Gunspell

Match-three games have made an effort to branch out and try to integrate features from other genres to spice things up a bit, but just by a bit. In most cases, you get the same game but with just one or two things that seem to make it better.

The most notable mutation would be match three games like Gunspell, which has added RPG elements. In Gunspell, the idea is that you play as a tough guy who sets off to investigate the disappearance of his sister, only to find out that she’s part of a secret agency that has to deal with parallel worlds. The plot is a bit cheesy, the hidden object kind, but the gameplay is not all that bad.

I don’t care much for match-three games, they're perfect time wasters and a means of slowing down your brain but other than that, there’s not a lot to them. With Gunspell however, it’s a bit different.

The idea in it is that each match-three level is a battle between your character and an encountered enemy. Matching tiles grants you mana, experience, money, and if you combine skulls, for example, you get to do damage to your opponent. It’s a nice spin that gets you thinking a bit. Do you need to get mana to cast spells, or do you work your way to bringing skulls together to deliver a crushing blow? It’s small decisions like those that make it interesting and a bit engaging.

Keep in mind though that this is a match-three game at its core so scenarios where you need to overthink strategy won’t be a concern. After a certain point, since the tiles are randomized, luck will be your biggest weapon and not your tactical skills.

If you don’t have a native positive connection with match-three style games, Gunspell will get repetitive and tedious pretty fast. There’s not much to it, you do the same stuff over and over, even if you do get to fight new monsters, get new items learn spells and so on.

Gunspell is a good recommendation for those who need casual games in their lives.