Gem Match

Gem Match (originally called Match-3) is unlocked when the player reaches level 7.

Gem Match was introduced as part of the Christmas Update. It is the most recent mini-game added to the Secret Society: Hidden Mystery game.

How to Play
Gem Match is a match-3 style jewel game. Lining up 3 or more of the same coloured gems removes them from the board. As gems are removed from the board, the gems above them fall to fill the space created and new gems are added from the top of the board.

Gems may be swapped with any neighbouring gem, but only if the swap creates either a horizontal or vertical line of 3 or more gems of the same colour.

The object of the game is to remove all the squares with yellow borders. This is done by matching 3 or more gems of the same colour, when one of the gems is on a square with a yellow border.

The progress bar at the bottom of the game board shows what percentage of the squares with yellow borders have been removed. When the progress bar is filled, no squares with yellow borders remain, and the game is won.

The only way to lose Gem Match is to run out of time. If no matches are available on the board at any given point in the game, all the gems on the board will reshuffle into new positions.

Square Types
There are four main types of squares on a Match-3 game board. As you progress through the Gem Match game and advance it to higher levels, these square-types are slowly introduced.

Squares with yellow borders
Number 1 in the game board above shows an orange gem on a square with a yellow border. The object of the game is to remove these yellow borders by created matches where 1 gem is on the square with the yellow border. All other matches made in the game do not count towards the games progress (but can be useful in setting up matches on the squares with yellow borders).

Squares with double yellow borders
In addition to squares with a yellow border, squares with 2 yellow borders (such as the one shown in number 2 in the Gem Match board shown above) must also be removed from the game board. The second yellow border is at an angle to the first, so looks like a diamond over the square. Completing one match on a square of this type will remove the diamond. The square then looks like a regular square with a yellow border. Creating a second match on the square is necessary to completely remove the border.

Stones
On later levels some squares will start with a stone covering them, such as in number 3 on the Gem Match picture above. No gem can enter a square with a stone on it, and no gem can travel through a square with a stone on it to fill space created below it by a match. If you have a string of stones across the middle of the entire board, you must remove at least one stone before gems can travel to the bottom half of the board to replace any you might remove by making matches.

Stones are removed from the board by making a match adjacent to them.

Locked Gems
On later levels some gems may start the game with a lock symbol on them such as number 4 in the Gem Match picture above. Gems with locks on them cannot be moved (swapped with adjacent gems). They also cannot fall to fill space below them like other gems. Until the lock is removed they will remain in the one position.

To remove a lock, make a match including the locked gem. You may have to maneuver same coloured gems towards the lock gems to do this since the locked gem cannot move. Once a match is made with a locked gem, the lock will disappear with the other gems in the match, but the gem itself will remain.

Pay attention to the square the locked gem is on. In some levels these gems are not on squares with yellow squares. Although it might be convenient to unlock the gem to help maneuver gems to squares with yellow borders it is not neccessary to unlock these gems to win the game. Some levels can be completed without ever unlocking gems that are not on squares with yellow borders

Regular Gems
There are 6 different coloured gems in Match 3: Orange squares; Yellow diamonds; Blue Triangles; Turquopise ovals, and purple pentagons. Matching 3 or more of any of these gem types in either horizontal or vertical lines will remove them from the game.

Vertical Striped Gems
Vertical striped gems such as number 5 above are created by matches of 4 gems of the same colour in a horizontal line. The vertical striped gem will be the same colour as the gems matched to create it. Making a match that includes a vertical striped gem will trigger it to remove all the gems in the column it is in. Any squares with a single yellow border in the column will be removed, any squares with a double yellow border in the column will have one yellow border removed, any squares with stones in the column will have the stones removed, and any gems with locks in the column will have the locks removed. If another special gem (striped, bomb, multicolour) is in that column it will also be triggered as it is removed from the board.

Horizontal Striped Gems
Horizontal striped gems such as number 6 above are created by matches of 4 gems of the same colour in a vertical line. The horizontal striped gem will be the same colour as the gems matched to create it. Making a match that includes a horizontal striped gem will trigger it to remove all the gems in the row it is in. Any squares with a single yellow border in the row will be removed, any squares with a double yellow border in the row will have one yellow border removed, any squares with stones in the row will have the stones removed, and any gems with locks in the row will have the locks removed. If another special gem (striped, bomb, multicolour) is in that row it will also be triggered as it is removed from the board.

Bomb Gems
Matching 5 gems in either a 'T' or 'L' shape will create a bomb gem of that colour (number 7 in picture above). Making a match that includes a bomb gem with trigger it to explode, removing all adjacent gems from the board. The bomb will survive the explosion and fall into the space created by the removed gems, and explode a second time removing itself and all adjacent gems. Any squares with a single yellow border adjacent to either explosion will be removed, any squares with a double yellow border adjacent to either explosion will have one yellow border removed, any squares with stones adjacent to either explosion will have the stones removed, and any gems with locks adjacent to either explosion will have the locks removed. If another special gem (striped, bomb or multicolour) is adjacent to either explosion it will also be triggered as it is removed from the board.

Mulicoloured Gems
Matching 5 or more gems of the same colour in either a horizontal or vertical line will create a multicoloured gem (number 8 in the picture above). Swapping the multicoloured gem with any other gem will remove all gems of the same colour from the board. If any of that coloured gem are on a square with a single yellow border, the border will be removed. If any of that coloured gem are on a square with a double yellow border, one of the yellow borders will be removed. If any of that coloured gem are adjacent to a square covered with a stone, the stone will be removed. If any of that coloured gems are gems with locks, the locks will be removed. If any of that coloured gems are another special gem (striped or bomb gems), it may also be triggered as it is removed from the board.

Special Moves
The special gems created by matches (striped gems, bomb gems, multicoloured gems) can be swapped with each other regardless of their colour. To swap two special gems, they do not have to be the same colour as each other. Doing this can create a number of special moves that will remove a large number of gems from the board.

Swapping Vertical and Horizontal Striped Gems
Swapping a striped gem (of any colour) with another striped gem (also of any colour) will trigger them both and remove both a column and a row of gems from the board from the point you swap them.

This will remove yellow borders, stones, locks, and trigger other special gems in both the row and column in the same way as when you use a striped gem normally.

Swapping Two Bombs
Swapping two bombs of any colour will trigger a much bigger explosion than triggering a bomb by itself. This will remove yellow borders, stones, locks, and trigger other special gems adjacent to the explosion in the same way as when you use a bomb normally.

Swapping a Bomb with a Striped Gem
Swapping a bomb with a striped gem will trigger a super striped gem reaction. This will remove 3 rows and 3 columns of gems from the board from the point of the swap. This will remove yellow borders, stones, locks, and tigger other special gems in both the rows and columns removed in the same way as when you use a striped gem normally.

Swapping a Striped Gem with a Multicoloured Gem
Swapping a vertical striped gem with a multicoloured gem will turn all gems on the board that are the same colour as the vertical striped gems into vertical striped gems. Swapping a horizontal striped gem with a multicoloured gem will turn all gems on the board that are the same colour as the horizontal striped gems into horizontal striped gems.

Swapping Two Multicoloured Gems
Swapping two multicoloured gems will remove every gem from the board. The board will then fill up with new gems. This will remove any squares with single yellow borders, remove one yellow border from any square with double yellow borders, remove all stones from the board and remove all locks from the board.

Using Tools in Gem Match
Two tools are available to use in Gem Match - Time Machines and Seeker's Eyes. Using a Time Machine during a Match-3 game will add 45 seconds to the game timer. Using a Seeker's Eye will randomly remove one yellow border from the game board.

The Pyramid of Wonder
As part of the Christmas Quests, players needed to reach Acamedician level in Gem Match within the Christmas Quest time period in order to unlock the Pyramid of Wonder award.

The Pyramid sits in the centre of the top row of players home desktop, and awards 5 fireflies, ladybugs or carrots every 12 hours. During Holiday challenges the pyramid may also award special items needed to play the holiday picture, such as Cupid Arrows for the picture Tree of Dates. When charged by a visiting friend the pyramid awards 10 special items and 100 coins every 12 hours.

'''It is currently possible to win the Pyramid of Wonder once again! Complete the Christmas2014 special challenge - collect 500 Snowflakes by winning games of Gem Match- before the challenge timer runs out on the 14th January 2015!'''

Use the Special Moves
Gem Match is a relatively simple game as long as you take advantage of the special moves. Trying to remove all yellow squares from the board using simple matchs of 3 gems is very time consuming, particularly at higher game levels. Doing this will require a large number of Time Machine and Seeker's Eye tools for the harder levels. Aim to match as many gems as possible with each move in order to create striped gems, bombs, and multicoloured gems. Avoid the temptation to use striped gems and bombs straight away, instead aim to move them closer together so you can swap them with each other for the maximum effect.

Cannot Open Gem Match?
Some players who have downloaded the Secret Society: Hidden Mystery after the Valentines Update have reported difficulties in opening the Gem Match game once it is unlocked at level 7. This may be related to the order you complete quests in your game, particulary the quests related to the Christmas Update (when Gem Match was released). If you are told you do not have enough pieces of the Gem Match game to open it, check your quest list for a quest to find the missing piece. Use the 'Show Hints' button in the quest to find which Picture you need to investigate (you may have to do this several times, investigating several locations, as quests are not always completed on the first attempt). If you do not have a quest in your quest list to find the missing piece of Gem Match you may need to keep workng through you current quests until the quest is triggered.

If you are still having difficulty, read the post on the current Gem Match glitch in the wiki's FAQ or ask a question in the Forum. If you have already completed the quest and are still missing a piece of the Gem Match puzzle it is possible that your game contains a glitch that is stopping you from opening the puzzle.

Update June 2014: The Tavern Update has been released for the Apple App Store and Google Play, and has been confirmed to fix the unlocking Gem Match glitch. All iOS and android players experiencing this issue should update to unlock Gem Match for free. The Amazon Kindle update is still pending, but they typically arrive within a couple of weeks of the android update. This question will be moved to the information graveyard as soon as all updates have been released as the problem is now solved.

Related

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