Games Like Bejeweled
Bejeweled was originally developed by PopCap Games back in 2001, and in those days it went by the name "Diamond Mine." Widely considered the most popular "match three" puzzle game, Bejeweled charges players with the task of shifting adjacent gems in an effort to get three identical jewels in horizontal or vertical rows. In some circles, Bejeweled is considered an even greater, more addictive game than the almighty Tetris.If you're a big fan of Bejeweled -- be it on the computer, on the web, on PDAs (via Astraware's translation), and even on mobile phones -- you should certainly check out these other games that are similar to Bejeweled. Some offer the same fast-paced rush you've come to expect, whereas others may work more on your strategic skills rather than your quick-clicking finger.
Jewel Quest
On the surface, Jewel Quest looks an awful lot like Bejeweled, but there are several distinct differences. Whereas Bejeweled forces to you quickly look for any possible combination in order to "stay alive" in the game, Jewel Quest has much more of a strategic side to it. You are presented with a very similar grid of items (not all jewels here; you also find skulls, coins, and other trinkets) and your goal is to have a trio (or greater) created in every tile slot. The color of the tile changes if it was involved in a disappearing set, and you need to have all of the tiles form that color. There is still a time limit, naturally, but this game challenges you to create completed sets of gems in specific areas rather than haphazardly anywhere on the board. An interesting dynamic in later levels of Jewel Quest puts blocked tiles that cannot be moved until you put two or more of the same icon adjacent to it.
Zoo Keeper
Zoo Keeper is available on a variety of platforms, like the Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, and Sony PlayStation 2, as well as a mobile version for your cellular phone. The gaming dynamic in Zoo Keeper (also known as Zooo) is nearly identical to Bejeweled, but they've thrown in things like "in progress" moves to allow for multiple rows of three to be eliminated in quick succession. This puzzle game has a grid of icons, but instead of the gems and jewels you find in Bejeweled, you find a variety of -- you guessed it -- animals from the zoo. This is quite a colorful experience, with cartoony renditions of everyone's favorites, like the elephant, monkey, frog, and lion. There are at least five game modes to be enjoyed (at least in the NDS version): Zoo Keeper (the main mode), Tokoton (where the goal is to capture 100 of one particular animal, for example), Quest (a series of ten "challenges"), Time Attack (self-explanatory), and Very Hard Mode (for the expert Zoo Keepers out there; unlocked after completing the other modes).
Chuzzle
Chuzzle is yet another in a long line of color-matching games from the people at PopCap Games. Much like Bejeweled before it, you are presented with a field of different items (here, fuzzy creatures known as "chuzzles" rather than the emeralds, rubies, and diamonds you've seen before), and your goal is to create as many sets of three (of the same color) as you possibly can. One thing that sets Chuzzle apart from other similar puzzle games, however, are what are known as "giant Chuzzles", which take up the same amount of space of four regular Chuzzles. This can create quite a challenge, as they are more difficult to accommodate into sets of three. They're cute, they're fuzzy… they're chuzzles.
Zuma
Zuma is available on a number of websites, and it takes the Bejeweled "match three" concept and spins it on its head. Literally. Instead of a field of tiles where you must swap adjacent tiles to make sets of three, Zuma presents a train of colored orbs with a "shooter" in the middle where you launch out similar orbs. Your task to make sets of three (or more) same-colored orbs, all the while the line of colored marbles makes its way toward the death hole. You must clear out all of the marching marbles before they reach that final destination. In some ways, this game can be thought of being similar to Bust-A-Move, because of the marble shooting feature. For more on how to best play this game, check out our Zuma Walkthrough and Guide.
