The 5 best match-three puzzle games for mobile
With so many games to pick through nowadays, the sea of apps can be hard to wade through. Countless titles release every day, and they're all vying for your attention, battling it out to try and secure a position of prominence - a game that you play every day.
Match-stuff games aren't the newest genre on the App Store, but you can trace the modern refinements of this kind of puzzle game to Bejewelled by PopCap Games. But, despite first appearances, there's often more to these games than simply swiping shapes back and forth.
Sure, they're generally simple - match three or more shapes or colours to remove them from the playing board to score points - but this is a genre that often relies on skill as well as fast reactions. And we reckon these five games offer up the best examples of how to do match-stuff puzzles right. Disagree? Feel free to add your own suggestions in the comments then.
Marvel Puzzle Quest - download for iOS
Combining the match-stuff simplistic gameplay with a robust RPG, Marvel Puzzle Quest tells a light story of heroes and villains in the Marvel Universe. With both PvE events as well as PvP, there's so many ways to play.
While the gameplay is obvious, the ability to create teams of Marvel characters, each with unique special moves is enticing. Fancy an X-Men based line-up? Fine. Avengers? Do it! Both? Entirely possible. And unlocking new members who complement each other is part of the fun.
With sporadic events tying into the films when they hitcinemas across the world, there's always a reason to dip in, join and alliance, and start battling and collecting new characters. While in-app purchases will boost your teams, sometimes skewing the PvP elements, avoiding forking over cold hard cash is entirely feasible.
There's an addictive element in collecting well known characters, upgrading their powers and securing wins. Marvel Puzzle Quest has been out for some time now but is always possible to jump in and get started.
Disney Emoji Blitz - download for iOS
Playing more like old school puzzle game Zoo Keeper, Disney Emoji Blitz sets its match-stuff gameplay against the clock. Combining emoji style icons of famous Disney characters is easy on the eye and the mind, but the game adds a competitive edge by allowing you to play against friends via leaderboards or the limited mode, Food Fight.
While there's no storyline to follow, or overarching mechanics, the hook is collecting emojis to use in the keyboard of your phone or tablet. Constantly updated with new emojis and characters, it's always a bright and enjoyable experience.
Limited time events push you to collect characters available for short periods of time, themed on the latest movie release, each coming with special powers based on building up a Blitz meter during the 60 second games. Power-ups and events that last a few days and boost your coins are easy ways to keep moving forward in this sweet puzzler.
Candy Crush Saga - download for iOS
Maybe the King of match-stuff gameplay? With literally thousands of levels and millions of players across the world, there's no denying the success of Candy Crush. It may be frustrating at times - seemingly locking players out of progressing - but its addictive charm will keep players coming back.
With colourful graphics sumptuous sound, it's an enticing prospect. The fact that King supports the game still, with new modes and levels is heartening.
Some may cast Candy Crush to the side for being a little too casual, or maybe just because it has saturated the market, but as a game of match-stuff puzzling, it's hard to rival.
Click here to read our Candy Crush Saga review
Bubble Witch 3 Saga - download for iOS
A matching game with a slight twist. Is it even a match-stuff game? Of course it is, though instead of swiping tiles horizontally and vertically, bubbles are shot from a cannon at the bottom of the screen. The idea is the same - clear the board - and power-ups are still available, but Bubble Witch flips everything on its head.
The satisfaction here comes from bouncing balls in trick-shot patterns for stylish clears, or slotting in a long-distance shot. Much like Candy Crush there are hundreds of levels to play through and a wealth of new features always cropping up. There's no deep lore or RPG element to worry about, just simple aim-and-shoot mechanics to knock together the highest score possible.
Triple Town - download for iOS
While not a conventional match-stuff title, Triple Town is all about matching three items to eliminate them from the playing field. Taking away any time limit, the game trades in quick reaction for forward thinking.
Because combining tiles leads to new tiles appearing. Place three grass tiles together and the last piece you placed becomes a bush, three bushes become a tree. The idea is to keep combining until you've created a small village, with points awarded for the most elaborate town.
Eventually you'll run out of moves, or more likely space, as the game is played on a 6x6 grid. Trapping ninja bears adds a new layer of gameplay, turning them into gravestones which can become churches. With both a style and a concept that feel unique, Triple Town deserves a space on your phone or tablet.