Game Goal
Score as many points as you can in 3 minutes by arranging gems into lines of three (or more) in a row. Use Special Gems and HyperCubes to score bonus points.
Game Controls
Click a gem to select it. It will be highlighted. Next, click a gem above, below, to the left, or to the right of the selected gem. They will swap positions. If the swap creates a group of 3 or more in a row of the same gem, the group will be removed. If not, an error sound will play and the 2 gems will swap back.
If you select a gem and then change your mind, click on it again to deselect it. You may also swap gems by clicking on one and dragging it in the direction you'd like to move it.
Game Rules
The game begins with an 8x8 grid filled with randomly placed gems. Choose 2 adjacent gems (horizontally or vertically) to switch places on the game board. If the gems swap to create a row of 3 or more identical gems, a match is made, the gems disappear, and you earn points!
The remaining gems fall down to fill in the empty spots, which can result in additional groups being formed and removed. New gems always fall in from the top of the screen so that the playing area is filled with 64 gems at all times.
A match occurs when 3 or more gems of the same color line up in a row either horizontally or vertically. Matches cannot be made diagonally, and moves that do not result in the creation of a match are not allowed.
If you make a row of 4 matching gems, 1 of the pieces will remain on the board as a Flame Gem, which is a type of Special Gem. Use the Flame Gem in a match and watch it blow up all the gems around it. You can also create another type of Special Gem, a Star Gem, by making two conjoined matches of 3 ('L' or 'T' shaped). Make a match using the Star Gem to destroy all the gems in its row and column. You can combine Special Gems, too! When a Special Gem destroys another Special Gem, the 2nd Special Gem will detonate.
If you create a row of 5 like-colored gems, 1 of the pieces will remain and become a HyperCube. When you swap a HyperCube with another gem, ALL gems of the same color will be removed! For example, swap a HyperCube with a red gem and ALL red gems will be removed.
If you ever reach a position in which there are no possible moves, the playing area will be refilled with new gems, and play will continue. There is no scoring penalty for this, but it does cost you some time.
After scoring a certain number of points, you will advance to the next level. Reach the following score thresholds to level up through all six levels:
When you level up, the grid will be cleared and filled with new gems. Any unused Special Gems and HyperCubes will be carried over to the next level.
You begin each game with 3 minutes to play. A timer at the bottom of the screen indicates how much time is remaining. When time is up, the game ends.
Click the Hint button at any time to highlight a gem that can be swapped. NOTE: When using Hint, 50 points will be deducted from your score. A hint will also appear automatically after 15 seconds of inaction.
Game Scoring
For creating a match, a base score of 10 points is awarded. If multiple matches are made from a single move (either simultaneously or due to a chain reaction) then a base score for those additional matches is awarded as follows:
Also, a bonus is added to the base score for each match based on the number of gems in the match:
Additionally, if any Special Gems are detonated during the collapse, they add the following amounts:
And so on, increasing the bonus by +10 for each additional Special Gem.
When a Star Gem is detonated, you also get +5 points per gem destroyed.
When a HyperCube is swapped, it does not create a match. Instead, it destroys the gem that it was swapped with and all gems of the same color as that gem. Points are awarded as followed:
- 75 points for the HyperCube itself
- 20 points for each normal gem
- 60 points for each Special Gem destroyed
All of the above point values are also affected by a level multiplier:
Tips:
- Look for opportunities to create multiple matches with a single swap. This can earn you tons of extra points if you manage to create a long sequence of matches.
- Try to detonate several Special Gems at once to take advantage of the bonus for chained explosions.
- HyperCubes are great to use when you are having trouble finding matches. Clearing all gems of one color usually creates a lot of new matches in addition to scoring tons of points.
- Try to level up as quickly as you can. The scoring multipliers for the higher levels can make a huge difference in your score.
- You can make swaps while other pieces are falling! To maximize your score, try to make swaps while your previous matches are still resolving.