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Number Match uses a fixed nine-column layout
The Veyra Play Number Match board has a logical width of nine columns. Rows are derived from that fixed width, while the board can grow downward when Add Numbers appends more values.
The final row does not have to be completely filled. A Puzzle can begin or later continue with a partial final row.
Removing a pair creates holes
When two numbers are matched, those cells become inactive. Inside a row that still contains active values, their positions remain as holes.
The remaining active numbers do not slide sideways to close the gaps. This preserves the geometry created by earlier moves.
Holes are empty but still structurally useful
A hole has two important properties:
- it does not contain an active number;
- it does not block a later legal connection path.
That means clearing cells can open horizontal, vertical, diagonal or row-wrap routes without changing the values of the remaining numbers.
Partial rows keep their gaps
A row with even one active number remains part of the board. Its inactive positions stay in the current layout.
This is why you should not mentally compress a row after every match. The visual and logical positions of its surviving cells remain meaningful until the entire row becomes empty.
A fully empty row collapses
When a row has no active numbers left, the whole row is removed from the current layout. Rows below it shift upward immediately.
The cells themselves keep stable identity internally, but their current row and column positions are derived again from the normalized layout. For the player, the important effect is simpler: row collapse changes the board geometry.
Collapse can create new alignments
Suppose two candidate values were separated vertically by an active row that you later clear completely. Once that row disappears, the surviving rows move together and new vertical or diagonal relationships may appear.
The same principle can affect row-wrap continuity because the logical sequence of the current layout has changed.
For that reason, clearing the last active number in a row deserves a full-board re-scan.
Row collapse is not ordinary compaction
It helps to compare the two cases directly:
| Situation | Result |
|---|---|
| Two cells are removed from a row that still has active numbers | Two holes remain; other cells keep their positions. |
| Every active cell in a row has been removed | The whole row disappears; lower rows shift upward. |
Confusing these effects makes it much harder to predict future matches.
Add Numbers respects the existing gaps
When Add Numbers is used, it copies the current active values and appends them after the final layout cell. It does not fill holes in earlier rows.
So an expanded board can contain old holes in the upper layout and newly appended active cells lower down at the same time.
Read geometry from the current board, not the starting board
The initial Puzzle gives you the first arrangement, but legal matching always uses the current layout. Every removal, row collapse and Add action can change what is possible next.
A useful solving rhythm is therefore:
- remove a legal pair;
- check whether a row collapsed;
- inspect the new holes;
- scan the current nine-column geometry again.
FAQ
Do numbers slide left when I remove a pair?
No. A partially occupied row keeps its gaps. Only a completely empty row collapses out of the layout.
How many columns does Number Match use on Veyra Play?
The logical board width is fixed at nine columns. The board can grow vertically, and the final row may be incomplete.
Can row collapse make a new match possible?
Yes. Removing an empty row shifts lower rows upward and recomputes the current geometry, which can create new vertical, diagonal or other legal relationships.