Would you like to know how to make a match-3 game? Check out this article for market and development insights, tips, and possible hidden pitfalls.
Highlights:
- Match-3 games are among the most popular titles these days, especially on mobile;
- High popularity also creates fierce competition, so it’s best to partner with experienced match-3 developers who can offer experience-based advice;
- There are ready-made solutions for match-3 modules and assets, which makes game development faster;
- When creating a match-3 game, meta game helps add depth to the simple mechanic, making it more engaging.
Match-3 games have been popular for a while, haven’t they? And last year, they’ve seen a somewhat unexpected surge. Royal Match, for example, made $1.4 billion revenue and had 33 million active users in 2024. There’s something in this particular puzzle mechanic that makes these games unputdownable.
We say “something”, but in fact, the reason for match-3 games’ popularity is not a big secret. The mix of mechanic simplicity and perceived tactical challenge make for addictive gameplay that’s appealing to a broad swath of casual gamers, as well as a big chunk of non-gamer smartphone users looking to busy themselves between daily routines. Matching colorful blocks to get little rewards is an easy and quick way to get a temporary mood booster, relieve some stress, and take your mind off things.
For those making a match-3 game, on the other hand, the genre is a great option for monetization: mostly filled with low-cost in-app purchases, this type of games has players spend rather effortlessly. And additionally to cheap IAPs, match-3 games also make great use of ads, banners, and offer walls.
As you can see, the appeal is rather obvious to game developers to choose match-3 games among other types and genres. And with that in mind, we’d like to offer you some insights from our experience, with our latest launched project, Home Harmony, a game designed with homey atmosphere in mind. For this game, we did full-cycle rework from an older version, so we’re familiar with all sides of creating a match-3 game. If you’re looking for an experienced partner, drop us a line via our contact form!
And without further ado, let’s dive in.
7 steps to develop a match-3 game
Building a match-3 game is an experience both similar and different from designing other types of games. For one, there’s need for a lot (and we mean A LOT) of unique levels to keep the players hooked. But first things first.
#1 Plan your game concept
Game development always starts with a concept — it’s the part of your idea that will drive most decisions.
The match-3 game market is very crowded. Moreover, there are companies who specialize on this type of games and released multiple titles — like the developer behind Gardenscapes, Playrix. When a company has made a name for itself developing a certain type of games, it’s hard to topple it in the niche. And even if you’re not aiming at the very top, you’ll need to put effort into standing out from the crowd.
Royal Match managed to do it, and so can you — with knowledge and assistance from experienced match-3 game developers.
What can you do to create a unique concept?
Think beyond just matching pieces — what new mechanic can you add to the core gameplay?
- Physics-based matching when pieces move realistically (e.g., rolling marbles, shifting sand).
- Painting matching, where players can repaint one piece if there are two of the same color adjacent to it.
- Hexagonal grid instead of a square grid — for more match possibilities.
- Rotational matching — instead of swapping individual pieces, players can rotate sections of the board.
- Multi-layered board where tiles are stacked, and players must break through layers.
These are just a couple ideas off the top of our designers’ heads. An experienced match-3 game design specialist should be able to offer interesting ideas, after all 😎
Other things we might recommend for an outstanding match-3 game include going for meta game. Meta game is everything that goes on besides the core match-3 gameplay. It can be:
- Build and decorate functionality (spending in-game currency won from matching)
- Story-driven / mystery / adventure progression (plot thickens with each level or several that players clear)
- Area development
- Pet / character collection
- Competitive and social gameplay
- Farming and resource management
An interesting setting or theme (cooking, time and space travel, mythology, etc.) can work excellently too and add to the game’s ambience. All of these, if done right, will keep players hooked for longer than a bare match-3 mechanic.
#2 Design core mechanics and levels
Match-3 games rely on simple mechanics, but they can have deep strategy and engaging gameplay loops. In fact, they should have engaging game loops if you want players to stick around.
Traditionally, a match-3 game takes place on a grid (rectangular is the easiest option, but there can be alternative layouts) where players swap objects to build matches of 3+ same pieces. Matching pieces are removed from the board and new pieces fall from the top to fill gaps (this is called gravity mechanic); If new pieces create another match, this triggers cascades (chain reactions).
The basic game loop looks like this:
Match → Clear → Drop new pieces → Trigger cascades → Generate boosters
In the majority of match-3 games, building a same-object set of 4 or 5 pieces offers a booster, depending on the shape of the set:
Combining boosters also produces a variety of effects. And to add challenges, developers can limit the number of moves per level, put “obstacles” on the grid, or task players with moving a certain object from the top of the grid to the bottom.
A particularly curious example of unusual mechanics is present in the Royal Match game, where “King’s Nightmare” levels set peculiar objectives. For example, levels asking to connect two points on the grid by clearing pieces, or challenges with a time limit instead of a number of moves.
Levels should become more challenging gradually, and it’s important to find a balance between randomness of new pieces and the potential skills of players. If your game is either too easy or too difficult, players will tire from it quickly. You can employ AI algorithms to test the balance and make sure all levels are, in the end, winnable.
Tip from Mind Studios Games: When designing levels, if your team uses Unity (like us), make use of the Unity Editor’s Level Builder. This feature allows level designers to test levels without the help of a developer.
#3 Create a game design document
When designing a match-3 game, remember to create a game design document (GDD) and log everything you plan to do in the game. A properly maintained GDD will ensure that everything is accounted for, and if anything goes wrong, it will help your developers backtrack to the previous stages without problems.
Your GDD will contain exhaustive information on the following, at minimum:
- Core concept summary
- Genre
- Setting
- Target audience
- Core mechanics
- Metagame mechanics
- Game loop
- Progression system
- Unique value
- Monetization model
#4 Choose a technology stack
Now, we’ve already mentioned that the match-3 market is quite saturated. While it’s a challenge to stand out there, there’s a perk to such popularity as well. Our Head of Gamedev Ivan Dyshuk offers a crucial tip:
You don’t necessarily need to build the core logic from scratch when you create match-3 games. The development community already has various ready-made solutions for match-3 modules and assets. Your developers will be able to customize them to fit your game, saving time and money.
Our tech stack of choice for match-3 game development looks like this:
Game engine |
Unity Why: It’s a cross-platform engine with superb 2D and 3D support, huge active community, large asset store (with match-3 templates!), and, most importantly, integration with ad networks for monetization. |
Graphics & UI tools |
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Backend |
Backend in match-3 games is optional. You’ll definitely need it if you want your game to sync between players’ devices, have leaderboards, or hold live events/seasonal updates. It’s also helpful for progression system and game economy balancing. For that, we recommend:
|
Analytics |
Mind Studios Games has a custom analytics algorithm we employ in our own games; some of our clients opted to use it as well. However, if you’d like a more traditional solution, here are other options:
|
Monetization |
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Version control |
|
#5 Add visual and audio assets
Your visual and audio assets will depend on the setting you choose for your match-3 game.
In Home Harmony, we reworked the original assets in the “homey” setting, and our main character is a young woman. So we had buttons, ribbons, pillows, vases, etc. In the Royal Match game, there are pieces in the shape of gems, shields, crowns, and more.
Animated characters and VFX also go a long way in adding to the players’ experience and retention. For example, look at the beautiful VFX we did for Home Harmony:
As for sounds, it might be a bit more complicated, but the bottom line is:
- Every action (swapping, matching, combo, power-up) should have distinct sounds;
- Matching should feel pleasant and rewarding, so avoid aggressive sounds;
- Short, non-repetitive sounds prevent player fatigue;
- Instrumental tracks with no lyrics won’t distract players;
- Ensure seamless loops to avoid harsh cuts;
- Use slight variations of tracks to minimize players’ boredom.
If your game levels move between distinct settings or locations (for example, the player is traveling the world), it would be great for the background music to reflect that.
#6 Test and refine your game
Testing is an essential stage for match-3 game development. As the market in this niche is, once again, very crowded, players will not tolerate persistent bugs or poor UX. There’s plenty to choose from, after all.
You need to test everything thoroughly, from UX design (is it intuitive?) to your match-3 game mechanics and levels’ complexity. Assets, music, VFX smoothness, level rewards, ads — everything. Dedicate ample time to testing, unless you want to attract the bad kind of attention from players.
We also recommend our clients to conduct playtesting with actual players — to assess the intuitiveness and appeal of the design and setting, as well as the effectiveness of monetization.
#7 Launch your game
Finally, when all the major parts are finished and tested, it’s time to launch and promote your match-3 game.
What can you do to reach more potential players?
- ASO. App store optimization — saturating the description of your game with keywords — is the most basic way to make your game discoverable. Make sure that the description is interesting and engaging too.
- Ad campaigns. Make an engaging gameplay video for your game, and invest in showing it to the players in other games or social networks.
- Social media participation. Write about your game on X (Twitter), Bluesky, Facebook. Instagram Reels and TikTok videos are also a good way to promote.
- Community. Spread the word on relevant forums, like subreddits (there’s one dedicated to match-3, and others for casual games, Android games, iOS games, etc.)
- Influencer marketing. Approaching gamers with distinct following on Instagram and TikTok following will require an investment, but if your game is good, it pays out in spades.
- Create a discord server for playtesters. Players will be able to not only give you feedback on the game, but also communicate with each other, forming emotional bonds over your title.
- Offer rewards to players who share their achievements and invite their friends into the game.
However, the work of creating a match-3 game doesn’t end at launch, of course. After attracting players, you need to work tirelessly to keep them playing. New game levels, side quests, seasonal events — all this is necessary to keep the game fresh in players’ minds. So it’s a long adventure to embark on. May your sails (and sales) be full at all times ⛵️
Challenges in match-3 game development
The adventure of building a match-3 game is not without its hurdles. Here are the top two challenges you’ll definitely need to overcome on your way to success in this oversaturated niche.
Balancing simplicity with depth
Match-3 mechanics are very simple at their core. So to keep the boredom away from players, you need to balance this simplicity out.
To add more depth, employ meta — elements that aren’t necessarily affecting the match-3 mechanics but rather offer something else besides the quick satisfaction. The meta can include:
- Story progression between the levels;
- Level rewards besides in-game currency, or ways to spend this currency aside from buying lives or boosters (skins, game backgrounds or themes);
- Events, leaderboards, and competitions.
Example: Gems of War, an RPG match-3 game, involves quite a bit of strategy. In addition to the match-3 puzzles themselves, there’s also a CCG element: players also need to choose a “team” for each battle based on unique “powers” to clear levels.
Avoiding player frustration with level design
A successful match-3 game must be simple enough for casual players to pick up quickly, but intricate enough to keep them engaged long-term. We recommend starting the game with minimum difficulty, so that casual players could grasp the basics within seconds:
- Simple tap-and-swap/drag mechanics and clear visual feedback (flashing tiles, particle effects);
- Short tutorials with hands-on guidance;
- No clutter, keep the interface elements minimal;
- Easy-to-read icons for power-ups and boosters;
- Once players are familiar with the basics, introduce layered mechanics for long-term engagement;
- Introduce new elements gradually, so the game doesn’t feel overwhelming.
A suggested level difficulty progression from Mind Studios Games:
- Easy & fun first 20 levels. These have high success rate and are mostly used to introduce new mechanics and hook the players. Monetization here is barely existent, and the goal is to keep players coming back.
- Mildly challenging levels 21–50 introduce blockers, limited moves; require light strategy.
- After level 50, levels become challenging enough to sometimes require several tries to pass. At this point, you can start upping your monetization gradually, and use “lives” to push users to make small purchases with both in-game and even real currency. The goal here is to encourage players to make first purchases, if they haven’t before.
- Engaging and rewarding levels 51–100 with more complex mechanics, but still fair.
- Tactical mastery levels 101+ that require strategy, well-planned moves, and efficient use of boosters.
- Hardcore levels 200+ that only dedicated players usually reach. To drive repeat spending from engaged players, the difficulty of this tier is so high, making through them without boosters at all is almost impossible.
Since most match-3 games offer players to buy boosters with real money as well as with in-game currency, you can gently push towards that at higher levels. However, this should be done carefully, or your game will be branded pay-to-win, and that’s not a good look for a casual match-3 title. Try to not build levels that aren’t solvable without a ton of boosters.
Tip from Mind Studios Games: You can use AI to develop adaptive difficulty, where struggling players get slightly better tile drops to help them win.
Other ways to spruce up your level design might include varied grid layouts, bonus points for combo hits/chain reactions, and unique level goals that we already mentioned in this article.
Examples of successful match-3 games
Here are some tentative analysis of some popular match-3 games, to take a look at what it was that made them successful.
Candy Crush Saga (King)
Released back in 2012, Candy Crush Saga has amassed over 3 billion downloads throughout the years, and its yearly revenue exceeds $1 billion. This title is the template case study in effective level design of a match-3 game.
The game has thousands of levels, each slightly different from the next. It’s quite famous for its “near-win” moments that push players to either retry time after time or buy more boosters. At the same time, its monetization isn’t forced — players can wait to refill lives (it’s not too long) or watch ads instead of spending money.
Finally, regular content updates and events keep the game fresh.
Royal Match (Dream Games)
Over 100 million downloads since launch in 2021 is quite a feat, to be honest. How did they do that without a long-standing reputation of making great games? Well, they did a couple of things differently.
The first thing to notice about Royal Match compared to Candy Crush is that you can play indefinitely as long as you clear levels — lives are only spent on retries, not on playing levels first-time. This inspires players to have longer game sessions.
The second thing you notice is that Royal Match doesn’t have ads: its monetization relies on in-app purchases and limited-time offers. And it’s quite successful, it seems, as the game earned over $2 billion since its launch. Not a Candy Crush level, but still impressive.
As a final touch, just to spice up the experience for players a little, the developers added a little bit of meta to the game. As we mentioned above, there are special levels with non-traditional objectives in the game, where players need to “save the king” in his nightmares.
Dream games also invested into effective TikTok & YouTube ads.
Gardenscapes (Playrix)
More than 500 million downloads and $3 billion lifetime revenue are a result of this game’s match-3 + meta hybrid, mostly.
Gardenscapes is, in essence, a character-driven story game. While match-3 is its main mechanic to earn in-game currency, the reason players continue to play is that they’re hooked up on Austin the butler’s adventures. Players emotionally invest in the story and in the garden restoration.
On top of that, the game’s social features (teams and chat) help foster a community as well as pressure players to play. Depending on the team you join, the pressure might be quite strong 😅
The title is heavily IAP-driven, but the players’ emotional connection to the story make purchases seem small.
Home Harmony (Super Games LLC)
This is the game we at Mind Studios Games are currently working on. When the clients approached us, the game was already made, but it didn’t perform the way its owners wanted, and after some deliberation, they made a decision to overhaul it all with us as a team.
We did full-cycle rework:
- 2D art and animation
- UI/UX design
- VFX
- Game and level design
- Unity development
- Quality assurance
- Project management
The game is still a work-in-progress, but the new version we built is live on Android, you can check it out here. We’re currently working on more engaging features and new levels, so we hope players are looking forward to that.
Conclusion
Match-3 is one of the most successful and profitable genres on the mobile game market these days, and it’s no wonder more titles are coming out almost daily. Yet, despite the high saturation of the niche, creating a match-3 game that stands out is possible. Just look at Royal Match, a title from a relatively little-known team, that managed to upstage games from industry leaders.
If you arm yourself with data and have a creative team that knows the market, successful match-3 game development is more than possible.
Mind Studios Games would be happy to be that partner. We have 8+ years of experience in game development, several match-3 titles either completed or currently in the works, and extensive insider data on possible challenges and ways to overcome them.
So if you’re looking for a partner for building a match-3 game — drop us a line. We’ll schedule a consultation to talk about your idea, offer advice, and make a timeline/budget estimation for its completion.
