Gem Grid
Match-3 against the clock. Swap gems, chain cascades, forge line, bomb and blast gems, and fill the mine cart before time runs out.
How to play
- Click or drag gems
- Arrows + Space on keyboard
- P pause
- Enter or tap to start · M to mute
Touch controls appear automatically on phones and tablets. Your best score is saved in this browser and only reaches a leaderboard if you submit it (privacy). Press the fullscreen button for the full cabinet effect.
About this game
Gem Grid gives you an 8x8 board and one colour to collect each level. Only gems of the target colour go into the mine cart, so you match with a purpose, and cascades multiply your points.
Goal: Load the required number of target-colour gems into the mine cart before the level timer reaches zero.
Gem Grid is an original match-3 puzzle built for the browser in the style of 1980s arcade cabinets: pixel art, a chiptune soundtrack and CRT scanlines, all generated in code. It is free, has no ads and needs no download or account.
What’s inside
- Endless levels: level 1 asks for 16 gems in 75 seconds, then 4 more gems and 6 fewer seconds each level, down to 35
- 6 gems: Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Topaz, Amethyst and Pearl, with all 6 in play from level 3
- Line gem (match 4) and Blast gem (L or T match) clear rows and columns
- Bomb gem (match 5) clears the 3x3 square around it
- Players
- 1 player
- On a phone
- Tap a gem then tap a neighbour, or drag a gem toward the one you want to swap with; the pause button is at the bottom left.
- Round length
- Each level lasts up to 75 seconds; a full game usually runs 3-8 minutes.
Tips
- Each cascade step raises the multiplier, so matches low on the board that make gems fall into new matches score far more than matches near the top.
- Half of any leftover time carries into the next level, and each leftover second also adds 20 points.
- Match the target colour first even when another match looks bigger, because only target gems fill the cart.
Questions
What happens if there are no moves left in Gem Grid?
The board shuffles itself automatically and keeps any special gems you had made.
Can I play Gem Grid with a keyboard?
Yes. Move the cursor with the arrows or WASD, press Space, Enter or Z to pick a gem, then press a direction to swap it.
Leaderboards Today’s challenge
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Scores are highest first. Your best is read from this browser when you submit; three initials, arcade style.
