Gravity Cascades
One clear drops pieces from above into new matches, and the chain keeps going.
- Prototype complexity
- Who plays
- Solo decisions
- Design focus
- Planning · Spatial · Randomness
No.172Bejeweled 301The core loop
Action → feedback → next choice- 01Predict what falls
- 02Clear low on the board
- 03Falling pieces chain
- 04Collect bonus value
↻Feedback changes the situation — the next round starts from there.
Walk through one round
A simplified design example. Situations and numbers illustrate the mechanic, not exact rules from a reference game.
- T1
Turn 1 · The situation
3 moves left, 2,000 points needed. A match sits at the bottom, and two near-matches wait in row three.
- T2
Turn 2 · The player chooses
The player clears at the bottom so the columns above drop one row.
- T3
Turn 3 · The feedback
Both near-matches fall into place and trigger three cascades worth 2,400 points.
- T4
Turn 4 · The next decision
The goal is met and the remaining moves convert into a bonus.
How it plays
After a clear, pieces above fall and new ones drop in from the top; any new matches clear automatically. Part of the chain is predictable and part depends on random refills, and players raise the odds by choosing where to clear.
What the player weighs
- Control vs gamble: bottom clears have higher expected value but less control.
- Preserve your setup vs trigger cascades: a chain may scramble special pieces you arranged.
02Start small
Scope is an editorial estimate for the minimum prototype, not the reference game or a production schedule.
03One mechanic, different implementations
Bejeweled 3
Gems fall and refill from the top after clears, with cascades feeding score multipliers and, in timed modes, time gains.
Candy Crush Saga
Cascades advance goals without spending moves, and some levels change fall direction or add portals.
The difference worth noticing
Bejeweled 3 turns cascades mainly into score; Candy Crush values them for advancing move-limited goals.
Case notes are Yoroll editorial summaries; rules may change between versions.
04What could you combine?
Each clear leaves residue pieces that, once they fall to the bottom, are collected and recycled into special pieces for the next level.
Prototype this combo in Yoroll→Follow the next idea
Drop the Cargo Down
The cargo can't be matched away; clear what's beneath it so it sinks to the exit.
- Prototype complexity
- Who plays
- Solo decisions
- 01Locate the cargo's column
- 02Clear pieces under it
- 03Cargo falls with gravity
- 04Reach the exit to collect
Fill a Line to Clear It
Space is the only resource: fill a line to reclaim it, or get crowded out.
- Prototype complexity
- Who plays
- Solo decisions
- 01Read current and next piece
- 02Choose where to place it
- 03Full lines clear space
- 04Shape the gaps for later
Merge Three, Climb a Tier
Put three identical things together and they become the next tier up.
- Prototype complexity
- Who plays
- Solo decisions
- 01Get a low-tier item
- 02Place it beside matches
- 03Three merge into next tier
- 04Plan higher-tier merges