How to play Gem Match 3
Gem Match 3 is a 60-second blitz on an 8x8 board of sparkling neon gems. Click a gem, then a neighboring one, to swap them. If the swap lines up three or more matching gems horizontally or vertically, they burst and new gems cascade down. Cascades trigger chain reactions — falling gems forming fresh matches automatically for bonus points. The clock never stops, so it is a race: spot swaps fast, keep the board churning, and stack points before time runs out.
Controls
Click a gem, then an adjacent gem, to swap. On touch, tap the two gems in turn — or drag from one to its neighbor in a single swipe. Clicking the same gem twice deselects it. Start begins your 60-second run; Restart deals a fresh board. Swaps that make no match snap back, so experiment freely.
Tips & strategy
Scan the whole board before each move instead of grabbing the first match — the best swaps set up a cascade behind them. L- and T-shaped patterns often hide double matches worth far more than a single line of three. Favor moves near the bottom: falling gems there disturb the most rows and spark the most chains. When a cascade ends, rescan immediately — the settled board usually reveals a follow-up. A two-second look beats two wasted random swaps.
Scoring
Every cleared gem earns 10 points; matches of four or five add a 20-point bonus per gem. Chain reactions multiply value: each consecutive cascade adds +50% to the gems it clears. Score and remaining time update live, and your best saves in your browser. When the timer hits zero, your final score locks in — beat it next run.