Skydom

Skydom is set in high kingdoms above the clouds and aims itself at players who have already worked through thousands of ordinary match-3 levels. Its answer to that fatigue is other people: you can face off against different players directly, turning a solo board into a contest.

Head-to-head play rewards different instincts than a level run does. Against a level goal, the careful move usually wins; against a person, tempo matters, and a fast decent match can be worth more than a slow excellent one. Learning which of the two situations you are in is most of what improving at Skydom means.

Around the duels sit the game modes the kingdom is known for, bright art and a setting that gives the whole thing a lighter feel than its competitive core suggests.

1. Swap two adjacent pieces to line up three or more of a colour.
2. Take on other players when you want the competitive side of the game.
3. Adjust your pace — a duel rewards tempo, a level rewards precision.
4. Work through the game modes to find the one that fits how you play.

In a head-to-head, keep your eyes on your own board rather than your opponent's progress. Watching their score is how you start rushing, and rushing costs far more matches than any deficit you were worried about.