(quick mspaint graph since this game doesn't warrant a better one right now)

Even though you're presented with 6 colour UI on clicking a square, each time only two of them are actually available inputs that will change the colour.

When the square's color is one of the top three colours (RGB), the other two top colors are possible. When one of the bottom three (CMY) — the other two bottom colours are.

Each action you switch to the other row.

I didn't colour the arrows as that would be too much clutter on the image, but basically — you click the colour of "the third column". For example, to get from Red to Magenta: you start in Column 1 and end in Column 2, so the "third" column is where the Blue is. You get to Magenta with Blue. And to Yellow with Green.

As you can see, with this graph the shortest path is either 1, 2 or 3 actions.

If you need the color of the different row AND a different column, you need to take 1 action as described above.

If you need a color of the same row, it's 2 actions: you take an action of "the third column" and then you have a path back to "the second, your destination". For example, a path from Red to Green goes through Yellow and is acieved by clicking Green=>Cyan. The first step is always clicking your destination colour.

The longest 3-step path is to the different row, but the same column. Your first step in it can actually be either of the available two (however, as I wrote, available are not hinted by the game). For example, to go from Red to Cyan you either first go to Magenta, then Blue, then Cyan (clicking Blue=>Cyan=>Green). Or you go Yellow to Green to Cyan (clicking Green=>Cyan=>Blue). The second step is always clicking your destination colour.

Yes, it is. But you kinda get used to the fact that there are:

• 0. the goal colour that you don't need to click;
  
• 1. two colours from the opposite row that get you to the goal in one click by clicking the other one;
  
• 2. two colours from the same row (not your goal ones) where you click your goal one and get to step 1;
  
• 3. the third, crappy colour from the opposite row, where you first click any available colour (it would be one of step 1 colours), then goal colour, then the other step 1 colour.

For example, if your goal is Red:

• 0. Red;
  
• 1. Magenta and Yellow; When you get one, click the other one;
  
• 2. Green and Blue; Click Red to get step 1;
  
• 3. Cyan... argh! Click Magenta or Yellow, then Red, then the other one (of Magenta and Yellow).

So, basically, you need to memorize those magic step-1 colours for each goal and keep them in mind. Thankfully, the goal doesn't change mid-puzzle, so you just need to remember them while doing all 6 puzzles of the set.

There are some extra mechanics in the game:

Arrows apply the colour to their destination square too. Which colour? The one that your square will result in after you change it with a permitted input. This is mind-boggling, I know. Not the one you are clicking and applying to the first square, not the one you see on screen, but the one that "will be". But, as we know, not all colours are actual permitted actions, so a lot of the time nothing will change on the "dependant" square.

The first obvious stratagy idea is just doing the "parent" square first. But, even though we are only clicking step1 and goal colours, it's possible that we are changing our parent square in something "destructive" to the child. Well... If we'll go through the list of color changes again carefully, applying step1 and goal usually results in step 1 and goal. So applying them to the dependant square moves it along.

Most of the time.

Now, remember the crappy color? The one where you need 3 steps to deal with it. I've sketched out all the combinations and there are destructive options when doing the first move on the crappy colour of the parent cell, since on our first move the result colour is not step1 or goal color.

So, there are two three things you need to memorize:

1. The parent is the crappy colour, the dependant is a step1 colour.

With your first move on the parent, select the other step1 color. That way the dependant square will be solved by the time you've done the tree moves on the parent. If you do it the other way, you'll have to make additional moves on the dependant and the game will count them as wasted moves.

2. The parent is the crappy colour, the dependant is one of the same row colours.

If you make the wrong move, you'll turn your dependant square into the crappy colour. One correct move is making the parent move that will turn the parent into the same colour as the dependant. It is the step1 colour that is from another column from the current dependant colour. This one is hardest to memorize, kinda.

So the alternative is to make one move on the dependant square. This will turn the situation into the one described in the previous point and it's easier to perform since there's only one way to make the move on the dependant squre.

Also, sometimes you'll have two arrows from a single crappy parent that require different paths by this rule. In this case randomly pick one of the dependants, move it one step and then continue with the parent as usual.

3. The parent is step1 colour, the dependant is crappy colour.

If you just do the parent firs, it will be 1 step for it and 3 for dependant. And that would count as wasted! You can actually speed the dependent up. Do one move on the dependant squre (any step1 colour) and only then complete the parent -- this will now move the dependant further as its next step was applyinth the target colour anyway.

If you fail to finish the ticking square in time, 3 steps will be added your "performed" score and the square will switch to a semi-random colour (not the one it was and not the goal one, iiuc). You'll never be able to achive the perfect score if you let the bomb explode, so...

Just do the squares that are ticking, unless there's an arrow on them. In that case deal with the parent as desribed. Use the prebomb time to identify and "fix" all the problematic cases you can do in time.

The most problematic cases are when the arrow's parent is a crappy colour OR parent is step1 and target is crappy. If you're really skilled and have a high concentration, you can even switch to dealing with them while the time bomb is on a step1 square, i.e. one move to deal with.

So, by now you should be familiar with the groups of colours, how many and what steps they require to be completed with the target goal in mind.

What colours form which group exactly — that you should memorize for each of the puzzle categories by their goal colour. My advice is just to play the levels that don't have time restriction until you do it without mistakes and then do the time bombs.

Good luck and try to have fun.