Angry Birds Blast Set for Worldwide Launch on Dec. 22

Angry Birds Blast marks another departure from the physics-based slingshot gameplay that made the original Angry Birds such a huge phenomenon. Instead, it’s a tap-to-match arcade adventure puzzle game.

In Angry Birds Blast, the titular furious fowl have been trapped inside colorful balloons by the bad piggies. As the player, you have to tap to match at least three adjacent balloons of the same color to set them free before hogs turn their eggs into omelets.

The game includes more than 250 levels and dares you to earn three stars in every level, probably with the help of a variety of ballon-bursting boosters that may be unlocked by making special matches.

Angry Birds Blast also features daily missions with rewards and Facebook integration allowing you to challenge your friends and get help from them. Thanks mainly to Candy Crush Saga, you most likely already know the drill with games like this.

It is, as expected, free-to-play, with in-app purchases offered for in-game currency.

Angry Birds Blast has been in soft-launch mode in some countries since July. But as mentioned, it’s scheduled to be launched worldwide on Thursday, Dec. 22.