Jewel Match Solitaire

Combining two different genres into one is not a new idea when it comes to video games, otherwise we wouldn’t have many of the modern titles. A bit of role-playing in a shooter helps a lot with immersion, and some turn-based strategy can make RPG battles more exciting. However, the casual market is subject to the same experiments, many of which turn out to be quite successful.

Jewel Match Solitaire is a Solitaire puzzle game in which you have to match cards instead of placing them in decks like in a regular Solitaire game. The difference is not that great, but the mechanics are much faster and rewarding when you do not have to think too much ahead. Granted, some of the complexity is lost in the process, but that might be exactly what you are looking for.

The underlying principle is that you have to arrange the cards in order of their values, but it doesn’t matter whether its plus or minus one. Every level also features a different card layout, and only the top cards are face up. Hence, there’s still a bit of strategy involved, because you may sometimes be able to clear more cards if you get the order right.

There are other mechanics introduced along the way too, such as locked cards that require specific items in order to be cleared. To make things easier, you can also acquire special abilities and power-ups, which can get you out of a jam when you run out of options. In case you manage to clear multiple cards in a row, a combo system multiplies your points, which always feels rewarding.

As for the castle restoration bit, this mini-game is only available when you have enough resources, and it basically resumes to clicking on a building and seeing it appear in the background image. Speaking of which, the graphics are far from impressive, but the artwork is enjoyable, and you can also choose between multiple card designs if you get bored of the default one.

Although Jewel Match Solitaire is not that different from all the other Solitaire puzzle games out there, it does have a unique charm sometimes, and the castle building aspect is pretty neat as well. Hence, you can definitely squeeze a few hours of entertainment out of it. NOTE: This is a downloader for the game. Once run, the application will automatically download and install the game on your computer.

To buy the product you need to register with Big Fish. The registration is free and the account will let you earn free games, play community games or participate in game forums, write reviews as well as offer you significant discounts.