Games Like Candy Crush (2026): 10 Match-3 Puzzles to Try

Candy Crush made swapping sweets on a phone screen part of daily life for a huge number of people. Plenty of us have played the same saga for years, and at some point you either run out of levels for the day or simply fancy a change of scenery. The good news is that the match-3 family is big, and it isn't all candy.

Here are ten games like Candy Crush, listed in no particular order and sorted from A to Z. I've mixed well-known titles with smaller studios' games, because some of the most charming puzzles come from the smaller teams. Every detail below comes from each game's own App Store or Steam page. If you enjoy quick puzzles in a browser too, my guide to match-3 puzzle games you can play free online is worth a look.

Candy Crush style games at a glance

In the free to play column, Yes means the game's own store page lists it as free to download, and No means it isn't free to download. Store listings change, so check the page in your own country before you install.

Game	Platforms	Good for	Free to play
Best Fiends	iPhone, iPad	Drawing lines through matching pieces with cute characters	Yes
Gems of War	PC (Steam)	Match-3 battles mixed with collecting and team building	Yes
Homescapes	iPhone, iPad, Mac	Match-3 levels that pay off in house makeovers	Yes
Lily's Garden	iPhone, iPad	Blast puzzles wrapped in a story about restoring a garden	Yes
Matchington Mansion	iPhone, iPad	Decorating a mansion room by room between puzzles	Yes
Royal Match	iPhone, iPad	Quick, bright match-3 levels with castle rooms to restore	Yes
Simon's Cat - Crunch Time	iPhone, iPad	Connecting treats with the cartoon cat and friends	Yes
Toon Blast	iPhone, iPad	Tapping groups of cubes in cartoon worlds	Yes
Two Dots	iPhone, iPad	Calm puzzles about joining dots of the same colour	Yes
You Must Build A Boat	iPhone, iPad, Mac	Tile matching that powers an endless running adventure	No

Ten match-3 games to try after Candy Crush, A to Z

Best Fiends

Best for: Players who like long chains and combos, with a cast of little creatures to collect along the way.

Gems of War

Best for: Puzzle fans who want swapping gems to feel like a strategy battle, with troops and kingdoms to build up over time.

Homescapes

Best for: People who enjoy a light story and like seeing rooms in a family home change as they clear each level.

Lily's Garden

Best for: Story lovers who want plot twists and characters alongside their tile-clearing, with a garden to design as they go.

Matchington Mansion

Best for: Home makeover fans who want to choose decor and open up hidden areas while working through match-3 rounds.

Royal Match

Best for: Anyone who wants fast, colourful levels and a cheerful king to help, in a game that's easy to dip in and out of.

Simon's Cat - Crunch Time

Best for: Cat lovers and fans of the cartoon who want gentle line-drawing puzzles and a team mode to play alongside friends.

Toon Blast

Best for: Players who prefer tapping clusters over swapping pieces, with teams and short episodes that suit a coffee break.

Two Dots

Best for: Anyone who wants a quieter, minimalist puzzle game with lots of levels and a colourblind mode built in.

You Must Build A Boat

Best for: Players who want something different, where every match fights monsters and builds up a crew on a strange voyage.

What makes a good Candy Crush replacement for you

Most of these games share the same basic move: line up three or more matching pieces and watch them vanish. What changes is everything around that move. Before you install a handful of games, think about which part of Candy Crush you'd miss most.

• The puzzle itself. Do you like swapping pieces, tapping groups, or drawing lines? Each style feels different under your thumb.
• A story or a project. Some games reward each level with a step forward in a story, or a room to decorate. Others are pure puzzles with nothing in between.
• Pace. Short levels suit a bus ride. Longer battles and boss stages suit a quiet evening on the sofa.
• Offline play. If you play on the tube or on a flight, check whether the game works with no signal.
• Teams and friends. Team modes can be fun, but they also mean more notifications. Decide whether you want a social game or a solo one.
• Device. Check the store page lists your phone, tablet or computer before you get attached to a game.

Puzzle types you'll find in games like Candy Crush

• Swap-to-match games are the closest to Candy Crush. You trade two neighbouring pieces to make a row of three, four or five.
• Blast or tap games let you tap a cluster of two or more matching blocks, so the action is quicker and less fiddly.
• Line-drawing games ask you to drag a path through matching pieces, which makes long chains feel satisfying.
• Makeover games wrap match-3 levels around decorating a house, a garden or a castle, so you've got something to show for your progress.
• Puzzle RPGs and hybrids turn every match into an attack or a move in a battle, which suits people who like strategy as well as tidy rows.

If you like the idea of tile matching but want to know what separates a clever puzzle from a lazy one, my piece on spotting a good tile-matching puzzle game covers the signs to look for.

Questions to ask before swapping Candy Crush for something new

• How much do the levels lean on luck compared with planning a few moves ahead?
• Are there long waits or lives to refill, and does that suit how often you play?
• How many adverts pop up, and can you live with them?
• Does the game sync your progress if you change phones?
• What age rating does the store give it, if a child will be playing too?

Keeping match-3 games like Candy Crush fun, not stressful

Casual puzzle games are meant to be a break. A few habits help keep them that way.

1. Turn off the notifications you don't need, especially the ones nudging you back to play.
2. Set a rough limit for each session, such as one episode or a handful of levels.
3. Skip the timed offers and special events if they make you feel rushed.
4. If a level feels impossible, put it down and come back tomorrow with fresh eyes.
5. Uninstall the ones you never open, so your home screen stays tidy.

Heading somewhere with no wifi? My list of offline puzzle games for a flight covers games that keep working with your phone in flight mode.

A note for parents about Candy Crush lookalikes

Lots of children enjoy these games, and the bright colours make them look made for kids. The store age ratings tell a different story in places: on the App Store listings I read, ratings ran from 4+ up to 13+, and one listing showed a higher rating still. Check the rating on each game's store page, look at whether it has team chat, and use your phone's parental controls to require approval for extras and limit screen time.

Mistakes people make when hunting for Candy Crush alternatives

• Installing five lookalikes at once and getting buried in notifications from all of them.
• Picking a game for its pretty adverts, then finding the levels play nothing like the advert.
• Forgetting to link progress to an account, then losing months of levels on a new phone.
• Assuming every game works offline, then finding a blank screen on the plane.
• Not checking the age rating before handing a tablet to a child.

Do you make mobile or PC games? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.

Picking your next match-3 game after Candy Crush

Choose two games that suit the way you like to play, whether that's a calm puzzle, a story to follow or a home to decorate. Play the first few levels of each over a couple of days. Keep the one you look forward to opening, and delete the other without guilt. A puzzle game should be something you reach for because it's fun, not because it's nagging you.

Frequently asked questions

Are there games exactly like Candy Crush?

Many match-3 games use the same swap-three-pieces idea, but each adds its own twist, such as a story, a house to decorate or a battle system. Try a couple to see which twist you enjoy.

Are games like Candy Crush free to download?

Most of the mobile match-3 games on this list are listed as free to download on their store pages. One here isn't free to download. Check the store page in your country before you install.

Can I play match-3 games offline?

Some work with no signal and others need a connection for events or saving progress. The safest way to know is to open the game in flight mode before you travel.

Are Candy Crush style games suitable for children?

Some are rated for young children and others carry teen ratings on the App Store. Check each game's rating, any chat features and your device's parental controls before a child plays.

Do match-3 games work on a computer?

A few are on Steam or have Mac versions, while most are built for phones and tablets. The store page lists the devices each game supports.