Show a hint pulse only when the player is truly stuck, not while the board moves

A hint that pops up while the pieces are still tumbling is annoying, and one that stays hidden for a minute loses players. The trick is what you count as waiting. Here is a small timer with clear states that shows the hint at a fair moment and pulses it gently.

Why this works

A hint helps only when the player is actually stuck. Time spent watching the board move is not thinking time, so counting only the quiet moments avoids a hint that spoils a discovery or jumps out mid-action.

When not to use it

Do not use it in games where the challenge is to work things out alone, such as a hard logic puzzle, or for players who dislike help. Put hints behind a button they choose to press instead.

In the full entry

• What to build, step by step
• Starting values and the reason for each
• 3 common mistakes and the fix
• A diagram of every state
• 20 lines of example code with 3 checks that pass
• How your AI shows you that it works

Say this to your AI

Use the Spielerando entry "Show a hint pulse only when the player is truly stuck, not while the board moves" (read_entry puzzle-hint-after-idle-time) in my game. Build it step by step, and show me how you checked that it works.

Or skip this and connect the MCP: your AI then finds all of this by itself.Connect the MCP