Butterfly Kyodai is the Japanese term for "brothers," and every tile on this board is half of a butterfly searching for the other half. Butterfly Kyodai is a free timed mahjong style of game that you can play directly in your browser. You take two identical wing tiles and make a line, of no more than 2 turns, to connect them, and each time you complete a pair, it flies off the board. The blue bar located at the top-left of the screen continues to drain down until either all of the butterflies fly off the board, or the bar reaches zero.
Main Controls
- Use MOUSE and LEFT-CLICK
How Does It Work?
Butterfly Kyodai is simply Shisen-Sho with Wings instead of bamboo. Two tiles will be considered a match only if they both display the same type of wing and a valid path using up to 2 right angle turns connects them. Tiles adjacent to one another also qualify as being neighbors and can match without a line. After making a pair, the tiles will come together to form a butterfly and fly away.
There are three buttons used to assist players during their gameplay. There is an orange button that provides a hint to identify a pair, a green button that freezes the timer to give the player some extra time, and a blue button that shuffles the tiles. As levels get higher in the game, there are added obstructions called hedges that limit the paths available to connect two tiles.
Gameplay
- Select one wing tile to pick it.
- Select the second wing tile that forms a line of no more than 2 turns to connect the two wing tiles.
- Watch as the blue bar replenishes slightly after each match.
- Always clear edge tiles and adjacent tiles first to create opportunities for connecting additional inner tiles.
- Use the orange button to provide assistance in identifying a possible pair, or use the blue button to completely shuffle all remaining tiles.
- When the blue bar is about empty, press the green button to pause the timer.
- Finish all the tiles before the timer runs out to win the level.
Unique Features
- Wings instead of tiles. With each successful pairing of wing tiles, a completed butterfly is formed and flies off the board.
- Two turns per line. Unlike most games where a straight line is required, players can now navigate through corners, as well as bend twice within the line that connects two wing tiles. This creates many new ways for players to connect wing tiles.
- Three ways to get help. In addition to providing a visual representation of possible connections using the orange button, and allowing players to pause time temporarily using the green button, there is also an option to randomly rearrange all unselected tiles using the blue button.
- Time that refuels itself. Since each pair adds time back to the timer, fast players are rewarded with more time to continue playing.
- Hedges. Obstacles that cross otherwise legal lines are introduced as levels progress in Butterfly Kyodai. These make it more difficult to successfully connect wing tiles.
- Long running title. The current HTML5 version has been live since April 2017. Additionally, based on data collected by 1001Games alone, over 115,000 users have rated Butterfly Kyodai.
Getting Started
- Work from the outside-in. The pathways through empty space on which players connect wing tiles begin from the outermost edge of the board. Therefore, edge tiles represent the only routes currently available to inner tiles.
- Save your freeze for last five pairs. The timer bar is at its lowest point near the completion of a board, making these final five pairs potentially very difficult to discover.
- Shuffle before you hint. While a hint identifies one pair, shuffling could convert a blocked-off board into one with an open route.
- Scan only one pattern at a time. By focusing on only one pattern at a time, you can quickly scan through potential combinations instead of scanning through every individual tile.
Going Further
The most efficient method for completing Butterfly Kyodai involves developing a consistent rhythm of pairs, as each successful pair returns time to the timer. However, freezing time requires strategy. Early in the game freezing provides little advantage; later in a busy board it allows for a full scan of options.
As players become more experienced with navigating hedges that block certain areas of connectivity, they must adapt their approach to first locate the paths left open by hedges prior to attempting to clear all tiles.
Since shuffling uses up finite resources and can result in lost opportunities if done too soon, using a shuffle when there is clearly still at least one viable pair represents wasted resources in terms of time when the board ultimately becomes sealed.
Avoid Making Mistakes
- Don’t freeze time when timer is full. Time saved is just time you previously had.
- Do not hints on sealed board. Hints reveal pairs, not paths; therefore boxes need a shuffle.
- Clear edge first. Edge tiles have no pathway until all edge tiles have cleared.
- Stare down corner while bar drains. Even though a perfect pair exists somewhere on the board that would restore time, any legal pair anywhere restores time; therefore staring down a corner does not save anything.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Butterfly Kyodai?
Butterfly Kyodai is a timed mahjong-style connect game developed by Azerion and released on agame.com. Players combine matching butterfly wing tiles using a line of no more than 2 turns, removing each combination from play and restoring a portion of time. Once all the wing tiles are removed from the board or the time bar is depleted, the level is complete.
How do I play Butterfly Kyodai?
To initiate a match, click on one butterfly wing tile followed by clicking on an identical wing tile that is connected via a line through empty space that contains no more than 2 right-angle turns. Each successful combination will restore some of the lost time.
Is Butterfly Kyodai a mahjong solitaire game?
No. Butterfly Kyodai is a mahjong connect or Shisen-Sho game played on a flat single-layered board. Mahjong solitaire is stacked tiles. The only rule governing how wing tiles are paired is how they are connected.
What are the three buttons used in Butterfly Kyodai?
There is an orange button that reveals a hint, showing how two wing tiles can be paired; there is a green button that temporarily freezes time giving players more time to think about their next move; and finally, there is a blue button that randomizes/reshuffles all unselected tiles on the board. All three buttons are limited and can only be utilized once.
How does the timer function in Butterfly Kyodai?
Atop left side of the Butterfly Kyodai game board sits an always-draining blue bar representing the timer. For each successful combination made by matching two wing tiles, some of the lost time will be restored back onto the timer bar. The level will conclude once either all of the butterfly wing tiles are removed from play or the blue bar reaches zero.
Is Butterfly Kyodai Deluxe different than the original Butterfly Kyodai?
Yes. Butterfly Kyodai Deluxe is a newer release, 2021, utilizing the same rules regarding pairing butterfly wing tiles along with an additional feature: coin purchases which allow players to purchase backgrounds and different butterfly designs for their board. Deluxe 2 and HD are subsequent releases with similar features but distinct differences.
Similar Matching Games
If it’s primarily the unique path feature that drew you to Butterfly Kyodai, Kris Mahjong employs an identical 2-turn line with food tiles and lacks both a hint and/or shuffle functionality for assistance. Alternatively, if you prefer having competition versus facing an ever-depleting timer as pressure while playing, Harvest Honors converts traditional tile-pairing games into timed turn-based duels with each opponent possessing 15 seconds to act. For those seeking similar corridor/pathway logic but employed on a fruit-themed board, Onet Connect employs timers on boards as well as optional hints. More information on related games can be found under Matching Games.
Conclusion
Butterfly Kyodai is essentially the beginner-friendly version of mahjong-style connect games. The beautiful graphics, abundance of assistance tools including a timer that rewards fast-paced players with additional time, and overall soothing atmosphere are ideal characteristics of a relaxing experience. Choose this option if you desire solely competitive versions with no assistive toolbars, for example Aces Up, or if you feel that seeing your timer deplete stressfully alters your puzzle-solving experience.