Games like Candy Crush for a quick match-3 fix
Royal Match is the closest game to Candy Crush right now: short levels, big combos and a castle to fix. Homescapes and Toon Blast change how you match, and Bejeweled is the classic it all came from. If you want a match-3 with your own twist, you can make one on Roam.
How Candy Crush got so big
Candy Crush Saga is a match-3 puzzle game by King. It came out on Facebook in April 2012 and on phones that November. You swap two candies to make lines of three, and bigger matches make special candies: striped, wrapped and the color bomb.
Each level has a goal and a move limit, like clearing jelly or bringing ingredients down. Lives refill over time, which is why people play a few levels at a time. King has been part of Microsoft since the Activision Blizzard deal in 2023.
Match-3 games to try next
- Royal Match. Dream Games' 2021 hit. Clear levels to earn stars and restore King Robert's castle.
- Homescapes. Playrix's 2017 game. Match to earn stars, then use them to decorate a mansion with Austin the butler.
- Toon Blast. Peak's 2017 game. Tap groups of two or more cubes instead of swapping. Faster and simpler.
- Bejeweled. PopCap's 2001 gem matcher. The game that made match-3 popular.
- Two Dots. Connect dots of the same color with lines. Clean design and calm levels.
Match-3 without ads
Most free match-3 games earn money from ads, extra moves and lives. If you want none of that, Apple Arcade games come with no ads and no in-app purchases. Temple Run: Puzzle Adventure and Zookeeper World are two match-3 games there.
Paid puzzle games on the App Store also skip ads, so check the price and the In-App Purchases label before you install.
Make your own match-3 on Roam
Roam is a free iPhone app: you describe a game in a sentence, it comes back playable, and you change it by talking. There is no match-3 in its feed that we would list here yet, so this is a make-your-own pick. Three twists to try:
- Your own pieces. Swap your friends' faces instead of candy. A photo is enough.
- A different goal. Match to feed a pet, fill a pool or build a castle tower.
- Two players. Take turns on the same board and steal each other's combos.
More on Roam
Make your own match-3 game with Roam
Pick the pieces, the goal and the twist. Roam builds the board, and you tune the levels by asking.
Try: "match-3 puzzle with my friends' faces as the pieces, match four to make a party bomb, 20 moves per level, beat my score"Questions people ask
What is the most popular game like Candy Crush?
Royal Match is the best-known new rival. Homescapes and Toon Blast are also big.
Is there a match-3 game with no ads?
Yes. Apple Arcade match-3 games like Zookeeper World have no ads and no in-app purchases.
Who makes Candy Crush?
King, a studio owned by Microsoft through Activision Blizzard.