Triple Match: A Refined Puzzle Game with Fresh Twists

Reviewing games for a living might sound like a dream job, but it's not without its challenges. Imagine trying to write a review when the game you're playing is so addictive that it constantly interrupts your work. Or worse, finding yourself only able to focus when you're waiting for the timer to replenish your lives. It's a real struggle.

Triple Match, developed by Boombox Games, is a prime example of this issue. While it's not the first casual match-three mobile game to cause such a dilemma, it's certainly one of the most compelling. It blends the familiar with the innovative, creating a unique experience within the genre. Despite the well-trodden free-to-play loop, Triple Match feels fresh and different.

Invented a Sub-genre

Triple Match might even be considered the pioneer of a new sub-genre. Since its launch in April 2022, it has amassed 20 million downloads across iOS and Android, according to SensorTower. Its success has spurred similar titles like Peak's Match Factory, which followed 18 months later.

The game follows a familiar structure: you complete puzzle stages against a timer, using power-ups and boosts to enhance your performance. Completing stages earns you coins, which you can spend on more boosts, extra attempts, or gifts for teammates. Triple Match also features a subtle multiplayer aspect, allowing you to request lives and make donations.

As you progress, you can work towards various goals, such as building your Kyoto Zen Oasis, creating a village, unlocking features, and competing in tournaments. This is where Triple Match starts to diverge from the typical match-three formula.

How Do I Play?

Unlike traditional match-three games where you slide objects into place, Triple Match presents a chaotic heap of items—pianos, notebooks, umbrellas, letters, clouds, cakes, and more. Your task is to clear these items by tapping three identical ones in succession.

At the bottom of the screen, there's a bar with seven slots. When you tap an item, it moves to this bar. If three matching items appear in the bar, they disappear. However, if the bar fills up or time runs out, you lose.

Initially, the game seems straightforward, requiring you to tap on similar-looking items. But as you advance, the items become increasingly similar, making it harder to distinguish between, say, a red and yellow rocket and a pair of binoculars, or an apple and a tomato. The 3D jumble further complicates things, making a 7 look like an I or any number of other shapes.

This forces you to make quick decisions under pressure, turning what starts as a simple tapping game into a challenging test of nerves, accuracy, and vision. Scattered among the chaos are various boosts like lightning strikes to clear items, clocks to add time, and other bonus items. Power-ups allow you to shuffle the play area, eject items from your bar, freeze the clock, or instantly match three items.

In Conclusion…

Triple Match can best be described as "Mahjong meets Fruit Ninja". It's an addictive, colorful, and innovative addition to the match-three genre that penalizes hasty decisions, poor eyesight, and clumsy fingers, but rewards teamwork. Themed events, such as those for Earth Week or Saving the Reindeer at Christmas, keep the game feeling fresh throughout the year.

You can find Triple Match on Google Play and the App Store, with more information available on its official site.

A Must For Puzzle Game Fans

If you enjoy casual free-to-play puzzlers on mobile, Triple Match comes highly recommended.

Overall Score: 8.1
Graphics: 8
Gameplay: 8.3
Controls: 8