Gem Match 3

How to play Gem Match 3

The board is an 8 by 8 grid of gems in six colours (early levels use only five, which keeps things friendly). Your job is to swap two neighbouring gems so that the swap lines up three or more gems of one colour in a straight row or column. Matched gems pop, the gems above fall down, and fresh gems drop in from the top. Every level gives you a goal and a limited number of moves, and you win by reaching the goal before the moves run out.

• Tap or click one gem, then tap the gem next to it to swap them. You can also drag or swipe a gem toward its neighbour.
• A swap only counts if it makes a match of three or more in a line. If it does not, the gems bounce back and the attempt costs you no move.
• Matched gems pop, gems above fall, and new gems fill the gaps. If the fall creates new matches, they pop too. That is a cascade.
• Match four, five or an L, T or plus shape to create a special gem.
• Reach the level goal before your moves run out to win and earn up to three stars.

Match 3 rules and controls

The match 3 rules are short. You can only swap two gems that touch side by side, never diagonally, and the swap must create a match. A match is three or more gems of the same colour in a straight horizontal or vertical line. Diagonal lines do not count.

On a phone or tablet you tap a gem and then tap its neighbour, or you drag a gem one step toward where you want it. On a computer you can click the same way, or play from the keyboard: the arrow keys move a cursor around the board, Space or Enter picks up a gem, and then an arrow key swaps it with the neighbour in that direction. Press H for a hint, P to pause and M to mute the sound.

Failed swaps are free. Because a swap that makes no match bounces back without costing a move, you can safely test an idea. Only a swap that actually pops gems uses up one of your moves.

Special gems explained

Special gems are the heart of every good match 3 strategy. You do not get them by luck: you build them by matching more than three. Learning which shape makes which gem is the single biggest jump in your play.

• Line gem: match four in a line. A horizontal four makes a gem that clears its whole row when you use it. A vertical four makes a gem that clears its whole column.
• Colour Burst: match five in a line. Swap it with any gem and it clears every gem of that colour on the board.
• Bomb: match an L, T or plus shape. When it is used, it blasts a 3 by 3 area around itself.

Special gem combos

Swap two special gems together and they combine into something far bigger than either alone. Setting these up on purpose is how you clear a tough level in a handful of moves.

• Line plus Line: a cross that clears a whole row and a whole column at once.
• Bomb plus Line: a wide blast that clears three rows or three columns across the board.
• Bomb plus Bomb: a huge 5 by 5 explosion.
• Colour Burst plus any gem: clears every gem of that gem's colour.
• Colour Burst plus Colour Burst: clears the entire board.

Cascades, combos and scoring

When gems fall and line up on their own, you get a chain reaction called a cascade. Every step of a chain raises a combo multiplier: the first match is worth x1, the next x1.5, then x2, and so on. Each gem you clear is worth 10 points times the current multiplier, and special gems add bonus points on top.

That means one long cascade can be worth more than several separate matches. A strong habit is to make matches near the top of the board first when you do not need a particular spot, because clearing low gems makes the whole column above them drop, which shakes up many more gems and gives you more chances for free chain steps. When you need a precise outcome, such as clearing a jelly tile, work from the bottom instead.

Level goals: score, collect, jelly and ingredients

Each of the 60 levels has a goal and a move limit. The goals come in four flavours.

• Reach a target score: the simplest goal. Look for specials and cascades.
• Collect gems: clear a set number of gems of a given colour, or of several colours. Matching the right colour matters more than matching anywhere.
• Clear jelly: some tiles have jelly under the gem. The jelly clears when a gem sitting on it is cleared. Match, or blast, every jelly tile.
• Drop ingredients: cherries sit on the board. They cannot be matched. Instead they fall as the gems beneath them are cleared, and you win when every cherry reaches the bottom row.

How to clear jelly and drop ingredients

For jelly, remember that the jelly sits on the tile, not on the gem. Clearing any gem on a jelly tile removes the jelly, so a Line gem or Bomb that sweeps across several jelly tiles is far better than matching them one by one. Save specials for the last stubborn jelly tiles in the corners and along the edges, which ordinary matches reach less often.

For cherries, you want gems beneath them to disappear. Make your matches in the column under a cherry, as low as you can, so it falls a long way each time. A vertical Line gem placed in a cherry's column can drop it to the bottom in a single move. Keep an eye on the move counter, because it is easy to clear lots of gems everywhere else and still leave a cherry stuck near the top.

Boss levels mix goals, for example jelly plus a gem collection, so plan for both from the first move.

Chapters, boss levels and stars

The 60 levels are split into six chapters of ten: Sugar Hills, Gem Mine, Crystal Lake, Amber Market, Moon Garden and Star Palace. Levels unlock in order, so finishing one opens the next. Level 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 are the boss levels that end each chapter and mix goals together.

Every level is checked by an automatic bot in testing to make sure it can be won within the move limit, so a level is never impossible, only tricky. You earn one to three stars based on how many moves you have left when you win. Finish with plenty of moves spare for three stars. Stars never lock content, so you can move on and come back later to improve.

Endless timed mode

If you want a quick burst of match 3 instead of a level, try the endless mode. You get 90 seconds on the clock and one aim: score as high as you can. Making a special gem adds 2 seconds, and a cascade of three or more steps adds 1 second, so building specials and chain reactions literally buys you time.

Your best score is saved on your device and submitted to the leaderboard, so you can chase a personal best and see how you compare.

What happens when there are no moves?

Sometimes a board has no swap that makes a match. When that happens, Gem Match 3 reshuffles the board automatically and shows a short notice, so you are never stuck. If you are simply unsure where to go next, press the hint button. A hint also appears by itself after about 6 seconds without a move.

Match 3 tips and strategy for hard levels

Good match 3 play is about planning two moves ahead rather than grabbing the nearest three gems.

• Read the goal first. A jelly level and a score level need different play, so never match on autopilot.
• Always look for four and five in a line before settling for three. A Line gem or Colour Burst is worth much more than one extra move.
• Work from the bottom when you need control, and from the top when you want luck-powered cascades.
• Keep specials for the right moment. A Colour Burst is best saved for the last few gems of a collect goal, or combined with another special.
• Aim for combos. A Line plus Line cross, or a Bomb plus Bomb, can finish a level in one swap.
• Do not waste moves on the last few moves of a level. With three moves left, ask which single swap finishes the goal.
• Use the free hint when you are stuck rather than guessing, and remember failed swaps cost nothing.

Sound, haptics and accessibility

Gems pop with particles and floating score text, big blasts give the screen a subtle shake, and sound effects are generated live in your browser. Phones that support it also give a small vibration. You can mute at any time, pause whenever you like, and if your device asks for reduced motion the game respects it and tones the effects down.

Match 3 compared with other casual puzzle games

The match three genre is one of the most popular puzzle styles in the world, and many games in it look similar at first glance. They all ask you to swap gems and line up three. What changes is the structure around it: whether you have a move limit, a timer, special gems, obstacles like jelly, or ingredient-dropping goals.

Gem Match 3 sits in the level-based camp, like the big sweets-themed and jewel match games, with a fixed move limit per level and varied goals. Unlike a pure timed game, you can think about each swap. Unlike a free-form matching game that has no end, it gives you 60 levels with a clear path and an endless mode when you just want to relax. If you also like thinking puzzles, try our [Water Sort](/game/water-sort) and [Spider Solitaire](/game/spider-solitaire).