Match Up Three Or More In Every Which Way In Gear Monkey

You are presented with an array of multi-colored gears which are all attached in the horizontal direction only. Each row can be dragged left or right by as many increments at once as you like. By sliding the rows, you can match up each of the four colors into lines of three or more. You then have to tap them to make them disappear.

The lines don’t have to be just vertical or horizontal though. They can be diagonal too. This form of the game probably sounds easier (and actually is) than the classic Bejeweled, where only two gems can be swapped at a time and no diagonal lines are recognized. However, you are given a lot less time for each level and the extra freedom feels better to play with.

Along the left edge of the screen is a red vertical bar showing how much time you have left for that level. Along the right edge is a green bar showing how many more gears you have to remove before completing that level. Progressing from one level to the next is simple. Just make the green bar go down more quickly than the red, at which time all the current gears explode and get replaced.

Additional gears and items are thrown in as you go along to make things more interesting. Examples include a floating wild gear that can be dragged onto any normal gear to make it match any color, a floating bronze star that gives extra points when tapped, and rusty gears that can’t be removed by matching gears.

There is a lite version that is capped at six levels rather than an unlimited number, has only four gear colors instead of six, and only four power ups while the full game has 10. It will still, however, give you a very good idea of the game.

For puzzle lovers, Gear Monkey’s new take on a classic idea with its simple yet challenging gameplay is definitely worth a go.