[b]jewel match solitaire[/b] is a long-running card game series, offering the usual +1/-1 gameplay in various fantasy settings, the usual power-ups and decoration/upgrade elements. bonus stuff is what makes them stand out, even if each game in the series is just a reskin of the others, as is customary with solitaires, no matter the developer.
this particular iteration offers [b]320 levels[/b] with the usual 3-star rating system. already a good amount, though not unprecedented, and there are [b]8 castles to build[/b] as well, which are just as involved (so not really) as in other games. get emeralds from the levels, unlock a random building, when all done, move on to the next castle. [b]each castle has to be completed within 40 levels[/b], but there are more emeralds than necessary, and of course levels can be replayed if you missed some.
the [b]3 difficulty settings[/b] offer wildly different experiences. [b]even on [i]relaxed[/i] a star is taken away if you need more than one run through the deck[/b]. always completable but not necessarily for 3 stars. [i]normal[/i] only allows a single deal, as is customary. [i]hard[/i] adds a timer to speed up your card-picking decisions, which is like adding a timer to... well, anything, but if there's a game that doesn't need a ticking clock... well, it's every game, but solitaire especially. difficulty settings can be changed anytime and simply 'solving' a level unlocks the next, don't need a single star to continue.
[b]power-ups are bought with gold[/b] and come in the usual variety, including wildcards and jokers that can also be found randomly. replaying levels, getting achievements and playing bonus games also award gold, and most power-ups can be upgraded to become more beneficial. it isn't clear from the descriptions, but only wildcards and jokers are consumables, the rest are either passive or a certain number per level.
so far so every solitaire ever, but this one also has [b]18 other card variants[/b]:
[list]
[*]acme unlimited
[*]ali baba
[*]bakers dozen
[*]diplomat
[*]double line
[*]freecell two decks
[*]giant
[*]klondike by threes
[*]lady palk
[*]lanes
[*]nestor
[*]raglan
[*]scarab
[*]spanish patience
[*]spider two suits
[*]thieves of egypt
[*]trusty twelve
[*]twenty
[/list]
rules are provided for each, but unfortunately [b]there's no toggle for the timer[/b], you'll always see a ticking clock in the corner, whether you care about high scores or not. undo, hints and autoplay are all available, but another downside is, [b]bonus games all have to be unlocked with stars gotten from regular levels[/b]. so it's not like other card collections where you can just play whatever you want.
in fact, [b]most of the collector's edition stuff only unlocks after finishing the main game's 200 levels[/b], including the other 120 levels with 3 more castles, more power-ups and card game variants. 400 stars will let you play the first 12 games, but the next one only unlocks at 610, and the last at 760 stars. a big ask just to play some random variant, not to mention if you 3-star everything, there's nothing to look forward to for a while after level 135. and it's mostly because of [b]how incredibly badly the collector's edition nonsense is handled[/b]. can't have any of that stuff unlock before actually finishing the main map (why exactly?), and since you can get 600 stars there, the first bonus game has to cost more than that.
and [b]instead of re-doing the ui to present a coherent and complete experience, they're lazily treating it as 'base game + more of the same hidden behind menus upon menus'[/b]. if you click the shop on the bonus map, it brings up the regular shop. want to buy the new power-ups? click 'extras menu' and the shop there, then 'back', then 'extra levels' to get back to the map. ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ ridiculous. clicking the bonus games button on the bonus map brings up the relevant games, so it's also inconsistent. not to mention at that point I should be able to choose from all 18 games, not navigate 10 menus back for the others.
[b]predictably beautiful audiovisual presentation, probably the best music in the series so far.[/b] separate volume settings, windowed mode (non-resizable), widescreen toggle, custom cursor, and a bunch of card backs and fronts are available, plus there's an optional tutorial, a music player, wallpapers, concept art/making of, and a strategy guide. bit of an overkill for a game like this and some info is repeated on other pages, but I guess a few tips for the lesser-known variants can't hurt. unfortunately, [b]settings aren't available while playing bonus games[/b], have to go back to the menu to change anything.
aside from the [b]awkward menu navigation, buggy gold display, unresponsive wand power-up and slow victory animations[/b], it's a great card game with tons of content, [b]definitely recommended[/b].
