Match 3 games have over saturated the mobile market ever since developers realized no one really owned the concept behind Bejeweled. As such, we’ve got a wide selection of games that try to stand out and do something different, and games that will give your phone a virus.
To help you on your search, we’ve compiled a list of the 15 Best Match 3 Games For Android. The developer and publisher King might be the reigning king of match 3 games, but there are plenty more that do just as well. Some still have paywalls and steep difficulty curves, but you should at least get a good 100-200 levels out of it.
So choose your favorite and click the corresponding link on this list of the 15 best Match 3 games For Android:
Candy Crush Soda Saga
Games from the developer and publisher King are probably the best on the mobile market right now for match 3 games. There is no paywall, the difficulty curve does not get suddenly steep, and no matter what, the game will let you win in a way that makes you feel like it was up to you and not an algorithm.
In addition, Candy Crush games always have a clever mechanic that will help you breeze past those difficult levels when they come. The moment you win a level, the game will give you bonus items that appear at the start of each consecutive level.
Not only does this make the game from fun to play (who doesn’t want to win?) it gives you an advantage on more difficult levels. Of course, the microtransactions come at the moment you lose, but don’t worry! The more you play, the more rewards you’ll get and eventually, you will win.
Download Candy Crush Soda Saga on Google Play.
Angry Birds Match
This one is really fun until you hit the paywall. The power-ups are abundant and make certain levels more challenging, in a good way. The catch with all the power-ups is that they are stopped by certain objects, like fortified boxes and pigs. This mechanic forces you to pre-plan when and where you activate the power-ups.
However, the paywall is there and I recall it being remarkably early for a match 3 game. Usually, they let you hit at least 100 or 200 levels, but Angry Birds Match was less than that. Or perhaps I just lost patience. If you are determined to get through the tough parts, some Angry Birds Match tips are to log-in every day, save your special powers-up as much as possible, and unlock as many birds as possible. Do that, and you might get a few more levels out of this game.
Download Angry Birds Match on Google Play.
Cookie Jam
Learn French and maybe a little pastry baking too! Well, to be honest, you might learn what “c’est bon” means, and how many layers a chocolate wafer can have. This game is about 2% less fun than Angry Birds Match, but the paywall takes a very long time to hit. Again, that 100-200 range.
It may sound odd, but the sounds of Cookie Jam are very satisfying and fun to listen to while you play. There are no unique gameplay mechanics in Cookie Jam, it is probably the least inspired on this list, but as a run-of-the-mill match 3 game, it will serve its purpose in a fun and cute way. C’est bon, je promets!
Download Cookie Jam on Google Play.
Frozen Free Fall
If you enjoy the sound of hard candy being smashed in Candy Crush, you’ll love the sound of ice being smashed in Frozen Free Fall. It might be an odd aspect to like about a match 3 game, but it is incredibly soothing to hear the woosh of combos going off at the end of each beginning level.
Besides the pleasant sound, Frozen Free Fall does have a paywall, but it is not as impossible to get around as Gardenscapes. What this game does have, is a very steep difficulty curve. So much so that you can watch the algorithm work against you at the very beginning of the level.
That said, when the game does decide to let you win, it is wonderfully challenging and makes you think about each move for a good minute or two. This will begin at level 100 (in the wolves area) and climax at about 240 (Elsa’s castle). I encourage you to push through, however, as the Summer levels are very much it.
Download Frozen Free Fall on Google Play.
Sugar Smash: Book of Life
Another standard like Cookie Jam with a different skin. If you or your child enjoyed the movie, this is a great way to interact with favorite characters and pretend you are living in the Land of the Remembered. There are no unique gameplay mechanics and there is no paywall.
There are nearly infinite levels at this point, with new worlds to explore. The most recent is Coco Loco themed and an addition to the Twilight Park, an area where children are collecting as many stones as possible before they are called back home.
Download Sugar Smash: Boof Of Life on Google Play.
Marvel Puzzle Quest
This match-3 game comes with light RPG elements, where you collect and upgrade characters from the Marvel universe. Every level has you and your assembled team attacking various enemies. You do this by making matches, of course, and each color is associated with a specific character. Once you’ve filled up their power-up by matching about tiles of their color, you can tap on them to execute a heavy attack.
If you really love the Marvel characters, this is the game for you. Luckily, this game is also kid-friendly and won’t get extremely challenging until far in the upper levels. As such, there is no paywall and you can play as many levels as you like.
Download Marvel Puzzle Quest on Google Play.
Simon’s Cat – Crunch Time
Simon’s Cat is an online cartoon series that started its rounds on the internet decades ago. The most famous of these was a short animation featuring Simon sleeping in his bed, and his cat doing everything in its power to wake him up.
This included scratching Simon’s face and a baseball bat. As it was so relatable to cat owners around the world, Simon’s Cat grew in popularity. The cartoon is still running today on YouTube under the same name with nearly 5 million subscribers.
Of course, you can’t be that popular without an app to show for it. Crunch Time is all about feeding the many cats featuring in Simon’s Cat cartoons, getting rid of those pesky rats, and collecting acorns from angry squirrels. The difficulty curve is a bit steep, but there are some incentives to keep you going, especially if you participate in the current event. There is no paywall and the microtransactions are not at all intrusive to gameplay.
Download Simon’s Cat – Crunch Time on Google Play.
Bejeweled Blitz
Bejeweled is the original match 3 game, starting its life in 2001 and growing exponentially since then. This particular rendition of the game is published by EA, who purchased the developers, PopCap, in 2011.
As such, Bejeweled is not quite the free-to-play game it used to be. Many features and gameplay mechanics have been added. Some are definitely good things, spawning similar mechanics in King’s match three games, others are clearly meant to lead the player towards microtransactions.
All that said, Bejeweled Blitz is still a lot of fun. The new power-ups, for example, are extremely satisfying when you set them off right. Much like Candy Crush, a winning streak has never been more thrilling to blaze through.
Download Bejeweled Blitz on Google Play.
Bubble Witch 3 Saga
Alright, it’s technically a bubble shooter, but you do have to match at least three of the same colored bubbles to get rid of them, and it’s another King game. If you enjoyed all of the above games, you’re going to love Bubble Witch.
The animation is cute and fun, as you follow a witch and her cat as they chase after an evil fairy-kidnapping cat. As you play, you collect stardust, which you can use to rebuild the witch’s home to your specifications. The better you do on each level, and the more you compete on the leaderboards, the more rewards you will earn.
This game has a fairly steep difficulty curve, you’ll know it when you hit it, but it is something you can get through if you set your mind to it. Much like Frozen Free Fall, you can watch the algorithm work against you from the start simply because the harder a level gets, the more calculated and precise your moves need to be. There are microtransactions to help you out, of course, but as with all King games, they are not absolutely necessary to win.
Download Bubble Witch 3 Saga on Google Play.
Ghost Town: Mystery
When I started to play this game, it was still very much in development. There were a ton of glitches, the worst of which would occur just as you won the level. However, it has been revamped and updated since, even with entirely new tiles and upgraded animation. The inherent charm of Ghost Town: Mystery was not removed either.
The story remains cute and somewhat intriguing, the parts you have to clean up and solve minor puzzles is still very fun, and the match 3 levels are about a medium difficulty. What really makes this game shine is that every house you clean and every level you beat gives you the ingredients to brew power-ups – all without microtransactions!
They are still there, of course, but it is possible to gain extra power-ups without resorting to spending actual money. If you’re looking for something simple but with a little more than just match 3, Ghost Town: Mystery is the best free match 3 game on Android.
Download Ghost Town: Mystery on Google Play.
Bee Brilliant
Another game that isn’t technically a match 3 game. You can match more than three bees at a time and they don’t need to be in a column or row to do so. They do need to be connected, however, and you’ll only get power-ups if you match 8 and up.
Bee Brilliant features adorable sleeping bees as the tiles, who only wake when you match them with at least two buddies. There are daily rewards after watching an ad, perfect for when you reach those tougher levels. Bee Brilliant is perfect for adults and kids alike, easy enough to play with increasingly challenging levels as you play.
Download Bee Brilliant on Google Play.
Star Wars: Puzzle Droids
If you really love the new Star Wars trilogy, Star Wars: Puzzle Droids is a great way to reminisce about the events that happened in Force Awakens. The game draws out the story of Rey, when we first meet her and BB-8. Puzzle Droids has you scrounging for old parts to exchange for rations and braving sandstorms.
The gameplay is fun, with small tweaks to the match 3 formula that make each level a little more entertaining than usual. For example, when there are large metal panels on the board, you have to make a certain amount of matches around them until Rey herself swings in and dislodges them. There are other levels where ships are attacking and chasing the Falcon, making for challenging obstructions as you play.
There is no paywall and the difficulty curve is reasonable, with plenty of challenges for the expert player in the upper levels. The only catch is that you might have to do a little grinding to unlock those upper levels, as they cost a certain amount of in-game currency.
Download Star Wars: Puzzle Droids on Google Play.
Indy Cat Match 3
Indy, like Indiana Jones, only this is a cat archaeologist and he doesn’t play around. He’s out for the Ball of Fate and it’s up to you to get him there. With such shiny jewels to match with, you’re sure to find your time with this game utterly luxurious. As you play, you’ll meet all kind of characters, including the cat rulers of faraway countries and even supernatural beings that could either help or hinder you.
The best feature of this game is that it is connected to Facebook. You can play the game on your computer, and then continue it on your phone without a hitch. No going back and playing levels you already finished, Indy Cat syncs in no time at all. This is even better for when you get a new device and cannot move all the data for your games.
Download Indy Cat Match 3 on Google Play.
Puzzle & Dragons
If you’re looking for a game for your child and they thought Bee Brilliant was a little too brilliant, Puzzle & Dragons is perfect. This game lets you drag any tile on the level over to where you want to make a match of 3 or more. It makes the game incredibly easy and great for kids who might have gotten a little frustrated with the normal match 3 games.
In addition, Puzzle & Dragons has you evolving your dragon pets as you play. They start out small, but they sure pack a punch when you need them to. If the battle is looking grim, just tap one of your dragons and they will unleash and combo attack that could win the fight in no time.
Download Puzzle & Dragons on Google Play.
Gardenscapes
First of all, this game is enormous. There is no counting how many levels and areas there are available. Second, designing your own garden is super fun, even if there are only three options for each object.
Third, and most importantly, Gardenscapes (and Homescapes) has a hard paywall after you’ve unlocked the third area in the first garden. There is no way to get through unless you’ve saved your power-ups since the beginning of the game. Even then, you will have used them and then you would not be able to proceed further without paying your way there.
That said, Gardenscapes is very fun until you reach that point. Uncovering cute gnomes is a lot of fun or the challenge of the chained pieces. If you are willing to pay your way through this game, Gardenscapes will do its utmost to make it worth your while.
Download Gardenscapes on Google Play.
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