Best Match-3 Games to Relax
Have you ever matched tiles in a match three game just to watch them falling down? I have 
Well, one more level, and another one, and then you find it’s suddenly 2 a.m. (the best case).
I’ve always enjoyed playing match three games – from the time I got my PC till now when I can get the most out of my Retina display. And I’ve got some personal experience to share.
I’ve chosen 5 of my fave match three games to give you an idea what they're like and compare their pros & cons among thousands of other match 3 apps on the App Store. Apps change the best apps stay popular, though. So, here is my TOP 5 (subjective
):
Bejeweled
URL deleted
Fishdom
7 Wonders
Treasures of Montezuma
Bejeweled HD
Let’s start with the kingpin – Bejeweled. It’s really perfect in its simplicity.
The graphics in the game isn’t too sophisticated but the mechanics and extra features found the way to my heart! You have a look at it and don’t understand why millions of people play it until you try the game and get involved in matching and soon find out that you just can’t stop it.
The developers didn’t draw the levels and tiles for ages; they made them look simple, though perfectly polished, and prominent. The focus is on the mechanics rather than graphics. The sound effects are also great and catchy.
You score as many points as you can, swapping and matching tiles. A range of bonuses are at hand to help when you are stuck – hypercubes, flame gems, star gems, etc. Knowing that tastes differ, the developers decided to specialize in different game modes. There are 4 extra ones for now.
I’m still stuck to the Classic mode. You are not pressed for time and can match for ages. The Butterflies mode is also great. I can’t let the nasty spider get the poor creatures and try hard to save as many as possible. There are also Diamond Mine, Lightning and Zen modes. If you want a fast moving match (which I’m not really into) choose a Lightning mode or get Bejeweled Blitz. It’s a good challenge for your matching skills. It was also fun to experiment with Zen mode and play accompanied by the sounds of the ocean or forest and mantras for success.
So, if you are a perfectionist and want a special game mode for your mood, the Bejeweled series is just for you.
Pros: perfectly polished, 5 game modes with unique techniques
Cons: vertical game field, too addictive
Fishdom HD
Fishdom I found cartoonish, light, easy-going and eye catching. So to say a perfect family game. What I really enjoyed.
It plays out like a basic match-3 game. What makes it special is that you can influence the game and decorate your own aquarium. Isn’t it great when you can change something in the game play? So I took my time and created lots of pretty aquariums with pretty finned pets. Over 100 levels were just right for me. You can also replay it creating new aquariums and changing the decorations of your tank.
The cartoonish graphics makes the game bright and fountaning. In general, the game looks friendly and inviting to play.
A number of thematic splashes should be mentioned. They all have their tiles and tanks adjusted to this or that theme. From Fishdom: Frosty Splash to Fishdom: Spooky Splash. I also liked the idea of Fishipedia in Fishdom 2 where I learned a lot about lovely fish pets.
So, If you like pretty graphics and Disney cartoons this app is right for you. These lovely finned fishies just can’t leave you indifferent.
Pros: easy-going, can decorate your own aquarium
Cons: timed
7 Wonders
There is one more lovely match three game -7 Wonders. A wonderful one
With standard mechanics, it has its charm. You don’t just clean the board but provide mini-workers with precious stones for construction of famous buildings of the whole world. The geography is wider than in Cradle of Rome, but because of this it lacks a solid theme.
You have to use your wits quite a bit. Especially, when it comes to placing the key stone at the end of the level. I really appreciated the ‘Shuffle’ button in 7 Wonders 2. In this one you build not only ancient wonders but the mystic building around the world from South America to China.
7 Wonders: Ancient Alien Makeover disappointed me. Though it is based on the theory of aliens participating in constructing some of the Wonders, it was a bit too much for me. So, I can’t tell you the details of the game as I haven’t finished it.
On the other hand, I was rewarded by 7 Wonders: Magical Mystery Tour. It combined everything best from the previous ones and adding new characters and a touch of legends and myths.
Pros: has its twists, shuffle button
Cons: a bit short
Treasures of Montezuma 3
And the last but not the least – Treasures of Montezuma 3. The iPad version looks more polished and grand than PC one to me.
You match tokens and unlock chests of gold found in the jungle in more than 150 levels. There are also 42 puzzle levels to add to the challenge. The game is timed and you have to score as many points as you can within one minute unless you use the proper power-up to get more seconds. For the performance on a level you get medals.
There are two difficulty modes – Casual and Expert. But the only difference is in the number of points to score on each level. It was really great when I started the game in Casual mode and got a high score in a couple of levels, the game offered to change the difficulty mode. Although, by the middle of the game I had to come back to Casual one I also liked puzzles in between the levels where you clear the board and no new tokens appear.
Have to say that playing without using totems is impossible. You'll never get the right number of points. You earn special stars on the levels and can spend them in the shop on totems and power-ups you need. All the totems have their own color. To activate them, just match the tokens of corresponding color 2 times in a row.
Maybe, the matching board is too small and the puzzles are also based on matching and not extremely varied, but the visual and audio effects of the totems in action are really stunning.
Try it to make your own impression of the game. And if it's your kind of game try also Treasures of Montezuma 2.
Pros: has its twists, spectacular video and audio effects
Cons: can get too challenging
_________________________
P.S. Live, experiment, match
Well, one more level, and another one, and then you find it’s suddenly 2 a.m. (the best case).I’ve always enjoyed playing match three games – from the time I got my PC till now when I can get the most out of my Retina display. And I’ve got some personal experience to share.
I’ve chosen 5 of my fave match three games to give you an idea what they're like and compare their pros & cons among thousands of other match 3 apps on the App Store. Apps change the best apps stay popular, though. So, here is my TOP 5 (subjective
):Bejeweled
URL deleted
Fishdom
7 Wonders
Treasures of Montezuma
Bejeweled HD
Let’s start with the kingpin – Bejeweled. It’s really perfect in its simplicity.
The graphics in the game isn’t too sophisticated but the mechanics and extra features found the way to my heart! You have a look at it and don’t understand why millions of people play it until you try the game and get involved in matching and soon find out that you just can’t stop it.
The developers didn’t draw the levels and tiles for ages; they made them look simple, though perfectly polished, and prominent. The focus is on the mechanics rather than graphics. The sound effects are also great and catchy.
You score as many points as you can, swapping and matching tiles. A range of bonuses are at hand to help when you are stuck – hypercubes, flame gems, star gems, etc. Knowing that tastes differ, the developers decided to specialize in different game modes. There are 4 extra ones for now.
I’m still stuck to the Classic mode. You are not pressed for time and can match for ages. The Butterflies mode is also great. I can’t let the nasty spider get the poor creatures and try hard to save as many as possible. There are also Diamond Mine, Lightning and Zen modes. If you want a fast moving match (which I’m not really into) choose a Lightning mode or get Bejeweled Blitz. It’s a good challenge for your matching skills. It was also fun to experiment with Zen mode and play accompanied by the sounds of the ocean or forest and mantras for success.
So, if you are a perfectionist and want a special game mode for your mood, the Bejeweled series is just for you.
Pros: perfectly polished, 5 game modes with unique techniques
Cons: vertical game field, too addictive
Fishdom HD
Fishdom I found cartoonish, light, easy-going and eye catching. So to say a perfect family game. What I really enjoyed.
It plays out like a basic match-3 game. What makes it special is that you can influence the game and decorate your own aquarium. Isn’t it great when you can change something in the game play? So I took my time and created lots of pretty aquariums with pretty finned pets. Over 100 levels were just right for me. You can also replay it creating new aquariums and changing the decorations of your tank.
The cartoonish graphics makes the game bright and fountaning. In general, the game looks friendly and inviting to play.
A number of thematic splashes should be mentioned. They all have their tiles and tanks adjusted to this or that theme. From Fishdom: Frosty Splash to Fishdom: Spooky Splash. I also liked the idea of Fishipedia in Fishdom 2 where I learned a lot about lovely fish pets.
So, If you like pretty graphics and Disney cartoons this app is right for you. These lovely finned fishies just can’t leave you indifferent.
Pros: easy-going, can decorate your own aquarium
Cons: timed
7 Wonders
There is one more lovely match three game -7 Wonders. A wonderful one
With standard mechanics, it has its charm. You don’t just clean the board but provide mini-workers with precious stones for construction of famous buildings of the whole world. The geography is wider than in Cradle of Rome, but because of this it lacks a solid theme.
You have to use your wits quite a bit. Especially, when it comes to placing the key stone at the end of the level. I really appreciated the ‘Shuffle’ button in 7 Wonders 2. In this one you build not only ancient wonders but the mystic building around the world from South America to China.
7 Wonders: Ancient Alien Makeover disappointed me. Though it is based on the theory of aliens participating in constructing some of the Wonders, it was a bit too much for me. So, I can’t tell you the details of the game as I haven’t finished it.
On the other hand, I was rewarded by 7 Wonders: Magical Mystery Tour. It combined everything best from the previous ones and adding new characters and a touch of legends and myths.
Pros: has its twists, shuffle button
Cons: a bit short
Treasures of Montezuma 3
And the last but not the least – Treasures of Montezuma 3. The iPad version looks more polished and grand than PC one to me.
You match tokens and unlock chests of gold found in the jungle in more than 150 levels. There are also 42 puzzle levels to add to the challenge. The game is timed and you have to score as many points as you can within one minute unless you use the proper power-up to get more seconds. For the performance on a level you get medals.
There are two difficulty modes – Casual and Expert. But the only difference is in the number of points to score on each level. It was really great when I started the game in Casual mode and got a high score in a couple of levels, the game offered to change the difficulty mode. Although, by the middle of the game I had to come back to Casual one
I also liked puzzles in between the levels where you clear the board and no new tokens appear.Have to say that playing without using totems is impossible. You'll never get the right number of points. You earn special stars on the levels and can spend them in the shop on totems and power-ups you need. All the totems have their own color. To activate them, just match the tokens of corresponding color 2 times in a row.
Maybe, the matching board is too small and the puzzles are also based on matching and not extremely varied, but the visual and audio effects of the totems in action are really stunning.
Try it to make your own impression of the game. And if it's your kind of game try also Treasures of Montezuma 2.
Pros: has its twists, spectacular video and audio effects
Cons: can get too challenging
_________________________
P.S. Live, experiment, match
Last edited by psj3809; 05-27-2013 at 12:35 PM. Reason: Deleted posters own game out
