Valid moves
Define what a swap must accomplish to be accepted. Decide how invalid swaps are shown and whether a board can begin with matches already present.
Match-3 Game Maker
Plan a match-3 game around valid swaps, cascade resolution, refill rules and a measurable level objective. Separate the puzzle rules from animation and decoration.
This page is a planning guide. Elseland Game Maker is not publicly available yet. You can browse games on the website or play in the mobile app.
Board rules and level goals
Make these decisions before choosing a tool or expanding the project.
Resolution order
Specify the order for clearing matches, applying special effects, dropping pieces and refilling spaces. Ambiguous ordering can produce different outcomes from the same move.
Level objectives
Choose whether the player clears a target, collects items or reaches a score within a move limit. The objective should influence which matches are worth making.
No-move states
Decide how the game detects a board without valid moves and what happens next. A reshuffle should preserve any state that the rules say survives.
From requirements to a testable result
Use the sequence below to keep the first version small enough to inspect.
- 01
Test a tiny board
Use a small grid with a few piece types. Verify horizontal and vertical matches, invalid swaps and overlapping matches before adding special pieces.
- 02
Add one level goal
Introduce a move limit and a single objective. Test a board close to success and one close to failure so end conditions are exercised early.
- 03
Review cascades and resets
Trigger several consecutive clears. Confirm that input, scoring and objectives update in the intended order, then restart and compare with the original setup.
A sample brief you can adapt
An original planning example, not a claim that Elseland has generated this result.
Garden tile objective
Use a 6 × 6 board with four fruit types. Clear grass beneath matched tiles within 15 moves. An invalid swap returns both tiles and spends no move. Resolve all cascades before accepting another input. If no move remains, reshuffle the pieces while preserving cleared grass.
Review the result before expanding it
A concrete check is more useful than another variation of the same prompt.
Deterministic rule order
Given the same board and refill sequence, repeat a move and compare the outcome. Different results may reveal an ordering bug.
Goal feedback
Show grass remaining and moves remaining separately. A score animation must not obscure whether the actual objective progressed.
Difficulty
Observe where players run out of options. Adjust board layout or objective pressure before merely reducing the move limit.
Match-3 Game Maker questions
Answers about scope, handoff and the limits of this workflow.
Is match-3 the same as triple-match sorting?
No. A swap-based board usually resolves adjacent matches, while sorting games often collect matching objects into slots. They need different interaction and failure rules.
Should a cascade spend another move?
Define this explicitly. In the sample brief, only the initial valid swap spends a move; automatic cascades resolve as part of that action.
When should I add special pieces?
Add them after basic matching, falling, refill and end conditions are reliable. Each special effect adds combinations that need separate checks.
Can I use this maker on Elseland now?
Elseland Game Maker is not publicly available yet. This page helps you prepare a brief and evaluate a workflow. The current website offers games to browse and play; the mobile app is a separate destination.
Are the examples finished games or downloadable assets?
No. They are written examples and acceptance checks. Producing a working game or asset requires a suitable tool, implementation and testing.
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