Gem Swap is a match-3 game. Swap two neighboring gems to line up three or more of a kind, watch them clear and let new gems tumble in. Bigger matches make special gems, and cascades multiply your points.
The basics
The board is 8 by 8 gems of six kinds, each with its own color and shape. Drag a gem toward a neighbor to swap them, or tap one gem and then the gem next to it.
A swap only counts if it lines up at least three of the same gem across or down. If it doesn’t, the gems swap back and nothing is used up.
Special gems
Four in a line makes a striped gem where your swap landed. When it clears it takes its whole row (stripe across) or column (stripe down).
An L or T shape makes a bomb, ringed in white. When it clears it takes the 3×3 square around it.
Five in a line makes a rainbow star. Swap it with any gem to clear every gem of that kind; swap two stars together to clear the board.
Special gems set each other off, so a bomb next to a striped gem can sweep away a big part of the board.
Scoring and chains
Every gem cleared is worth 10 points. When falling gems line up new matches by themselves, that’s a chain: the second round scores double, the third triple, and so on.
Your longest chain shows at the end of each game, and your best score is kept for each mode.
Modes
30 moves: you have 30 swaps. Take your time and plan each one.
2 minutes: swap as fast as you can before the clock runs out. It starts with your first swap.
Endless: no limit at all. The board never shuffles for you, so the game ends only when no swap is left. Your game is saved, so you can come back to it any time.
Tips for bigger scores
Work near the bottom of the board. Clearing low down makes more gems fall, and more falling gems means more chances for chains.
Look for four- and five-gem matches before taking an easy three. A star or bomb is worth several ordinary swaps.
Save a rainbow star for the most common gem on the board, or pair it with a striped gem’s color to set off lots of stripes.
If you’re stuck, wait a few seconds: a possible swap gently pulses. When no swap is left, the board shuffles for free, except in Endless, where that ends the game.