If you’re looking for gameplay that is addictive, challenging, yet easy to understand, match-three games are the way to go. These come in all different types of offerings with different obstacles, features, and goals. What’s great about these games is they are ideal for all ages and can fill those few extra minutes or easily eat up an hour or more. Here’s a list of apps that feature this style of gameplay and all have their own themes and surprises to discover.
The best iPad apps for Match 3
7 Apr 2021, by  Cherry Mae Torrevillas
This is a match 3 puzzle app for iPad. With the Fruits Master app, you will enjoy limitless match 3 fun without worrying about hearts! A sweet world of fruits awaits your challenge! Match 3 or more of the same colored fruits! Stages will challenge you with various missions and fruits! Connect sweet fruits to experience a special butterfly effect!
- Simple rules make this match 3 game fun brain training!
- Over 1,000 special stage modes!
- No heart limits! Play as much as you want!
- No Wi-Fi? No problem! Play any time without an internet connection.
- Supports 16 languages!
You know an app is worthy of your time when it already has over 1.5 million downloads. The goal of this game is to match jewels so that you can find hidden objects and clues to solve the mystery. There are hundreds of challenging levels with regular updates. The graphics are sweet and engaging. You can invite your friends to play, there are 5 game modes and numerous in-app purchases to expedite or enhance gameplay. There aren’t many games like this one. The combination of Match 3 with finding clues to solve an overall mystery is a wonderful concept and it’s easy to see why this app is so popular.
- A combination of match 3, find hidden objects and solve a mystery
- Great graphics, Hundreds of challenging levels
- Regular updates, Invite friends to play
- 5 game modes, Over 1.5 million downloads so far
- In-app purchases to expedite or enhance gameplay
Be brilliant in Bejeweled Stars, a match-3 experience like no other! Experience endless fun and unique challenges every day in a beautiful world filled with surprises, explosions, and playful puzzles. Combine sparkling gems to earn rewards, create boosts when you need them most, uncover collectible emojis to express yourself, and even control the game board itself as you play.
- Bejeweled Stars comes to life with exciting twists and distinctive ways to play.
- Open chests to reveal 100s of exclusive and delightful Bejeweled emojis that let you express your own style and send personal messages.
- Collect SkyGems and use them to create special boosts. Use the Star Swapper to blast through difficult spots.
- Earn shining stars with every level you play. Watch as they fill Constellations in the sky and unlock amazing rewards!
As far as match-three games go, the Candy Crush Saga app is up there with the most popular offerings available. Likely you've heard of it; perhaps you've got friends addicted to it, and now it's your chance to discover the game. There are hundreds of levels to work through and the graphics are not only fun but tasty looking as you try to switch around the candies in order to make matches and combos. There are magical boosters available that can help your game in a big way and you can sync the game between your devices so you can play on all of them.
- The app features tasty and fun graphics
- There are boosters that will help your gameplay in a big way
- There are hundreds of levels for you to work through
- The game itself is very easy to understand
- The app supports Game Center and the Leaderboard
There's nothing standard and boring about this match-three game. The Pet Rescue Saga app offers fun for the whole family as you try to match up adorable varieties of puppies, kittens, piglets, bunnies, and a whole bunch more. It takes the typical match three style game and injects all new life into it. Unlock and earn bonus rewards, boosters, exploding bombs, and plenty more unexpected surprises. There are hundreds of levels available and to add to it there are new levels added on a regular basis. Sync your game between all your devices and try to out-do your friends on the Leaderboard.
- The app supports the Leaderboard
- You can sync all your devices
- The app features match three style gameplay with adorable graphics
- Match up cute animals instead of objects
- There are exploding bombs, boosters, and bonus rewards for you
- There are new levels added on a regular basis
While match-three games are easy enough to understand they can be quite puzzling and challenging, which is the case with the Cookie Jam app. Work your way through hundreds of levels all of which offer unique challenges, fun graphics, and plenty of combos and power-ups to use. The game takes place on Bakery Islands, which is a rather tasty and fun-looking place. It's filled with all kinds of pastries that are just waiting to be matched up. You can sync this one across all your devices, there are events and rewards to win, and the app supports Facebook so you can show off your stats.
- The game takes place on Bakery Islands, which is filled with all kinds of tasty-looking pastries
- There are hundreds of levels to work through
- There are power-ups and combos, which will help your gameplay
- The app supports Facebook
- You can sync the app across all your devices
Here's another offering from the same makers as the wildly popular Candy Crush Saga app. The Diamond Digger Saga app provides players with an engaging and entertaining gaming experience where they will be working to match up three or more diamonds. You need to reach a target score in order to move to the next level, and speaking of levels there are more than 200 to work through. Of course there are plenty of items here that can help your gameplay such as line blasts, color bursts, boosters, dynamite, and hidden treasures. The app supports Game Center and the Leaderboard so you can get as competitive as you like.
Diamond Digger Saga app review
- Match up three or more diamonds and reach the target score
- There are more than 200 levels
- The app supports Game Center and the Leaderboards
- There are plenty of items available to help your gameplay such as boosters and hidden treasures
- The graphics are lively and engaging
Why not take your love of the Marvel Universe and enjoy it as a match style of game? The Marvel Puzzle Quest app allows players to do just that as you work to match up the super villains and the super heroes. To take the challenge to the next level there are player versus player tournaments and RPG leveling. You are working to beat your opponent so this one takes plenty of focus and strategy. To keep things interesting there are characters to unlock and each of them has their own skills to learn about and master.
Marvel Puzzle Quest: Dark Reign app review
- Match up the super villains and the super heroes
- The game requires strategy and focus
- This one is addictive and challenging at all times
- There are characters to unlock each of them has their own skills
- You can take part in player versus player tournaments
- Expect impressive graphics that portray the characters just as you would expect
Frozen has taken the world by storm and now kids can enjoy everything they love about the characters in a match style game. The Frozen Free Fall app is a match-three style game for kids where they need to slide around the ice crystals in order to match three or more of them. There are characters for them to unlock, power-ups available, and a few different game modes. Kids will want to explore each of the characters own special skills and abilities that can really help with gameplay. There are hundreds of puzzles available which means plenty of hours' worth of fun for your little one.
- All of the popular characters from Frozen are here
- Unlock characters as you play and learn about each of their special skills and abilities
- There are hundreds of levels to play through
- The gameplay is simple and smooth allowing kids to play on their own
- There are power-ups available
Are you looking for that perfect casual game that you can use to fill those few minutes? The Jelly Splash app may just be what you're searching for and features 460 levels. This match three style game offers up some rather adorable characters called Jellys who are bright, cute, and filled with personality. There are boosts available which can certainly help you out and you'll feel the challenge in a big way since this one supports the Leaderboards. What players really love is that you can take this game at your own pace since there are no time limits.
- The app features match three style gameplay
- The graphics are adorable, cute, and filled with personality
- The app supports the Leaderboard so you can prove to your friends who reigns supreme
- There are boosts available to help you out
- There is no time limit in the game so you can play at your own pace
- There are 460 levels worth of challenges
While match three games are fun and engaging sometimes they just don't offer enough of a challenge. The Bejeweled Blitz app makes sure that your heart gets racing as each game lasts all of 60 seconds. That's right you've got exactly one minute to detonate all the gems you possibly can by matching up three or more. There are boosts and power-ups that will definitely help you out and there are weekly Leaderboards that you can try your best to climb. The game features an interactive tutorial so you're not confused. The tutorial gives you a chance to learn about multipliers, scramblers, and more.
- Get started with the interactive tutorial that walks players through all the basics
- There are plenty of boosts that you can use
- You only have 60 seconds to detonate as many gems as possible
- There are weekly Leaderboards you can work on
- The graphics are vivid and lively