A long possibility has a search cost
Ice Blast Buddies asks you to chain more than three similar ice shapes and explicitly makes time important. The decision is therefore not simply whether a larger group exists somewhere. It is whether you can recognize and complete a useful group promptly. Scanning indefinitely for an ideal arrangement can consume the same resource that the game asks you to manage during the matching itself.
Trace before making the gesture
Once a promising cluster catches your eye, follow its visible sequence mentally before starting the input. For example, identify where the fourth matching shape would come from instead of assuming three nearby shapes are sufficient. This helps distinguish an actual chain from a loose collection of similar colors. The listing does not explain every adjacency rule, so use the game's response to establish what counts as connected.
Know when the current choice is enough
A practical reading of the timer is to use it as a limit on reconsideration. If you already see a valid chain, compare a second candidate only when it is equally easy to verify. This does not require a score formula or a claim that longer always pays better. It keeps the stated task, recognizable matching groups under time pressure, ahead of a search for patterns you have not yet confirmed.
Puzzle
Balance the search for more than three matching ice shapes against the time spent looking for a better chain.