Three Tigers brings Aadu Puli Attam to iPhone with a board drawn as a temple at night. This guide walks through every part of the app, from your first offline game to online rooms, so you know what each screen does and what is free.
What is free
Versus AI, pass and play and the tutorial are completely free. No coins are required or spent in these offline modes, there are no ads and no subscriptions, and you do not need an account. You can also choose any of the 10 included avatars without signing in. You can buy coins, buy and use AI hints, and equip purchased appearances as a guest. Sign in is optional for syncing purchases and required for Online play and account rewards.
Play: Versus AI
The Play tab is where most games start.
- Choose your side. Goats or tigers. New players usually start with the goats, whose placement phase is the best way to learn the board; the tigers are easier to play and harder to win with against a careful opponent.
- Choose an opponent. Easy, Medium or Hard. Choose the difficulty that suits your experience.
- Optional hints. On your turn, tap the bulb to see a suggested move directly on the board. Its badge shows your remaining hints. Buy hints as a guest, or optionally sign in and connect for 3 starter hints once per account; the allowance and purchased balance are shared with Online and do not reset between games or devices. Reopening a delivered hint for the same saved game and exact position does not use another hint.
- Save a game and continue later. A game in progress is kept until you finish or start a new one.
- Variants. In Settings you can switch offline games to fifteen captures, allow multiple jumps in one turn, or place the tigers one at a time. The rules screen in the app explains each one.
Play: pass and play
Two players, one iPhone. Hand the phone back and forth; the app shows whose turn it is and applies the same rules as Versus AI. It is the fastest way to teach the game to someone sitting next to you.
Play: the tutorial
6 interactive lessons, from placing a goat to trapping a tiger, each played on the board itself with one idea to try. Tutorial retries are free. Finishing the tutorial is the best preparation for the strategy guides on this blog.
Rules and variants
The Rules screen in the app is a short reference: how pieces move, how tigers capture, how each side wins, and the draw rules. It matches the complete rules published here.
Online 1v1
Online play uses Sign in with Apple. Once signed in you can:
- Find an opponent. Join the queue and the app pairs you with another player.
- Share a private room code. Create a room, send the code to a friend, and they join directly.
- Choose your side and play for virtual coins. Some rooms use a coin stake that both players agree to before the match starts.
- Friendly rooms have no coin stakes and no rating changes. Receiving an invitation never spends your coins; you decide whether to accept its room and stake.
- Optional hints. On your turn, use the same Hint bulb and balance as Versus AI. Hints are available against human opponents and house AI, including Friendly and staked rooms. Online clocks keep running; the hint does not submit a move or change the stakes. Replaying a delivered hint at the same match position is free, including at 0.
Leaving or disconnecting from a staked match may count as a loss, so finish the games you start.
Coins
Coins are the app's virtual currency. They are used for online room stakes and can be earned in the app, through available daily check-ins, tutorial rewards and eligible AI wins, or bought through Apple's In-App Purchase.
Two things to know:
- Coins have no cash value. They cannot be transferred, gifted, exchanged for money or cashed out.
- Restore purchases lives at Store → Restore purchases and covers eligible permanent purchases. Consumable coin packs are not replenished by it: your remaining balance belongs to your guest purchase identity or optionally linked Three Tigers account, and you can check it under Profile → Wallet.
Friends
Open Online > Friends. Every player has an 8-character player code. Share yours, or enter a friend's, and send a request. Once you are friends you can invite each other to a room; the invited player always sees the room and its stake and chooses whether to accept. You can also add an opponent as a friend during or after a match with them.
Opponent voice
During a match with another person you can opt in to voice. Tap Voice > Join voice; the app asks for microphone permission the first time. You can mute yourself or your opponent and leave voice at any time. Voice runs only while the match is on screen, and stops when you leave the match or put the app in the background. It is not available against the computer.
Report or block a player
If someone behaves badly, use Report or block player from the active match menu or from the result screen when the match ends. Send a reason and useful context without unnecessary personal information. You can also contact support about a player-safety concern.
Store: make the board your own
The Store has 3 tabs: Coins, Hints and Skins. Hint pack sizes are 10, 30 and 100. Store → Hints shows which packs are currently available and Apple’s localized price before purchase. Versus AI and Online share one hint balance, with 3 starter hints once per account lifetime. Buying or using a hint is never required to continue a game. Hints are not available in pass and play or tutorial.
Under Skins you can browse:
- Boards: Maple, Walnut and Teak.
- Pieces: Lacquer and bone, Tamarind and river stone, Terracotta.
- Frames for your profile: Plain, Kolam, Brass, Temple pillar, Oil lamp, Tiger.
Preview available board, piece and frame styles before you buy or equip them. None changes the rules or board geometry. Purchased appearances belong to your guest purchase identity or optionally linked account. Available items and prices are shown in the app.
Settings
The launch version is in English.
- Sound and haptics on or off. Previously owned capture effects can be selected here; sounds are not a Store category.
- Reduced motion, for a calmer board.
- Board contrast, for a clearer view of lines and points.
- Variants for offline games, as described above.
Your account
- Avatars: tap your picture in Profile to choose from 10 free illustrations: Royal tiger, White tiger, Amber tiger, Ivory goat, Mountain goat, Dusk goat, Lotus, Temple bell, Kolam and Temple. Guests can choose locally; signed-in players can sync their selection. The app does not upload photos.
- Profile is where signed-in players edit their display name and see their equipped frame. Your player code is under Online > Friends.
- Versus AI stats show wins, draws and losses recorded on this device, separately from online ratings and results. Older games may not all appear in these local totals.
- Delete guest data: guest purchasers can use Profile > Delete guest data and type DELETE, without Apple sign-in.
- Delete account: Profile > Delete account > type DELETE > confirm with Apple. Deleting your account removes your friendships and account identifiers. Details of what is kept and why are in our privacy policy.
Requirements
Three Tigers runs on iPhone with iOS 17 or later. Online play, purchases and a new optional hint need an internet connection. Only Online play requires Sign in with Apple; purchases and AI hints work for guests. Free gameplay, the tutorial and choosing a guest avatar work offline.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an account to play? No. Versus AI, pass and play and the tutorial need no account. Purchases and AI hints also work as a guest. Optionally sign in for Online play, account rewards and synced purchases or avatar choices.
Can I play against a friend without coins? Yes. Create a friendly room and share the code. Friendly rooms have no stakes and no rating changes.
Why does the app ask for microphone access? Only when you tap Join voice during a match with another person, and only for that purpose. You can play every game without ever enabling it.
I bought coins on another phone. How do I get them back? If you previously linked your purchases, sign in to the same Three Tigers account and check Profile → Wallet. Guest purchasers should link from Profile before changing devices; contact support if the original guest credentials are unavailable. Store → Restore purchases restores eligible permanent purchases.
Where do I get help? The Support page covers the common questions, and the Contact page is the way to reach us about a specific account or purchase.