Halloween Matching

Halloween Matching runs on a clock rather than a move counter, and that single choice changes how you read the board. Every group of three identical ghouls you clear buys nothing but progress; it is the bigger matches that buy you seconds, so the board rewards a patience it never quite gives you time for.

Line up four in a straight row or column and you are left with a bomb. Five leaves something better - a shifting avatar that wipes out every copy of whatever it settles on, and pays a little extra time for each one it takes with it. Late boards come down to whether you spot one of those five-runs before the bar empties.

How to play

Click one avatar and then a neighbour to swap them, lining up three or more of the same face in a row or column so they burst. Three keeps the board moving; four or more adds seconds back to the timer, and that is the only way to stretch a level. Four in a straight line leaves a bomb behind, and five leaves a shifting avatar that clears every copy of whatever it lands on. Play for the long matches, not the quick ones.

Controls

Mouse only: click an avatar, then click the one next to it to trade their places. The keyboard is never used, and every move in the game is a left click.