last difference?
Almost everyone stalls on the final one, usually because it is a moved object rather than a missing one. Compare the two scenes band by band from top to bottom instead of jumping around, and count repeated objects — a mismatch in count is a free find.
How do hints work?
A hint highlights the region a remaining difference sits in, but never the change itself. You still have to see what altered. Each hint you use costs one star on the result screen.
How is the star score calculated?
Three stars means you beat the puzzle's target time without hints. Using a hint costs a star, and five or more wrong taps costs another. The target time scales with the number of differences in the scene.
How does the timer work?
The timer starts as soon as the scenes are visible and stops on your last correct tap. Wrong taps add a two second penalty, which is why careful scanning usually beats rapid tapping.
How do hidden object puzzles differ from spot the difference?
Hidden object levels show a single scene and a short list of things to find. There is nothing to compare, so instead of scanning for change you scan for shape and silhouette. Most players find it a calmer mode.
How are the photo puzzles different?
Photo puzzles use real photographs instead of drawn scenes. One copy is edited, and the changed areas are measured automatically so every counted difference is genuinely visible. Edits are deliberately bold: whole objects appear or vanish rather than a faint colour shift.
Difficulty
Are the puzzles divided by difficulty?
Yes. Easy, medium and hard tiers differ in the number of differences, how large and how well separated the changed areas are, how cluttered the scene is, and the target time. The All puzzles page groups every published puzzle by tier.
Which pack should I start with?
Forest Warm-Up. Its scenes are open and colourful, so the changes read quickly. From there Reef Patrol and Rush Hour add clutter and repetition, and Desert Mirage is the expert end of the ladder.
Is it suitable for children and families?
Yes. There is no violence, no chat, no user-generated content and no messaging between players. The easy tier works well for younger players, and puzzles can be replayed as often as you like without a time limit.
Progress
Is my progress saved?
Your solved puzzles, best times, nickname and streak are stored in your own browser. Nothing is tied to an account because there are no accounts.
What happens if I clear my browser data?
Local progress and your streak are cleared with it, and there is no way to restore them from our side. Leaderboard entries you already submitted stay on the leaderboard.
How do daily streaks and the weekly freeze work?
Playing the daily challenge extends your streak by one day. Miss a day and the streak normally resets, but you get one free streak freeze per week that absorbs a single missed day automatically.
How does the leaderboard work?
Two boards are kept: fastest solve times per puzzle and the longest active streaks. You appear under the nickname you choose, linked to an anonymous id in your browser rather than to any personal data.
How do I get onto the leaderboard?
Finish a puzzle, set a nickname on the result screen and submit your time. Times that are impossible for the puzzle in question, or entries with abusive nicknames, are removed.
Practical
Is FreeInteract free to play?
Yes, completely. Every puzzle, the daily challenge, all packs and both game modes are free with no sign-up, no download and no paywall. Advertising covers the running costs.
Do I need an account or an app?
No. Everything runs in the browser on your phone, tablet or computer. There is nothing to install and no registration step.
Which devices and browsers work?
Any current browser on iOS, Android, Windows, macOS or Linux. The layout is designed phone-first, so puzzles are playable one-handed in portrait.
Can I play offline?
Not reliably. Pages and puzzles are loaded from the server, so you need a connection to open a new puzzle, though scenes are drawn in your browser rather than downloaded as large images.
Why do I see ads, and can I remove them?
Ads pay for hosting and for the time spent designing and checking new puzzles, which keeps the games free for everyone. There is no paid ad-free tier at the moment.
How often is new content added?
A new daily challenge appears every day, and new packs and photo puzzles are published in batches through the year.
How do I report an unfair puzzle or suggest a theme?
Email us with the puzzle name or link. Unfair scenes are re-checked and either repaired or unpublished, and theme suggestions genuinely shape what gets drawn next.
Still stuck on something? Our contact page reaches the person who builds the puzzles.