Match-3 games cover a broad range of design elements, mechanics, gameplay experiences and give the players a different challenge and gameplay mechanic to enjoy. In match 3 games, levels are what constitutes the main content. The mechanics used on levels define game tactics and heavily affect the gameplay variety.
In match-3 game design, there are probably hundreds of variants. A few most common mechanics encountered in Match-3 games are dropping, layers, immovable obstacles, blocked elements and characters that need to be collected by making matches with them.
What is the best match-3 game ever?
Candy Crush Saga is one of the most popular match 3 games of all time. It boasts hundreds of millions of downloads and a strong pop culture influence. Bejeweled is also a popular series of games like Candy Crush Saga (they use very similar mechanics) Other very popular games are 10000000, Dr. Mario World and Indy Cat Match 3.
What makes match-3 game designs so attractive?
In Starloops Studios we are experts in Match-3 game development ( you can see here our game portfolio ) and we have learnt this about our users:
1. The majority of the match 3 games are timed – that means the player is under pressure to make matches before the time will expire. Players tend to be more engaged when they feel they have limited time to complete the level.
2. Match 3 game design often has mechanics that create various effects on the board such as explosions or countless kinds of special tiles. These are usually powered by colored ‘mana’ collected by matching tiles of that color. These indicate small “victories” of the player, and the game becomes more attractive.
How will a successful match-3 game design look like in the future?
In game development, it is vital to follow industry trends if you want to create an engaged game with hundreds of thousands of downloads. In other words, you need to know what things work well (and what don’t!) and what features you should include or exclude when creating a match 3 game design.
1. The different things to play with, will make the difference.
The players like to have something new brought in front of their faces and fingers on a timely basis. So, games that bring new things to the table are the ones that have the highest chances of success in top grossing charts. The idea is to develop a game that is fun to play for months or years, not only days or weeks.
2. Give them new exciting challenges they can’t wait to get their hands on.
A great option for this is a special level with unique challenges and rewards departing from the main path of the game. That will not only surprise the player positively, but also acts as a clear longer-term goal for him.
3. Don’t deviate from the original idea.
When trying to find new things to spice up your game, you should be careful not turning it into something that differs too much from the expectations of your audience. You need to find ways to stand out from the crowd and your competitors by bringing something new, but at the same time manage to maintain the familiar core elements your audience is used to love.
Our Match-3 Games Experience
With more than 10 years in the field of mobile game development, Starloop Studios is proud to say the knowledge and resources accumulated over the years lets us undertake even the most daring and difficult projects in Match-3 game development:
- Portfolio: Pluck! with Space Inch
- And many more!
Conclusion
Match 3 games need a combination of experience and creativity to result in an easy to learn game, simple to play and which don’t take much of your time to get that addictive feeling of accomplishment.
Starloop Studios team has always creative ideas to help you create the game that will meet the requirements of your audience. Our games are built to perform at world-class levels, so feel free to contact us to get a quote.
Starloop Studios is proud to be part of the Magic Media group, an international group specialising in entertainment and gaming industry services. Our wide range of offerings includes VFX, blockchain gaming, game art services, and more. Reach out today to avail of our expertise and A-Z services for your projects.
