🍬 How to play Candy Match (match-3)
By Miguel Arechaga
Candy match-3 is one of the most addictive games out there: combine three or more matching candies and watch as combos cascade one after another. Here we explain the rules and how to plan your moves to get the most out of every one.
What is this match-3 game?
It's a puzzle where you swap adjacent candies on a board to form rows or columns of 3 or more candies of the same type. Once formed, those candies disappear, add to your score, and the ones above fall to fill the gap.
How to play step by step
- Tap or drag a candy toward an adjacent square to swap them.
- If the swap forms a line of 3 or more matching candies, they're destroyed and add to your score.
- Combining 4 or 5 candies at once creates special pieces with more powerful effects.
- Gaps are filled with new candies falling from above, which can trigger automatic chain combos.
- If a swap doesn't form any line, it's invalid and the candies return to their original spots.
Strategy: think in cascades, not single moves
A beginner looks for the first match of 3 they can find. An expert player looks at the board for one more second and searches for the move that triggers a chain reaction: as the candies above fall after a match, a second line sometimes forms automatically, then a third, multiplying your score with a single move.
Always prioritize matches of 4 or more candies when you have the option, since they generate special pieces you can later combine with each other to clear entire sections of the board at once.
Quick tips
- Work the board from bottom to top: matches near the bottom trigger more chain falls.
- Before you move, check whether a match of 4 is available instead of settling for the first match of 3 you see.
- If you don't see an obvious move, check the corners and edges: they often hide less obvious matches.
Master the cascade effect and every round becomes a satisfying chain of combos to watch unfold.
🏆 Score ranking
Candy Match has its own global ranking: your best score is saved. Go to Ranking, the 🕹️ 1 Player tab, choose "Candy Match" from the dropdown, and compare your score with other players, synced to your account. For your result to count you need a free account on MundoSudoku (just a username and password, no email required): you can play without one, but without logging in your score won't be saved to the ranking.
