Jewel Quest 2-in-1 Treasure Pack for iPhone

The Jewel Quest franchise is one of the most popular “match three” puzzle series ever. With its casual gameplay and addictive nature, it’s no surprise that the insanely popular games have been a huge hit on the iPhone and iPod touch. Now, for just $1, you can get both Jewel Quest 2 and Jewel Quest Deluxe thanks to the Jewel Quest 2-in-1 Treasure Pack by I-Play.

In Jewel Quest 2, you solve puzzles by lining up three or more jewels of the same color in a row. To do this, you just tap and drag a jewel to an adjacent slot on the puzzle board. The objective of Jewel Quest is to make the whole board gold before time runs out and you have to start over. Each time you get three matching jewels in a row, they’re replaced by new ones falling from the top and their slots on the board turn to gold. There are also gold coins to match up and collect that will allow you to turn any slot on the board gold instantly.

Jewel Quest Deluxe introduces a few other puzzle objectives that provide variety to the gameplay. For instance, you can match varying numbers of certain jewel types or square off against a computer opponent. You also get special abilities as you progress through the game to help you solve puzzles. These include the ability to switch any two jewels on the board, eliminate any one jewel, uncover a buried jewel, or eliminate all jewels of a certain color. Each special ability costs a different number of gold coins that you collect as you play.

Both games feature stories of your adventures through Africa or India that unfold between puzzles. Similarly, the graphics and animations look great in both versions of the game—with Jewel Quest 2 looking a little more polished. Each game has nice sound effects and a soundtrack from the continent you’re traveling through.

Jewel Quest is a fun puzzle game that’s actually quite addictive. Though I’m not the biggest fan of puzzle games, I found myself playing this one for hours at a time. Any puzzle lover is sure to enjoy both of these games.

[Tim Mercer is a technology enthusiast, graphic designer, and blogger, whose blog, digital-artist-toolbox.com, offers free resources to the digital artist and graphic designer.]