Have to agree on Gem Spinner II. Great concept in moving entire blocks of gems around to match. Couldn't begin to say how much time I'd spent on that game. Also mentioning Hero's of Kalevala. A favorite of mine. The crow flying around the board as a timer will always be a reminder of the game.
I must have added Puzzle Craft to my faves. And yes, I also liked the crow in Kaleva. The legend is great too.
Can folks recommend the best match 3 games that have either an advancing campaign (azkend / candy crush) or rpg elements that aren't timed the way Azkend 2 is? A move limit is fine, but want to avoid games that create their tension/anxiety by having to race the clock real time. Also completely want to avoid games with candy crushes social media hooks. (send moves to a friend nonsense)
My favorite has to be monsters ate my condo and monster flip. Can get sucked into those for quite some time. Also quite enjoyed puzzle craft but lost interest after I lost all progress due to the save bug that was present initially. Im a bit embarrassed to admit because its so blatantly money grabbing but candy crush saga is actually a pretty decent match 3.