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, who worries, pleads and cries real cartoon tears when the pebbles come her way. Sixty hand-made levels and a new Daily Rescue every day, 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.
- Most levels have a threat that keeps moving: a rising tide, creeping mud, the mud-eel, a crumbling ledge or Baron Sludge's lit fuse, which burns along a rope to a bucket of mud over Juno. Watch Juno's face: the more she worries, the closer the danger.
- 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, she falls, the mud-eel catches her, Baron's bucket tips on her or you run out of moves. Tap Restart to try again straight away.
- Stuck? Tap the light bulb for a hint. If you run out of moves you get three more for free, once per level, and after four tries in a row on a main level you can skip ahead.
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 | Swipe a gem toward a neighbour (a short flick is enough), or tap one gem and then the gem next to it |
| Get a hint | Click the light bulb | Tap the light bulb |
| 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.
Open the far door first
When Juno has to run past a pressure plate or through two walls, cut the far wall first and the near one last. Then she runs the whole way in one go and whatever the plate sets off lands behind her.
Keep moving when the eel is out
The mud-eel crawls steadily and gems stop it in its tracks, but it speeds up a lot when Juno walks away from it. Carve Juno's way out in order, leave the gems between her and the eel for last, and only open her path when it leads all the way out.
Features
- 60 hand-made rescue levels in ten chapters, from Temple Steps and Lava Forge to Clockwork Vault, Conveyor Mine, Sticky Marsh, Crumbling Cliffs and Twin Falls.
- A Daily Rescue: a new remixed level every day, the same for everyone, with a streak and a line you can share.
- A new idea every few levels, including floods, rising tides, boulders, lava that water cools into stone, vine-wrapped gems, rockets, bombs, the mud-eel, pressure plates and stone doors, conveyor belts, sticky mud blocks, crumbling ledges and a second otter to rescue.
- Juno acts out every rescue: she watches the danger, sweats, shakes, cries and pleads when pebbles come her way, flinches at a near miss, sighs with relief and cheers when she's safe. Baron Sludge laughs, panics and ends up in his own mud.
- 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 known solution (the rule is shown on every win card), a level map and automatic saving on your device.
- Friendly by design: a hint button, a free +3 moves gift when you run out, a skip after four tries and instant retries.
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.
What is the Daily Rescue?
A new level every day, remixed from one of the hand-made levels 7 to 60 with new gem colours and a new chapter look, and often mirrored left to right. Everyone gets the same one on the same day. Open it from the Daily Rescue button on the title screen, and finish it to keep your streak going and share your result.
I'm stuck on a level. What can I do?
Tap the light bulb for a hint and Juno will point at a useful swap. If you run out of moves you get three extra moves for free once per level, and after four tries in a row a Skip level button lets you move on (not on the Daily Rescue).
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 waiting ever help?
Sometimes. On some levels you need to let a chamber drain for a couple of seconds before you open Juno's path. But on most levels a tide, the mud-eel or Baron's fuse keeps moving, so waiting too long loses.
How do I make a rocket or a bomb?
Pop five gems at once to leave a rocket, which fires straight across the line you made. Pop seven or more for a bomb that blasts a round crater. Tap either one to fire it.
Does the hint show the real solution?
Yes, as long as you follow it. The light bulb points at the next swap of the level's stored solution. If you have gone a different way, it points at the swap that clears the most gems.
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
- Version 0.2.0: 60 levels, the Daily Rescue, Juno's full acting (worry, tears, relief and cheers), moving threats on every level, smoother swipes on phones, hints and a free +3 moves gift.
- First preview build (version 0.1.0) with 30 levels added to the site.
