Puzzle and word
Match-3
Puzzle games where you swap or tap pieces to line up three or more of the same kind and clear them from the board.
Also called: match 3, match three, tile matching, match-3 puzzle
What defines it
- A board of colored pieces, and a move that lines up three or more of a kind.
- Levels with a goal, such as a score, a number of pieces or clearing obstacles, usually inside a limited number of moves.
- Boosters and special pieces that reward bigger matches.
- A map of levels, often with a story or a home to decorate on the side.
Match-3 is one of the most common puzzle types on phones. Each level is a small, self-contained challenge, which suits short sessions.
Many match-3 games wrap the puzzle in a second layer, such as redecorating a house or rebuilding a kingdom, so finishing levels unlocks something to see.
Well-known match-3 games
Curated by hand. Games in the Gamedexy library come first, with their screens and flows; the rest follow A to Z. This is not a ranking and says nothing about sales or player counts.
- Candy Crush SagaScreens and flows in the Gamedexy library
- Royal KingdomScreens and flows in the Gamedexy library
- Gardenscapes
- HomescapesGoogle Play listing
- Match Masters
- Royal Match
- Toon Blast
