Special tiles
Special tiles, and what happens when two of them meet
Every special tile is made by a specific shape of match. Once you know which shape makes which, you stop getting them by accident.
Last checked · 8 min readMatch puzzle notes · Canberra
Sweet-themed match boards, written up properly
Merqavell is a small site about the sugar-coloured match games almost everyone has installed at some point. What each special tile actually does, what happens when two of them touch, and why the number of moves you are given tells you more about a level than the picture does.
The rules this site follows
Three of them, and they cover almost every question that arrives in the inbox.
Described from the board, not the marketing
Every combination on this site was tried repeatedly before it was written down. Where a result varies between versions of a game, the guide says which version it was seen in.
One link per game, and it goes to the developer
Downloads point at the official Google Play or App Store listing. Nothing is hosted here, and modified builds are never linked, whatever they promise.
No in-game currency, in either direction
Merqavell cannot grant lives, gold bars, coins or boosters, and no page here will ever ask you to log in to a game. The one thing sold is a PDF I wrote; the guides stay free.
Start here
Special tiles, and what happens when two of them meet
Four shapes of match make four different special tiles, and combining two of them produces an effect neither has alone. Nearly all of it is deterministic, which means it can be planned rather than hoped for. This guide covers what makes what, and which pairings are worth setting up.
All guides
Four guides. The first two are about the board, the third is about planning, the fourth is about money.
Board types
Boards that change shape while you are playing them
Some levels are not asking you to clear the board. They are asking you to change it, which reverses several ordinary habits.
Last checked · 7 min read
Planning
Reading the move budget before you play the level
The move counter is the level's difficulty setting written down. Reading it first changes how the whole attempt goes.
Last checked · 6 min read
Costs
What a free game charges in Australia, and where to look it up
Both Australian stores publish exactly what a game can charge. It takes twenty seconds to check and almost nobody does it.
Last checked · 7 min readGames referred to in these guides
Free to install in Australia, each with optional purchases inside. Every link opens the studio's own store page.
| Game | Studio | What the board asks for | Board style | Official listing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Candy Crush Saga |
King | Meet the stated goal within a fixed number of moves | Square grid, swap two neighbours | Google Play App Store |
 Candy Crush Soda Saga |
King | Goals that change the board itself, such as raising a liquid level | Square grid, board state shifts mid-level | Google Play App Store |
 Toy Blast |
Peak | Tap groups of the same colour instead of swapping | Square grid, tap to clear a group | Google Play App Store |
 Homescapes |
Playrix | Clear goals to earn stars, then spend stars on a renovation | Square grid, swap two neighbours | Google Play App Store |
Store ratings and prices change often enough that reprinting them here would mislead more than help. The listing shows today's figures.
Written here · A$11
The Special Tile Handbook
Every combination on this site in one PDF, with the shapes that make each special, a full combination table, and two annotated levels played move by move. Requested by form, paid by bank transfer off the site, delivered by email.
Common questions
Is this an official site for any of these games?
No. Merqavell is independent and has no connection to King, Peak, Playrix, Apple or Google. It cannot change anything inside a game and does not speak for any studio.
Do you hand out gold bars, lives or boosters?
No. Those come from the game and nowhere else. Any site offering them in exchange for your account details is trying to take the account, not help you.
Why do you not list store ratings?
They move constantly. A rating typed here in August would be wrong by September, and a wrong number is worse than no number. The link goes to the listing where the current figure is shown.
Are the guides for iPhone or Android?
Both. The board behaves the same way on each; where the interface or the purchase flow differs, the guide says which platform it is describing.
Do these games cost anything?
All four are free to install in Australia and all four sell optional extras. Some show advertising as well. The store listing states both before you install.
What exactly is the handbook?
A PDF I wrote, sold for A$11, requested through a form and delivered by email after a bank transfer. It is the only thing sold on this site, and every guide here stays free regardless.
Something was charged to my card. Can you reverse it?
No, and neither can the studio. In-app purchases are transactions with Google or Apple, and only they can refund one. The guide on what a free game charges explains where to start.