Field notes from the shallows

Reef Guide

Everything that swims, waits and stands guard on the reef, and how each part of the game behaves.

Reef zones

Invaders enter from the left edge. The first straight is the safest place to thin a wave before the shoal spreads out.

The channel folds back on itself several times. A defender inside a bend can reach two stretches of water at once.

The last stretch leads to the bass nest. Anything that slips past costs a heart, so keep a strong defender close by.

Fast and numerous. They make up most of the early waves; each one stopped is worth 10 points and 6 shells.

Slow and tough, with nearly three times the strength of a pike. They join the shoals from the third wave; each one is worth 25 points and 12 shells.

A heavy single strike at the fish nearest the nest. The backbone of every defence.

Slows every invader in reach and nibbles at them. Best placed on a corner.

Dives at a target and splashes everything around it. Ideal against crowded waves.

You begin with 10 hearts. Every heart still left at the end adds 50 points to your final score.

Every defender can be raised twice, up to level 3. Each level adds reach and strength, and the price grows with the level.