Match 3 Puzzle

A free match 3 game that opens straight on level 1: swap neighbours to line up 3, make blasters, bombs and rainbows, and clear 36 move-limited levels for three stars. No lives, no timers, no installs.

👥 1 player🕹️ Casual Classics⚡ No download · No sign-up

🕹️ How to play

Check the goal and moves: Above the board you see the moves left and one or two goals, such as "hearts 0/12" or "ice 0/12". Finish every goal before the moves run out. Only swaps that make a match use a move.
Swap two neighbours: Drag a piece up, down, left or right, or tap one piece and then a neighbour. The swap counts when it lines up 3 or more of a colour in a row or column; otherwise the pieces slide back and no move is used.
Make special pieces: Match 4 in a line for a blaster, a T or L shape for a bomb, or 5 in a line for a rainbow. Blasters clear a whole row or column, bombs clear the 3×3 around them, and a rainbow clears every piece of one colour.
Earn stars and move on: Each move you have left adds 300 points, and the total decides 1–3 stars. Tap "Next level" to continue straight away, or "Try again" after a loss — there are no lives to wait for. Stuck? The Hint button shows a full move.

📖 Rules & variants

Valid swaps: only orthogonal neighbours can swap, and the swap must create a line of 3 or more of one colour. Swapping a rainbow with anything, or two special pieces with each other, is always allowed. Invalid swaps bounce back with no move or score lost.

Making specials: exactly 4 in a line makes a blaster that follows the match direction (a horizontal match clears a row, a vertical one clears a column); a T, L or cross makes a bomb; 5 or more in a line makes a rainbow. The special appears where you dropped the piece, or in the middle of the line during cascades.

Special effects: blasters clear their row or column, bombs clear a 3×3 area, and a rainbow caught in a blast clears the most common colour on the board. Specials hit by another effect fire too, so chains can sweep half the board.

Combos: blaster + blaster clears a cross; blaster + bomb clears three rows and three columns; bomb + bomb clears 5×5; rainbow + plain piece clears that colour; rainbow + blaster or bomb turns that colour into specials and fires them all; rainbow + rainbow clears the whole board.

Ice and crates: ice sits under a piece and loses a layer each time that piece is cleared; double ice needs two clears. Crates can't be swapped or matched — a match next to them or a special hit removes a layer, double crates need two hits, and crates fall with gravity. Gaps in shaped boards are skipped by falling pieces.

Scoring: each wave scores (pieces × 10 + ice × 20 + crate hits × 20 + new specials × 50) times the cascade multiplier (×2 for the second wave, up to ×5). Winning adds 300 per move left. Each level keeps your best stars and score only.

Dead boards, hints and undo: when no move exists the board reshuffles for free. Hints are unlimited and animate a whole move. You get 3 undos per level, and replaying the same swap after an undo gives exactly the same new pieces, so undo fixes slips rather than rerolling luck.

❓ FAQ

How do you play match 3 games?

In a match 3 game you swap two neighbouring pieces to line up three or more of the same colour, which clears them and drops new pieces in from above. Here every level gives you a set number of moves and one or two goals, and new matches that form from falling pieces cascade for bonus points.

What happens when you match 4 or 5 in a row in match 3?

Matching 4 in a row creates a blaster and matching 5 creates a rainbow; a T or L shape creates a bomb. In this game a horizontal 4 clears a row and a vertical 4 clears a column, bombs clear 3×3, and a rainbow wipes out every piece of the colour it is swapped with.

What happens if you swap two special pieces in match 3?

Swapping two special pieces fires a combo that is much bigger than either alone. Two blasters clear a cross, blaster plus bomb clears three rows and three columns, two bombs clear 5×5, and two rainbows clear the entire board in one move.

How do you break ice and crates in match 3 levels?

Ice breaks when the piece sitting on it is cleared, and crates break when you match right next to them or hit them with a special. Double ice and double crates need two hits each, so aim blasters and bombs at them to break several at once.

How do you get 3 stars in match 3 levels?

Three stars come from finishing the goal with lots of cascades and specials while saving moves, because every move left is worth 300 points. Match near the bottom to set off chains, combine specials instead of firing them alone, and check the result card for exactly how many points the next star needs.

What happens when there are no moves left in match 3?

When no valid swap exists, this match 3 game reshuffles the board automatically and does not use a move. If you simply can't spot one, tap Hint and two pieces will light up and slide to show the swap.

⚠️ An original casual puzzle game, not affiliated with any commercial match 3 title. Level progress and best scores are stored only in this browser.

Last updated: 2026-10-01 · Saved on this device only