Whack-a-Mole Tips: How to Get the Highest Score

Playnook Games Blog · 2 min read

Whack-a-Mole looks like pure reflex, but the players with the highest scores are actually doing a small amount of pattern-reading between taps — not just hitting everything that moves.

1. Scan before you tap, don't tap on reflex

With only 30 seconds on the clock, it's tempting to smash every mole the instant it appears. But a split-second glance at color before you tap is what separates a high score from a mediocre one — it costs almost no time and saves you from the mistake below.

2. Never tap the bomb mole

The bomb mole costs you 5 points if you whack it — more than double what a normal mole earns you. On a busy board with several moles up at once, resist the urge to clear everything; skipping the bomb mole is worth more than the fractions of a second you'd save by hitting it anyway.

3. Prioritize golden moles when they appear

Golden moles are worth 3 points instead of 1, but they don't stay up any longer than a normal mole. The best approach is to keep your eyes moving across the whole board rather than staring at one spot, so you catch a golden mole's short window the moment it appears.

4. Keep your hand near the center of the board

Since moles pop up randomly across the grid, resting your finger or cursor near the middle rather than a corner cuts down your average travel distance to any given hole — a small habit that adds up over a fast 30-second round.