Gem Palace: free match-3 puzzle game online

Yes. Gem Palace on Util.Ninja is completely free to play online, with no sign-up, no download, no lives to wait for and no in-app purchases. It runs in your browser on computers, tablets and phones, and your progress, statistics and badges are saved on your own device.

Gem Palace is a match-3 puzzle in the same spirit: swap jewels, make rockets, bombs and crystal balls, break crates and free characters by reaching the goals of each level. It is an independent game made for this site, with its own jewels, characters, levels and rules, and it is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to Dream Games. Royal Match is a trademark of its owner.

Swap two neighbouring jewels, by tapping one and then the other or by dragging, so that three or more jewels of the same colour line up. They disappear, the jewels above fall down and new ones drop in, which can start chains. Every swap that makes no match is undone and costs no move.

Each of the 20 campaign levels has its own character locked in a cage. Reach all the goals of the level before your moves run out and the cage breaks open: the character joins your Royal Court, which you can open with the crown button. Levels you have already won can be replayed for more stars and a higher score.

In an escape level a trapped hero stands at the top of the board and a hazard, such as a shark, a rockfall, a spike wall, rising water, lava or a giant snake, creeps closer with every move. Clear jewels and break the rubble below the hero so it sinks, and bring it down to the green exit arrow at the bottom before your moves run out. A hero cannot be swapped or blasted; it only moves down when the pieces below it are cleared. Some levels have two or three heroes.

The journey map is a winding road through three regions with one stop for every level. Characters you have freed appear on their stops with their stars, the next level glows, and after each win a little jewel hops along the road to the next stop. Escape levels carry a hazard badge. Tap any open stop to play it again.

A level asks for a score, for a number of jewels of one colour, for a number of crates to break, for heroes to bring to the exit, or for a mix of these. The goals are shown above the board with a counter that fills as you play, and a tick appears when a goal is done.

Match four in a line to make a rocket that clears a whole row or column. Match five in a line for a crystal ball that clears every jewel of one colour. Make an L or T shape for a bomb that clears a wide area. Swap a special piece with any neighbour to fire it, and chains of specials set each other off.

A crate cannot be swapped or matched. It breaks when you clear a jewel next to it or when a rocket, bomb or crystal ball hits it. Steel-braced crates in later levels need two hits. Crates fall like jewels when the pieces below them are cleared.

Every cleared jewel scores points, chains and special pieces score more, and each move you have left when you win adds a bonus. You earn up to three stars per level for finishing with moves to spare. There are 20 levels, so 60 stars to collect.

The Daily board is the same board for everybody on the same day with 25 moves, so scores can be compared. The Endless board is a new board each time and you earn 3 bonus moves for every 2,500 points. Both go on one Gem Palace leaderboard with This month and All time panels; you only choose a nickname.

Yes. Gem Palace works on phones and tablets in portrait and landscape. Tap a jewel and then its neighbour, or drag a jewel; held sideways, the buttons sit in the side rails next to the board. On a keyboard use the arrow keys to move the cursor, Space to pick a jewel and an arrow key to swap it.