Don't Judge a Book By Its Cover

I play a lot of computer games. I mean a lot. I'm what I like to call a "computer potato", which is the PC equivalent of a couch potato. Now, anyone who plays games on a regular basis knows that there are some real stinkers out there. You know the ones I'm talking about. I'm talking about the products that take an existing game, slap a new title and a fresh coat of paint on it, and then market it as their own. I mean, seriously, how many Zuma knock-offs can an average guy take?

Every self-respecting gamer is aware of the Match-3 format. A large portion, quite possibly the majority, of computer games utilize this typical format. This is one of the main reasons that the majority of games all seems like replicas of others. This all being said, I thought Gem Shop was going to my shining example of this argument. One look at the screenshots and I had this game pinned down and flagged as reheated leftovers and far superior gaming endeavors.

You know that whole saying about not judging a book by it's cover? Well it turns out that that saying applies for more than just books.

A unique Experience

AT the heart of it, Gem Shop is all about the big bucks. You run the aforementioned store that specializes in jewelry. Your overall objective is to sell a lot of product and rake in a lot of cash.

The game runs on the match-3 format, but doesn't use the oh-so-common swap mechanic. In most match-3 puzzlers, you'd simply click on a piece and click on an adjacent piece to swap the places of the two. However, here it's a bit different. You're still presented with the same rows. Except instead of moving individual pieces, you grab and shift entire rows. You can move them vertically or horizontally in order to make matches of three or more of the same gem. The gems don't have to be in a row, either, as long as a group of three gems are touching side-by-side.

Each customer wants a specific piece of jewelry. In order to sell it to them, you must fill up the bar located in the bottom left corner of the screen. Each successful match fills it up a little more. The customer only has so much patience, so you must get them their purchase in a timely manner. The longer they have to wait, the less they will pay for the item!

Upgrading Your Inventory

As You play, you will see tokens start to appear alongside your usual jewels. To get the tokens, simply match them. You can then use them to buy new jewelry for your store. Buying more expensive jewelry will eventually make you more money, helping your overall objective.

A Worthy Title

Gem Shop is much different and much better than I expected it to be. It sports a unique premise and follows it up with solid gameplay. I can't recommend this title enough.