About Match 3 Jewels
Match 3 Jewels is a free gem matching game in the style of the classic jewel games: swap two neighboring gems to line up three or more of the same kind, watch them shatter, and let the gems above tumble down into new combos. It plays instantly in your browser on phones, tablets and computers.
Big matches build powerful special gems — Line gems that blast a whole row or column, Bombs that clear a 3×3 area, and the Rainbow gem that wipes every gem of one color off the board. Chain them together and a single swap can set off a screen-clearing cascade.
Every gem has its own shape as well as its own color, so the board is easy to read at a glance and friendly to players with color-vision deficiency. Choose Timed for a 90-second score rush or Moves for a thoughtful 30-swap challenge — both have their own global leaderboard.
How to play Match 3
- 1
Swap two gems
Drag or swipe a gem toward one of its four neighbors, or click one gem and then the neighbor you want to swap it with. If the swap lines up three or more matching gems in a row or column, they're cleared. If not, the gems slide back and nothing is used up.
- 2
Let the cascades roll
Cleared gems make room for the gems above to fall, and new gems drop in from the top. If the falling gems form new matches, they clear too — a cascade. Each step of a cascade multiplies its points: the second match is worth ×2, the third ×3, and so on.
- 3
Make special gems
Match four in a row to create a Line gem, match in an L or T shape to create a Bomb, and match five in a row to create a Rainbow gem. Specials appear where you made the match and fire when they're matched again or caught in another blast.
- 4
Beat the clock or the move limit
In Timed mode you have 90 seconds, starting from your first swap. In Moves mode you have 30 swaps with no time pressure. When the round ends, any special gems still on the board detonate in a Final blast for bonus points.
Controls
| Input | Action |
|---|---|
| Drag / swipe | Swap a gem with its neighbor in that direction |
| Click, then click a neighbor | Select a gem, then swap it |
| Arrow keys / WASD | Move the cursor; with a gem selected, swap in that direction |
| Enter or Space | Select the gem under the cursor |
| P or Esc | Pause and resume (Timed mode) |
Advertisement
Match 3 tips and strategy
Work from the bottom
Matches near the bottom of the board shift everything above them, which creates far more cascades than matches near the top. When you have a choice, take the lower move.
Look for fours and fives before threes
A quick three-match is fine, but a four or five that makes a special gem is worth much more over the rest of the round. Scan each row and column for a gem that's one swap away from a longer line.
Combine specials
Swapping two special gems together triggers a combo: Line + Line fires a cross, Line + Bomb clears three rows and three columns, and Bomb + Bomb clears a 5×5 area. Swapping a Rainbow gem with a Line or Bomb turns every gem of that color into that special first.
Save the Rainbow for the right color
A Rainbow gem clears every gem of the color you swap it with. Use it on the color that covers the most of the board, or on a color that's full of special gems.
Move fast in Timed mode
In Timed mode, speed beats perfection. Make quick matches to keep cascades going, and don't spend five seconds hunting for the perfect swap.
Plan ahead in Moves mode
With only 30 swaps, every move counts. Set up special gems and combos, and remember that leftover specials still pay out in the Final blast when your moves run out.
Use the hint when stuck
If you don't move for five seconds, two gems start to glow to show you a valid swap. And if the board ever runs out of moves completely, it reshuffles automatically.
Scoring
- Match 3: 60 points · Match 4: 120 points · L or T shape: 150+ points · Match 5: 250+ points
- Gems caught in a blast add 20 points each, plus a bonus for every special that fires.
- Cascades multiply everything: the second step of a chain scores ×2, the third ×3, and so on. Chains of two, three and four steps are called out as Great!, Amazing! and Incredible!
- Special swaps — a Rainbow gem or two specials swapped together — earn a bonus on top of every gem they clear.
The special gems
- Line gem (glowing arrows): made by matching four in a row. When it fires, it clears its entire row if the arrows point sideways, or its entire column if they point up and down.
- Bomb (pulsing halo with orbiting sparkles): made from an L or T shaped match. When it fires, it clears the 3×3 square around it.
- Rainbow gem (spinning prism): made by matching five in a row. Swap it with any neighboring gem to clear every gem of that color. Swap two Rainbow gems together to clear the entire board.
A short history of match-3 games
Matching three in a row goes back to Shariki, a 1994 DOS game by Russian programmer Eugene Alemzhin. The genre exploded in 2001 with PopCap's Bejeweled, which introduced the swap-two-gems rule that most jewel games still use. Later hits such as Candy Crush Saga (2012) added level goals, special pieces and combo swaps, turning match 3 games into one of the most popular kinds of casual game in the world.
If you enjoy matching, try Bubble Shooter, Block Puzzle or Memory Match, or browse all of our arcade games and puzzle games.
Frequently asked questions
Is this match 3 game free?
Yes. Match 3 Jewels is completely free and plays in your browser on desktop and mobile. There's nothing to install and no account required.
Is this game like Bejeweled?
It follows the same classic rules: swap two neighboring gems to make a line of three or more, and only swaps that make a match are allowed. It adds special gems, combo swaps and cascade multipliers, with a 90-second timed mode and a 30-move mode.
How do you make special gems in match 3?
Match four gems in a straight line for a Line gem, match five in an L or T shape for a Bomb, and match five in a straight line for a Rainbow gem. The special gem appears where you made the match.
What does the Rainbow gem do?
Swap it with any neighboring gem and every gem of that color on the board is cleared. Swap it with a Line gem or Bomb and every gem of that color turns into that special and fires. Two Rainbow gems swapped together clear the whole board.
What happens when there are no moves left?
The board reshuffles automatically so there's always at least one valid swap. You never lose a move or any time to a stuck board.
When does the timer start in Timed mode?
The 90-second clock starts on your first swap, so you can study the opening board as long as you like. You can pause at any time with the pause button or the P key.
What happens if I leave in the middle of a round?
Moves mode saves your board, score and remaining moves after every swap, so you can close the tab and pick up where you left off. Timed rounds are short and aren't saved, so a refresh starts a fresh 90-second round.
Can I play with color blindness?
Yes. Each of the seven gems has a unique shape — square, hexagon, diamond, tall emerald cut, round, triangle and star — so you can match them by shape as well as color.