Match War : Puzzle & Defense is a free puzzle and strategy game from tnkplay. This thrilling and fast-paced game makes up for its simple design choices by combining tower defense and match-3 gameplay elements. Essentially, you are tasked with defending your castle with a grid of weapons that automatically attack moving enemies. By combining three or more similar tiles, you unlock a stronger version of that weapon, allowing you to clear waves faster.

It’s worth noting that Match War : Puzzle & Defense is in no way a casual game. It has a learning curve and a rapidly increasing difficulty, making it addictive.

Defend with different weapons

Essentially, Match War : Puzzle & Defense feels like a fusion between Candy Crush Saga and Bloons TD 6. You have a castle that you need to defend from waves of mobs and a 24-tile board containing randomly generated weapons. Whether it’s a stylized bow, a dagger, or a water gun, they all automatically attack incoming enemies. As the enemies get stronger, you need to upgrade your weapons, match-3 style.

As mentioned, the game doesn’t dwell much on graphics. It features simple yet easily distinguishable game elements. You get basic icons for the base, the weapons, and most of the time, the enemies. There are stages where you only fight moving bags of coins or wooden shields. On the plus side, it features smooth and responsive animation, suiting its fast-paced gameplay.

This game, however, is not a good fit for casual players. Aside from the need to learn its unique gaming mechanics, its difficulty also rapidly scales as you make progress. While the developers continue to adjust timings and mob stats, it still puts on pressure, especially during the latter stages. Other than that, the game incentivizes continued gameplay with attendance rewards and daily missions.

A fun, challenging crossover

If you’re looking for a match-3 game that requires quick thinking, Match War : Puzzle & Defense is a definite must-try. Instead of relaxing tiles that can be matched and removed from the board, you are pressed for time as enemies move toward your base. The strategic aspect, however, can be too much for some players especially as the game gets hard really fast. Other than that, it’s definitely enjoyable.