Understanding the Three Bonus Types

The BEDMAS board has three types of bonus cells, each adding a different amount to the score of any equation that touches them. Green cells add +5 to your base equation score. Blue cells add +10. Purple cells — the most powerful — double your entire equation score before any flat bonuses are added. A single equation on a purple cell can be worth more than five regular moves combined.

The Most Valuable Cells on the Board

The four corner purple cells are the most contested positions on the board. A high-scoring equation hitting a corner cell will almost always be a game-defining move. Professional-level players plan for a corner cell from their very first equation placement, even if they do not reach it until turn six or seven. Every early move should either advance toward a corner cell or block the AI's path to one.

Stacking Bonuses

When a long chained equation spans multiple bonus cells in a single placement, all bonuses apply. A chain that crosses a blue (+10) and a purple (×2) cell in the same move stacks the bonuses in this order: first the base equation answer is doubled by the purple cell, then the +10 from the blue cell is added. This is why long chains are so disproportionately powerful — the length bonus, the doubling effect, and the flat bonus all multiply the value of a single well-positioned move.

Defending Bonus Cells

If you cannot reach a bonus cell yourself, the next best option is to place a tile adjacent to it that makes it harder for the AI to use effectively. An equation that ends immediately beside a purple cell forces the AI to chain from a specific direction — and if your placement blocks the most natural chain direction, the AI may be unable to reach the purple cell at all for several turns.

Bonus Cell Awareness

Before every turn, scan the board for unclaimed bonus cells within one or two moves of your current rack capability. The player who consistently reaches bonus cells first — not necessarily the player who scores highest on each individual move — wins at the highest levels of play.