If you enjoy match-three puzzlers like Bejeweled and Candy Crush, you may want to check out free-to-play Jewel Galaxy, out now on the App Store for iOS devices (iPad version reviewed here). In Jewel Galaxy, you can slide two jewels from anywhere on the board, they don’t have to be next to each other. Match three vertically, horizontally, or even diagonally to make them disappear. If you can match four or more, you’ll get special items that can help you clear out more jewels.

In each stage you’ll have different goals, such as clearing out a certain number of jewels with limited moves, reaching a certain goal before a time limit, or clearing out tiles underneath the jewels with a time limit or move restriction. If you lose, you can spend special gems to let you continue where you left off. But use them wisely because they’re hard to earn in the game, but you can buy them with real money in the shop. You can also use boosters (like power-ups) but the game is a little unclear on how to use them. Jewel Galaxy is fun, but it gets ridiculously hard very quickly. I couldn’t even get past the first world. I guess it’s just one of those freebies that won’t let you get anywhere unless you spend money on it.

Kid Factor:

No violence to be had, but reading skill is helpful for the text. The game starts out easy at first, but younger gamers may get frustrated at the quickly rising difficulty. Parental supervision is recommended for the online parts and in-game purchases.

Tags: Game Reviews