Candy Cane Match 3

Candy canes on a festive board, and a meter down the left that never stops falling. Series of three or more matching canes score and top it back up; stop clearing for a few seconds and the run closes itself out.

The structure suits short sessions exactly. There is no level to fail and no progress to keep track of — you play, the number climbs, and eventually the meter wins, because it always does. Restarting costs a second, so three or four attempts fit comfortably into the time it takes for a kettle to boil.

Christmas styling is the whole of the decoration, and the canes are drawn plainly enough that playing fast does not turn the board into guesswork. It is a small game that knows its size.

1. Swap two adjacent blocks to line up three or more candy canes of a kind.
2. Keep the meter on the left fed — the run ends when it empties.
3. Take available series rather than hunting for a perfect one.
4. Push the score as high as you can manage.

Judge every pause against the meter. Ten seconds spent looking for a better match costs more than the match is worth, and a run here is won by never stopping rather than by clearing well.