✦ Match-3 Battle

Objective

Finish the battle with more points than your opponent. Both players use the same 8 by 8 board and receive the same number of turns.

Take a turn

Select two neighboring shape gems to swap them. The swap is accepted only if it makes a horizontal or vertical line of at least three matching symbols. On touch screens, tap two neighbors or swipe a gem toward an adjacent space.

Score and combos

Every cleared gem is worth 10 points. New gems fall into the gaps. If they make another match, the cascade continues with a larger combo multiplier.

Keyboard controls

Use the arrow keys to move around the board. Press Enter or Space to select a gem, then select an adjacent gem. Press Escape to clear your selection.

Tips

Look for swaps that make four or more matches, or that open the board beneath another pair. The hard computer values immediate points and promising follow-up moves, but it always plays a legal swap.