Pull the String — Play Free Online

Pull the String is a puzzle and brain game from the Poki catalogue that runs straight in the browser. Instead of the jump-and-climb reflexes that Doodle Jump asks for, it hands you a single problem at a time and lets you take as long as you like to think it through. The pace is yours: nothing chases you, and a wrong move costs a few seconds rather than a run.

If you came to this site for Doodle Jump, think of this page as the quiet end of the shelf. Doodle Jump is about timing and rhythm; a puzzle like this one is about looking at a scene, working out what will happen when you act, and acting in the right order. It suits the gaps between faster games, or a few minutes on a phone when you do not want to react under pressure.

The game loads in the frame on this page. There is nothing to install and no account to create, and it works on both desktop and mobile browsers.

How to play

The listed controls are the arrow keys or WASD to move, and the mouse to aim and select. On a phone or tablet you tap and swipe instead. In practice a puzzle of this kind is played almost entirely with the pointer or your finger: you look at the screen, pick the thing you want to interact with, and see what changes.

Each stage is a self-contained problem. Study the whole picture before touching anything, make your move, and watch the result. If it did not work, restart the stage and try a different approach. Nothing carries over from a failed attempt except what you learned from it.

Tips

• Look before you act. Most puzzle stages are solved by noticing what is connected to what, not by quick input.
• When you are stuck, change the order of your moves before changing the moves themselves. The same actions in a different sequence often behave very differently.
• Treat a failed attempt as information. Note what moved and what did not, then use that on the next try.
• Step away for a minute if a stage stalls you. A fresh look usually shows something you skipped.

Similar games on Doodle Jump

If you want something that is still gentle but more physical, Bouncy Basketball and Bird Jumper are casual and easy to pick up. Fireboy and Watergirl is the closest cousin here in spirit, because it is a thinking game where planning matters more than speed, and it also works for two players. Helix Jump sits in between, with simple one-hand input but a rising need for timing.

Pull the String is best for short, relaxed sessions, whether you are at a keyboard or on a touch screen.