Match 3 Tips: Cascades, Special Pieces and Planning Moves
Updated
The main match 3 tips: make matches near the bottom of the board so the pieces that fall can set off extra matches, line up four or five instead of three to earn special pieces, combine those special pieces with each other, and spend every move on the level goal rather than on points. Below is how cascades and special pieces work and how to plan your moves, with games from the match 3 games collection.
How match 3 games work
Wikipedia's article on tile-matching games defines match three as placing three or more tiles of the same type next to each other so they disappear. In the swap style, you exchange two neighboring tiles, and only a swap that makes a match counts.
The same article explains the scoring that every tip below builds on. Bigger matches score more. When tiles are removed, the ones above fall to fill the space, which can make new matches on their own, and those follow-up matches score higher. Newer games split play into levels with a goal to reach in a limited number of moves.
| Game | How you move | Special pieces |
|---|---|---|
| Tasty Jewel | Swap jewel sweets | Match 4 or more for explosive power-ups |
| Halloween Mania | Swap monsters, 60 levels with different goals | Match 4 or more for tiles that explode an area |
| Alchemist Lab - Jewel Crush | Swipe gems, over 100 levels | Match 4 or 5 for bonuses; match bonuses together for a philosopher's stone |
| PushPlush | Slide a whole row or column | Bombs, trapped fluffies and giant 2x2 characters |
| Chain n Gain | Drag a chain across matching items, diagonals too | Bombs, rockets and rainbows fire when they touch your chain |
| Witch Cube Blast | Tap a group of 2 or more | 5 or more give Boom and Line removal boosters |
Cascades: match low on the board
A cascade is the chain of extra matches that falls out of one move. When you clear tiles at the bottom, everything above drops, and every column that moves is a fresh chance for a match you did not have to make. Clear tiles at the top and only the new tiles arriving from above move.
- Look at the bottom rows first for a match.
- Prefer a low match over an equal one higher up.
- Before you swap, check what will drop into the gap. Two of a color sitting above the gap may land next to a third.
- Use the moves the board gives you for free. Chain n Gain shifts the board every turn: cleared chains make blocks fall and the bottom row vanishes.
Cascades are partly luck: the same Wikipedia article notes that many games drop new tiles at random. Matching low gives that luck more to work with.
Special pieces: make fours and fives
In most of the games here a match of four or more creates something stronger than the tiles it used. Tasty Jewel, Jewel Legend, Jewel Pop and Jewel Pets Match all give explosive power-ups for a match of 4 or more, and Halloween Mania makes tiles that explode areas of the board.
- Before every swap, check whether the same color can make four or five instead of three.
- Do not set off a special piece the moment it appears. Move it toward the blockers or the tiles your goal needs.
- Combine specials. Alchemist Lab - Jewel Crush activates a bonus when you match it with gems, and matching bonuses with each other makes its strongest piece, the philosopher's stone.
- In chain games, aim the chain past the power-ups. Chain n Gain fires bombs, rockets and rainbows that sit next to your chain.
Plan for the goal, not the score
Most level-based match 3 games set a goal, and points alone do not finish the level.
- CreamLink Kids sets targets for each level, and you win when you meet them.
- Chain n Gain asks you to collect a set number of specific items.
- Jewel Christmas Story gives each mission a goal, and the game currency you collect buys boosters in its shop.
- Tasty Jewel and Jewel Pop put blocks and other obstacles in your way to crush through.
- Underwater Blast adds seaweed traps, drifting bubbles and hidden treasures as the levels go on.
- PushPlush has trapped fluffies to free and a Puzzle mode where you slide rows to recreate a picture.
How to plan a level
- Read the goal before the first move, and count the moves you have.
- Work on what the goal needs first: the blocked tiles, the trapped pieces, the items to collect.
- Clear obstacles from the bottom up, so the cascades help.
- Save boosters for the last few moves, when one booster can finish the goal.
- If the game gives stars, finish the level first; Halloween Mania asks for all levels with 3 stars, and a replay is easier once you know the board.
Timed match 3
Some games trade the move limit for a clock, and the tips change.
- Blocks Match 3 gives you a 5-minute timer and a score goal, with bomb boosters, special clears and shuffles.
- Ninja Toy Match ends the game if you take too much time.
- TechTiles has limited time and chains of three or more computer parts.
Against a clock, speed beats the perfect move. Take the first good match you see, and look for the next one while the pieces are still falling.
Common mistakes
- Matching at the top of the board out of habit.
- Making a three when the same swap could have made a four.
- Firing special pieces as soon as they appear.
- Chasing points while the level goal stays untouched.
- Spending boosters on the first moves.
Match 3 FAQ
How do you get cascades in match 3?
Match near the bottom of the board. Every tile that falls is a chance for a new match, and Wikipedia notes that these follow-up matches score more than the first.
How do you make special pieces in match 3?
Match four or five of a kind instead of three. In Tasty Jewel and the other Jewel games above, a match of 4 or more gives an explosive power-up.
Is match 3 the same as a merge game?
No. Match 3 clears pieces; a merge game joins two identical pieces into a bigger one. The difference is explained in what are merge games.
Can you play match 3 games on a phone?
Yes. Blocks Match 3 swaps with a swipe, PushPlush slides rows with a finger, and SpacePuzzler swaps with a swipe and taps ability icons. The site works in the browser of a phone, a tablet and a computer.
More boards are in the match 3 games collection, and shooting-style matching is in the bubble shooter tips.
