Pebble Rescue is a match-3 rescue puzzle where the gems are the walls. Every level is a small temple scene: a flood of pebbles held back by a gem dam, water rising under Juno the explorer otter, a boulder balanced on a shelf, or a mud-eel sliding closer. Swap two gems to make a line of three or a square of four and they pop, leaving a hole in the wall. The world reacts at once. Pebbles pour through the gap, water drains away, the boulder rolls and Juno climbs to safety. Pick the right spot and the flood goes into the pit. Pick the wrong one and it lands on Juno. Thirty hand-made levels, free in your browser.
How to play Pebble Rescue
- Read the goal card at the start of the level. It shows one picture and one line, such as "Drain the pebbles into the pit" or "Reach the exit before the tide".
- Drag a gem onto a neighbour to swap them. The swap only sticks if it lines up three or more gems of the same colour, or makes a two-by-two square. Otherwise the gems spring back and nothing is used up.
- Matched gems pop and leave a hole in the wall. Gems above a hole stay where they are, so you are carving the wall, not refilling a board.
- Watch what the hole does. Pebbles, water and lava flow through it at once, boulders drop, and Juno walks through any gap that leads towards the exit.
- Win by reaching the goal before you run out of moves. You lose if a flood buries Juno, the tide or lava reaches her, a boulder bonks her or the mud-eel catches her. Tap Restart to try again straight away.
Controls
| Action | Keyboard and mouse | Touch |
|---|---|---|
| Swap two gems | Click a gem and drag it onto a neighbour, or click one gem and then the gem next to it | Drag a gem onto a neighbour, or tap one gem and then the gem next to it |
| Fire a rocket or bomb | Click it | Tap it |
| Restart the level | R, or the Restart button | Restart button in the top corner |
| Pause and settings | Esc | Pause button in the top corner |
Tips and strategy
Trace the flood before you cut
Before each swap, follow the path the pebbles will take once the hole opens. A gap on the wrong side of the wall can pour the whole chamber onto Juno. A gap over the pit sends it away harmlessly.
Squares keep the ceiling up
A line of three in a column cuts straight through a wall three gems thick. A two-by-two square only removes two rows. When a pool sits on top of the gems you are cutting, a square can open a doorway without letting the flood in.
Drain first, then open the door
On levels where Juno has to walk under a full chamber, let the flood out through a side exit before you open her tunnel. A few seconds of waiting can save the whole run.
Free vine-wrapped gems in two steps
Gems wrapped in vines can't be moved, but they still count in a match. The first match breaks the vines and leaves the gem in place. The next match removes it.
Clear five for a rocket, seven for a bomb
Popping five gems at once leaves a rocket that fires straight across the line you made. Seven or more leaves a bomb that blasts a round crater. Tap them to fire. They are the fastest way through a thick floor.
Keep moving when the eel is out
The mud-eel crawls at a steady pace and gems stop it in its tracks. Carve Juno's way out in order and leave the gems between her and the eel for last.
Features
- 30 hand-made rescue levels in five chapters: Temple Steps, Sunken Grotto, Boulder Quarry, Lava Forge and Swamp Tower.
- A new idea every few levels, including floods, rising tides, boulders, lava that water cools into stone, vine-wrapped gems, rockets, bombs and the mud-eel.
- A live physics scene with hundreds of pebbles, water and lava that react the moment you open a hole.
- Every level is checked by an automatic solver before it ships, so each one has a way to save Juno.
- Juno the explorer otter, who worries, cheers and climbs, and Baron Sludge, a grumpy swamp toad who sets the traps.
- Gems use different shapes as well as colours, so each colour is easy to tell apart.
- Three stars for finishing in as few moves as the best solution, a level map and automatic saving on your device.
Frequently asked questions
Is Pebble Rescue free?
Yes. It is free to play in your browser, with no download and no account.
Is it a normal match-3 game?
Not quite. You still swap gems to make lines and squares, but the gems do not refill. Every match cuts a hole in the wall of the level, and the physics scene around it reacts. The puzzle is choosing where to cut.
Why did my swap spring back?
A swap only counts if it makes a line of three or more matching gems, or a two-by-two square. Swaps that match nothing spring back and do not use up a move.
Is every level solvable?
Yes. Each level is replayed by an automatic solver with the same physics you play with, and it has to rescue Juno before the level is added to the game.
How are stars awarded?
You get three stars for finishing in the same number of moves as the best known solution, two stars for up to two extra moves, and one star for any other rescue.
Does it work on a phone?
Yes. It is built for a phone held upright and needs only one finger. It also plays well with a mouse on a computer.
Updates
- First preview build (version 0.1.0) with 30 levels added to the site.
