One word that I can use to describe the gameplay in the later levels of Spin Gem would be FRANTIC. The developer, Waggle Games, has come up with a game whose genesis was due to the overwhelming abundance of match-3 games on the iTunes App Store. The game is like a statement: “To hell with these match-3 games, how about trying your hand on a game which challenges you to come up with a continuous string of match-2 combos”.

Essentially, long continuous combos are key to gaining high scores in Spin Gem. In Focus Mode, the game punishes you for not stringing combos together by deducting the time in which you have in a particular session of play. Matching is done by switching the position of gems placed around a clock/compass dial, with the objective of having two same-coloured gems at each end of the dial.

The game becomes gradually harder as you progress through the phases; the dial spins faster and there are lumps of coals in between the gems. These don’t count when they are matched, it’s best to move them out of the way and arranged like-coloured gems in their place. The other mode that the game has is some sort of endless, Meditation, mode. Here, players strive to get as many pairings as they can in a set amount of time without fear of penalties.

Spin Gem features a total of 50 achievements to unlock along with online leaderboards, both of which provided using Apple’s Game Center. I haven’t manage to work my way up the leaderboards, having being stuck at the bottom 35% with a 5-digit top score. Heh, just goes to show how crazy the scores are at the Top 10%.

In any case, Spin Gem is bound not to disappoint, and is a guaranteed keeper if you are looking for something different other than the numerous match-3 games out there. Nine Over Ten 9/10 rates Spin Gem at a 4.5 out of 5. Check out the game on the iTunes App Store (USD 0.99): https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/spin-gem/id467428948?mt=8

A review code was provided to Nine Over Ten 9/10 for the purpose of this review.