There is no doubt that Candy Crush Saga is the king of the whole Match-3 puzzle genre, or even the entire iOS gaming world, considering its enormous download record and huge amount of fans all over the world. But that is not to say, we don’t need a No. 2, or even No. 3. Anyway, good Match-3 puzzle games are among the best time-killers and the best thing about these games is that players, young or old, can pick them up at any time and any place without recalling where they were when last time playing.
Below are some of these brilliant games AppsGoer has sorted out from the vast ocean of apps on iTunes. Their ranks here do not necessarily represent how good they really are, but they do, to some degree, indicate how they perform in the eyes of our editors and the vast iOS gamers. If you are a fan of this genre, I’d suggest you give each of them a shot.
Pet Rescue Saga
King.com serves as a perfect model of how to make the small things unforgettable. Ever since the release of Candy Rush Saga, King.com seems to have made every of its move noticeable, as well as impressive. But before we saw it on mobile, Pet Rescue Saga has tested the waters on Facebook and won an insanely wide acclaim. And now, the game has racked up millions of downloads. Absolutely a must-own on your iDevices.
View and Download on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pet-rescue-saga/id572821456?mt=8
AppsGoer’s Review: http://ios.appsgoer.com/pet-rescue-saga-review-11601.html
Jelly Splash
I’m still amazed at how fast Jelly Splash ascended to the top charts of free apps way back in August. It adopts matching mechanics that vary with Candy Crush Saga, but equally fun and absorbing. As of this moment, Jelly Splash is still hanging up high at No. 25 on the top grossing charts of iOS gaming.
View and Download on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/jelly-splash/id645949180?mt=8
AppsGoer’s Review: http://www.appsgoer.com/2013/08/30/jelly-splash-review-a-casual-puzzle-game-like-candy-crush-saga/
Frozen Free Fall
Disney is undoubtedly one of the experts to make agreeable games that fit the season perfectly. Frozen Free Fall, which bears a lot similarities to Candy Crush Saga, tasks players to swipe ice crystals, instead of candy, fruit or any other object, to match 3 or more of the same type. I would say Frozen Free Fall is the most baffling match-3 puzzle game I’ve ever met. Matching skills aside, you’ve got to have the luck to pass some of its levels.
View and Download on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/frozen-free-fall/id692412579?mt=8
AppsGoer’s News: http://www.appsgoer.com/2013/11/21/disneys-new-match-3-game-frozen-free-fall-takes-on-gameplay-of-candy-crush-saga/
Candy Blast Mania
Well, even from what it looks like, you can almost be sure that this game is a copycat of Candy Crush Saga. The candies in Candy Blast Mania were re-animated but still look much like those in Candy Crush. But at least the matching fun is still there.
View and Download on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/candy-blast-mania/id680022952?mt=8
Jewel Mania
Teamlava appears to be over ambitious on taking over the match-3 puzzle market from king.com by releasing several mania games that owe mostly the same game mechanics, which are, at the first place, copied from Candy Crush Saga. Well, there is nothing wrong about Jewel Mania. It’s just that we are expecting something that can really make a difference.
View and Download on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/jewel-mania/id561326449
Farm Heroes Saga
Farm Heroes Saga is a recent installment of King.com, the maker of Candy Crush Saga. This time we are dealing with a group of adorable farm heroes in their efforts to stop Rancid the Raccoon from spoiling the precious farm lands. After hours of joyful engagement, we believe that this game has the potential of becoming a competent successor to Candy Crush Saga.
View and Download on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/farm-heroes-saga/id608206510?mt=8
Diamond Dash
Another color matching game from wooga, the maker of Jelly Spalsh, a smash-hit puzzler we’ve above mentioned. Unlike others, Diamond Dash sets a 60-second limit on each level of the play. You are also allowed to compete with your Facebook friends for the best record of each level.
View and Download on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/diamond-dash/id461402734?mt=8
Kiwi & Me
If not for the cute little bird Kiwi, I would not have taken this game into this top list. Kiwi & Me is a simple game with a simple goal in mind. If you are fine with its nagging IAP, you’ll be rewarded with a very pleasant casual puzzle game.
View and Download on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/kiwi-me/id705494534?mt=8
AppsGoer’s News: http://www.appsgoer.com/2013/11/27/kiwi-and-me-is-yet-another-copycat-of-candy-crush-saga/
Birzzle Fever
Birzzle Fever is a fire new match-3 puzzler by Halfbrick, the creator of Fish Out of Water!, Band Stars, Jetpack Joyride and so many more hit games. The game has just hit the CA App Store and we are not sure when it will launch internationally. But you may use our public CA Store account to grab it for now.
View and Download on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/birzzle-fever/id734217556?mt=8
Jewel Galaxy
To be honest, Jewel Galaxy has not undertaken the test of time. One of the reasons why we put it here is that it’s from Bulkypix, the publisher of Meltdown, AntiSquad, Lone Wolf, Runaway: A Road Adventure and a whole lot more breathtaking games. There are currently 75 levels and hopefully will be more to come.
View and Download on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/jewel-galaxy/id684168069?mt=8
Note: This list does not include the games that mix match-3 with other elements, like role playing, strategy and so on. For top iPhone Match-3 RPGs, please view another of our list in below: http://ios.appsgoer.com/top-iphone-match-3-rpgs-13065.html
