Royal Match Review [Match-3 Mobile Puzzle Game]

Royal Match is a challenging free-to-play mobile puzzle game by Dream Games that has been downloaded over 50 million times on Google Play (android) alone.

It’s a match-3 puzzler where players complete various challenges and quests to ultimately help King Robert fix up his gaff.

Royal Match features simple but crisp graphics that create an immersive gameplay experience.

There are tons of unique levels to unlock and with each win, you’ll earn points and rewards, including the stuff the King so desperately needs for his lavish lifestyle.

In this review, I’ll provide an in-depth analysis, going over its merits and pitfalls.

Royal Match Review: Gameplay, Tournament, & My Team Battles

Royal Match is a classic Match-3 game.

It’s a lot like Candy Crush; one of the first huge mobile puzzlers.

But Royal Match feels a lot more dynamic and is incredibly well-polished and precise: 

The cartoony, and blocky graphics suit the gameplay to the ground, and leave you feeling rather chilled out after a game or two.

Soon enough, as you make progress through the early levels, you unlock more and more features. And before long, you’re competing in Tournaments, Challenges, and Quests.

The funny thing is, most of these Events are actually irrelevant, in that you don’t actually do anything besides complete levels.

-Only the challenge might be to complete 10 levels without failing, or the first to earn X-many points, wins, etc.

And “My Team” (the in-game alliance system) is similar, in that you complete the normal levels but the progression is calculated as a team, so you can work together to earn prizes:

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing though because it keeps you engaged and adds a level of urgency to proceedings. 

How Do You Play Royal Match? (Full Review)

Here’s a screenshot of a standard level:

This is a simple Match-3 puzzle game where the goal is to beat levels by matching items (Shields, Crowns, Books, and Leaves).

You normally have other items to clear off the board as well, like the Vases and Eggs in the example above. And you’ll be given a set number of moves in which to achieve it.

And if you happen to fail a level, you’ll lose 1 of your 5 lives.

There are 2 types of special Boosters (or Boosts) that might help if you’re struggling:

• Pre-Game Boosters, like Rockets, TNT, and Light Balls, which are placed randomly on the board at the beginning of the level
• In-Game Boosters, like the Royal Hammer, Arrows, Cannons, and the Jester’s Hat. Each of these has its own unique ability and purpose

You can earn Boosters and power-ups as you complete levels. 

Overall, I think Royal Match is a pretty cool game. It’s familiar but still feels fresh. 

Royal Match Pros: Quality Match-3 Game, Offline Play, Coins (in-app purchases), & More…

There’s a lot to love about Royal Match; it really is a solid free mobile Match 3 game.

It’s clean and fresh, and is a great way to burn some time when out and about, waiting for somebody.

The game’s theme is charming and cute, with a fantasy-land aesthetic. And even though Royal Opulence isn’t my personal choice for Cosplaying, I imagine it to be quite popular.

And there’s always something to do in Royal Match:

It’s also great for playing on the couch with a movie on in the background.

I’ve been playing Royal Match for a while now and have never been jammed up between a paywall and some difficult level.

Meaning, you may never need to buy Coins or spend any money on Boosters in this game. 

In fact, there are loads of free Coins just thrown at you (and power-ups and extra lives, too).

Check out the 30 minutes of free lives and 7201 free Coins in the image below:

You can also win prizes for competing in Challenges, as I did below (that’s me in the #1 spot):

Another plus point is the fact that you can play Royal Match offline. -Soooo many modern games require you to be hooked up to your wi-fi to log in, but not here. Great for when you’re out and about and need something to pick up and play.

And there’s also an in-game community called, “My Team”. Here you can join and communicate with other players, give them lives, and as mentioned above, earn and receive bonus items and unlimited lives yourself:

In summary, here’s the Good:

• Top Quality Match-3 Puzzle Game
• Solid Graphics and Fantastic in-game Animations
• Free To Play with no need for in-game purchases
• No in-game Ads to watch
• Offline Play is available
• There is an in-game Community called “My Team” with Challenges and Events
• Plus, there’s a shedload of things to do like Tournaments, Team Contests, Mini Games, Royal League, and more)

But before we grade, let’s quickly go over the Cons.

Royal Match Cons: Pointless Progression & King Robert’s Face

I’ve enjoyed my time with Royal Match, enough to stay on after this review. But in fairness to the process, I want to highlight some of the negatives I’ve uncovered.

The first is a general observation about the game’s simplicity outside of the actual puzzling:

• You complete a level, win some goodies for the King, watch him as he flexes on the masses, then rinse and repeat.

Still, the only thing that really irked me was King Robert’s face… It’s everywhere in this game!

There’s no avoiding him!

He seems to be on every level, just there, staring at you. All animated and blinking…

There really should be a way to swap him out for something else, something fluffy.

Surprised I haven’t mentioned “Spending” or Paywalls?

Truth is, I really couldn’t because I never felt any pressure to spend in this game.

I haven’t come across any impossible-to-beat levels, and in honesty, by the time I’ve used up my free lives, I’m ready to get on with the rest of my day.

But even if I wanted to play on, there are tons of free lives floating around. -You can get them from Challenges, Tournaments, and teammates.

That said, I have read user reviews about Royal Match getting really tough after level 200, and folk saying that they got stuck on a particularly challenging level, but I’ve not seen any evidence of this myself, yet.

As for spending money, there are in-game purchases available should you want them. A current deal is called, Endless Treasure, where for £2.99 you can get x1 Royal Hammer, 3000 Coins, and x1 TNT.

There are also “Team Gift Offers” where from £9.99, you can get a bunch of stuff and also gift your teammates 15 minutes of free lives each:

As a matter of perspective, I haven’t spent any money on Royal Match and am currently on level 98. I hold on account:

• 14175 Coins
• 18 Royal Hammers
• 13 Arrows
• 13 Cannons
• 14 Jester Hats
• and a bunch of other stuff

Final Thoughts on Royal Match & Rating (iOS/Android Mobile Puzzler)

I didn’t know what to expect from Royal Match, especially after all the adverts I’d seen. 

In the end, it was a great and fairly simple mobile puzzle game. 

Years ago, I used to play Candy Crush and playing Royal Match was a pleasant reminder of those days.

As mentioned above, I’ll be staying on with Royal Match. It’s a fun game that offers a solid challenge while also managing to remain pretty relaxed. 

That said, this game won’t achieve 5 Stars because it’s missing that long-term strategic element that helps to keep you locked in.

However, for what it’s aiming for; to be a top-notch puzzler, well, it comes very close to perfection.

Royal Match is currently available for download from the Apple App (iOS) and the Google Play Store (Android).

I would highly recommend it.

If you’re looking for some help with Royal Match, you can find my Top 10 tips right here!

All my mobile game content, guides, and reviews are over here.

Old Cynic’s Grade:

Note: This review was based on the Apple App Store version of the game.

Update (2 April 24): I’m still playing Royal Match because it’s pretty chilled and fun. Now on level 5128 and still winning without spending. I currently have 32998 gold coins.

Copyright: oldcynic.com
Images are screenshots used by way of review/tutorial
Royal Match is owned by Dream Games