Christmas Differences

Seven is the number to keep in mind in Christmas Differences. Each of its 20 levels gives you a pair of Christmas-themed pictures, and in every pair there are seven differences for you to find before the allotted time is up.

The pictures are festive throughout, and the developer describes them as beautiful. Beyond the seasonal theme the format is fixed and predictable, which is useful: the same count in every level means you always know how many remain, and the set time per level gives each pair a clear finish line.

The developer calls it educational as well as fun, with the claim that it helps build observation and concentration. Whatever you make of that, the core task is careful comparison against the clock. You play with the mouse on a computer, or by touching the screen on a touch device.

Study the two Christmas pictures in the level. Each time you see a detail that is different, click it with the mouse or touch it on the screen. There are seven differences in every pair. Find all seven within the set time to complete the level, and work through the 20 levels one after another.

Keep a running count of the seven. When you reach five or six, slow down and compare the pictures piece by piece instead of glancing between whole images. Watch the timer and save a final careful sweep for the end. Each level has its own set time, so treat every new pair as a fresh start.

A Christmas spot-the-difference game with 20 levels and seven differences in each, under a set time limit. The landscape frame is 1280 by 720. According to the developer, it works with a mouse or by touching the screen.

Soviet Cars Differences runs the identical seven-per-level format with car pictures over 15 levels, and Scroll and Spot is another Christmas game, with pictures that scroll in step and five differences per level.