Developer: Alawar Entertainment
Steam Release: May 2011
Hours Played: 6.6
Similar To: Bejeweled 3 / Fluttabyes / Jewel Venture / Ricky Racoon
Rating: 5/5 Parsnips
TToM3 is from the Jewel Quest and Bejeweled school of match 3s where you drag and slide your rune to an adjacent spot to make a line of three or more. However, the object of the game is not about filling in the surface underneath. This is about making super-swift moves in the space of one minute in an effort to hit three or four target scores and thus earn medals. To achieve this aim, with no time to waste whatsoever, you'll have to make those link-ups at lightning speed and as such TToM3 is one of the most intense match 3 games you can get. The most efficient way to build up a score is to smash as many gem-encrusted runes as possible because these contribute to a multiplier that inreases your score further.
Alawar have enhanced gameplay by bringing a wealth of extras to the table but the main USP, apart from the one-minute levels, is focused around the totems. On filling a casket (more on this later) and being awarded a star, you use this in the shop for certain bonuses. These bonuses come in a few forms but the totem bonuses get activated in-game when you match a set of three or more of the same colour in two consecutive moves. From a circle at the side of the board, a totem of that colour springs into life and zaps or blasts the board accordingly. For example, a red totem will sprinkle the board with fireballs destroying clusters of runes while an orange one will add precious seconds to the timer. This means that as well as matching as many gem-encrusted runes as possible, you're also constantly on the lookout for double colour matches.
The presentation is very polished and seems to be a notch or two further up the scale than your average match 3. The totems themselves for example are aesthetically pleasing and animate their power-ups in a distinctive and dynamic way. It's just that because you'll be so intently focused on the main game board you'll probably not have time to glance over to watch the actual animation in all its glory. TToM3 is a very explosive game. Runes shatter and explode in dazzling displays and when you're really on a roll the screen glitters and sparkles intensely. Combine all this with electrifying sound-effects that ooze and crackle pleasantly and you have a real treat for the senses. The runes themselves are also tastefully designed and reflect the Mayan culture that they get their inspiration from.
Your start-screen shows five unlockable entrances positioned outside various tombs. Each entrance houses eight caskets that can be scrolled through in carousel-like fashion. Click on a casket to play the level. Each of these caskets have three or four symbols emblazened on the front with each containing a number. This is the score you need to acquire to get awarded the medal and to thus fill the gap. Cover all of these and you get to try for the star which you can then use in the shop to unlock better bonuses. You need to replay some levels quite a few times to crack it and the attempt to unlock the star can be particularly tricky.
One minor criticism is that similar to match 3 games with RPG elements, TToM3 is a little bit luck-based. Sometimes you'll have a dry game offering few matches and a miniscule score; then on the same level one game later be showered with numerous gem-encrusted runes and have double colour matches handed to you on a plate. Yet despite that TTOM3 is absorbing enough to make us overlook this. It remains an underrated yet smashing title that I would recommend to anyone interested in the genre. The one-minute per game idea works a charm because it's simply fun and a joy to have the intense gameplay repeated and coming at you thick and fast. In this sense, a failure is not really a failure but an excuse to jump back in and relive the visually stunning experience all over again.
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