The latest entry in the popular Puzzle Quest franchise has released, with the match-three puzzle/RPG hybrid going the free-to-play route this time around.

The Puzzle Quest series began in 2007 when developer Infinity Interactive released Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords. The game has been released on several platforms, and became widely popular on mobile devices and portable consoles due to it’s pick-up-and-play nature.

The first game saw a 2019 remake on Switch titled Puzzle Quest: The Legend Returns.

Puzzle Quest 3–which hit iOS, Android, and Steam platforms on March 1st–retains much of its original identity despite the free-to-play model: players still choose a class for their character, engage in match-three puzzles for combat, delve into dungeons, recruit companions, and acquire loads of gear.

There have been some major changes to the format however. For starters, players and the enemy do not share the same puzzle board, so there’s no worry of your foe making a move that you didn’t see. Secondly, players are able to move pieces diagonally, leading to plenty more opportunities to make a great move. Lastly,  gamers can make several moves within a single turn, as they have a short time limit to make as many moves as possible. This can allow for some devastating attacks that can nearly clear the entire board at once.

Of course, the game has some shortcomings that come with the free-to-play format: it’s grind heavy so as to encourage buying booster packs, PvP is emphasized over the ho-hum single player adventure, and many of the more intricate RPG features have been stripped down in favor of simplification.

Still, the game seems to be an enjoyable diversion from other match-three puzzlers that are so abundant on mobile devices, such as the ever popular Candy Crush Saga.

Will you be giving Puzzle Quest 3 a shot? If you have already, what did you think? Let us know in the comments section, and our Discord!

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Source: 505 Games