Happy Stars Match 3

The stars are the tool and the tiles are the job: swap two neighbours to group three or more identical stars, and keep going until every tile on the board is unlocked and cleared. Thirty-six levels make up the run.

Because the target is the board itself rather than a score, the geometry of each level is the puzzle. Tiles in awkward positions need matches made right on top of them, and the ones you leave for last are always the hardest — there are fewer pieces on the board by then and fewer ways to arrange them.

Power-ups speed the process up and the game is generous with them, which makes the run finishable for a casual player while still asking some planning on the later boards.

1. Look at which tiles are still locked before choosing a move.
2. Swap two adjacent stars to group three or more of a kind.
3. Match directly over the locked tiles rather than in open board.
4. Spend power-ups on the awkward positions, and finish all thirty-six levels.

Clear the isolated tiles first, while the board is still full. The last few tiles are always the hardest ones, so choosing which few they will be is the only real decision this game gives you.