Bejeweled video games have been incredibly popular for many years now. Their undying popularity clearly shows how there is always a demand for satisfying and simple match-three games. Bejeweled was the first video game in this specific genre and setting that started gaining popularity among players from all across the world. You cannot find a person that does not know about Bejeweled or some kind of its analog, such as Candy Crush, for instance. They are simple mobile-style video games that require placing three items in a row to proceed.
Match 3 video games are puzzle games that require aligning three of the same items or items that meet a certain criterion to make them disappear. By clearing the level or reaching the necessary number of points, you can win the game. The mechanics are truly simple, and the visual component plays a huge role. It is visually satisfying to match different items in themed video games.
Here are some of the popular themes for match-three titles:
- Jewels – just like one of the first and most popular games in this category, jewels are often used as the main theme for such titles. Players need to deal with a variety of colorful jewels in different shapes. This allows aligning similar jewels easily.
- Candy – another insanely popular title in this genre is Candy Crush, and it has hundreds of analogs. Both children and adults love playing with colorful candy that can come in a variety of beautiful designs.
- Fruit – using fruit in video games is a classic. Most classic adventure games require gathering fruit to collect points or replenish your health. Continuing this theme, simple match-three games are the perfect canvas for all the different types of fruit.
- Monsters – instead of playing with colorful cubes or stones, it is much more fun aligning colorful and funny monsters. There is no limit to creativity, and game developers always go all in when creating a new puzzle game with little monster designs.
While match-three games can differ in unique features and designs, there are three main components to the design and gameplay of such titles:
- Grid – all items are placed on a grid that can have a set amount of spaces for each game or differ based on the difficulty level. Easier games for kids usually have smaller grinds than games for adult players.
- Matching items – the key objective of such video games is to match similar or the same items to get rid of them and clear the stage. This genre is called match-three because it is necessary to match at least three items. While in some games, this is the set amount, in most titles, players should be able to match three and more items creating huge chain reactions.
- Items – the items themselves play a huge role. They are always themed, and you will not find a bunch of random items. They can be from different categories if there is a theme that ties them together nonetheless. For example, all items can be jewels, if this is the theme of the game, but they can also be random garden items if this is the aesthetic.
Each game in this category has its unique features and requirements. Even with similar gameplay, they all are diverse, and players can spend a lot of time trying all the games available.