Brian Hines

Looking for some classic, relaxed, match three puzzle game action? Look no further. This is it. Be careful, it's a little addictive. What is it about humans that makes them enjoy matching three of something so much? We are doomed.

Here's the Deal...

Triple Town is dead simple. Anyone can pick it up. There are only a handful of game type options, but that doesn't matter. Matching things in threes and using that concept to build a town is fun.

Every game takes place on a grid where you place items in empty spaces to build a town. When you run out of empty spaces, the game ends and you get points for each item on the board. The more advanced items are worth more points. How do you get advanced items?

As you place same type items adjacent to each other they will condense into a new item. For example, three clumps of grass placed together will transform into a bush. If you are able to get three bushes together, that makes a single tree. Three Trees turns into a hut, and so on. This kind of thing could go on forever, and for me that's part of the replay value. Not only am I trying to beat my high score, I'm curious about the result of the next higher combination of things. So far, the highest I've seen is three castles. I'm not sure I can get past that one either.

The Controls

There's nothing to speak of here. Triple Town isn't pushing the envelope. This isn't a cutting edge, blow-your-mind control scheme. It's simply what works. It's the right tool for the job and that's all that matters.

The Verdict

For me, Triple Town has provided some much needed, mindless entertainment on my daily train commute. It's free, with a small in-app purchase needed to unlock unlimited play. I can't argue with this. There was enough offered for free to convince me that spending a little money was worth it. There's absolutely no reason not to give it a chance. If you don't dig it, delete it.