5 best Candy Crush alternatives to play on Android (2024)

Very few can argue with Candy Crush's popularity, especially in the last decade. It has taken over the casual game market and is considered to be a household name worldwide. A few innovative games, similar to Candy Crush, have also made waves in the casual game community. These games push the boundaries of traditional match-three puzzle games, offering a blend of unique mechanics and hybrid game systems.

In match-three games, players must match three items of similar nature or look to progress. Dominated by Candy Crush, this specific genre has grown exponentially in the last decade.

In this article, we have curated a list of interesting and innovative Candy Crush alternatives that are sure to provide players with the same addictive experience.

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Unique Candy Crush alternative games to try in 2024

1) Merge Mansion

Developed by Metacore Games, Merge Mansion combines the addictive nature of merging puzzles with the immersive experience of an intriguing narrative. Players are tasked with renovating Hopewell Bay, overseen by the grandma of the Boulton family. They can do so by matching various items to create and design new ones, which are then used to restore and uncover the mansion's hidden secrets.

Screenshot of Merge Mansion with merging gameplay, engaging narrative, and restoring places (Image via Metacore Games Oy)

Merge Mansion offers an engaging narrative where players' progress drives the story, helping them investigate and discover clues about the family and what the grandma might be hiding. As they restore parts of the mansion, new parts of the story emerge, revealing family secrets and hidden mysteries.

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2) Best Fiends

Best Fiends blends the match-three puzzle genre along with elements of action-adventure and character collection. Players aim to match colorful objects to defeat slugs and progress through a storyline set in the world of Minutia. Each level introduces fresh challenges and obstacles, requiring strategic thinking and color planning.

Showcase of Best Fiends' action puzzle interface (Image via Seriously Digital Entertainment Oy)

The game features a variety of stylized characters, each with unique abilities that can be upgraded. Players can collect and level up these characters to overcome tough enemies. Success hinges on choosing the right characters for each level to achieve maximum impact.

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3) Empires & Puzzles: RPG quest

Developed by Small Giant Games, Empires & Puzzles merges match-three gameplay with RPG-style battles and base-building mechanics. Players match and merge tiles to launch attacks against enemies, gather resources, and expand their empires.

Each match in the puzzle grid relates to the type of attack, adding depth to the gameplay. (Image via Small Giant Games)

The game's engaging action-puzzle experience requires players to make tactical moves to clear the board and inflict maximum damage on their enemies. Because of its secondary mechanics for building and upgrading bases and training troops, Empires & Puzzles can also be considered a hybrid puzzle resource management title.

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4) Harry Potter: Puzzles and Spells

Developed by Zynga, Harry Potter: Puzzles and Spells drops players straight into Hogwarts. It combines the fun of match-three gameplay with iconic characters and moments from the Harry Potter franchise. Players must match and merge magical objects to cast spells and navigate through an enchanting storyline.

Harry Potter: Puzzles and Spells is a one-of-a-kind match-three puzzle game (Image via Zynga)

Harry Potter: Puzzles and Spells features most of the popular characters, as well as iconic locations from the series. With various power-ups and spells available, players can solve puzzles and overcome obstacles.

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5) Zookeeper Battle

Developed by Kiteretsu Inc., Zookeeper Battle reimagines the match-three genre as a competitive multiplayer experience. Players must match animal tiles to launch attacks and build defenses in real-time battles. To defeat the opponent, one has to catch as many animals within the 30-second duration of each round. The winner is decided by who runs out of lives first.

Zookeeper has over 10 million downloads. (Image via KITERETSU Inc.)

If the game is not won within five rounds then the winner is decided by their remaining lives. Since each player will share the same animal panel, chaining the match is the true skill to master in this game. Furthermore, Zookeeper Battle also incorporates a comprehensive ranking system encouraging players to improve and climb the leaderboard.

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