Puzzle Combat: RPG Match 3 – Match, Battle & Build

Instead of simply clearing puzzle boards for points, every match contributes to battles against monsters, zombies, mutant creatures, bosses and other players. Building the right hero team and making smart matches are both important if you want to progress through the campaign and competitive modes.

The game features hundreds of collectible heroes, upgradeable weapons, a customizable base, alliance activities, PvP battles, boss raids, limited-time events and a large story campaign.

What Is Puzzle Combat: RPG Match 3?

Puzzle Combat is a match-3 RPG where players combine colored tiles to attack enemies and charge their heroes' abilities.

Its main systems include:

• Match-3 puzzle combat

• Hero collection

• Hero leveling

• Hero abilities

• Upgradeable weapons

• Base building

• Resource production

• Story campaign

• Zombie Mode

• PvP battles

• Alliance wars

• Boss raids

• Limited-time events

• Weekly tournaments

• Monthly challenges

• Path of Valor

• Leaderboards

The game is free to download and includes optional in-app purchases, including paid random items.

Puzzle Combat Gameplay

The basic gameplay cycle is:

Match Tiles → Attack Enemies → Charge Heroes → Use Special Skills → Defeat Waves → Earn Rewards → Upgrade Your Team

The puzzle board determines which heroes attack and how much damage they can deal.

Matching tiles of a particular color sends attacks toward enemies associated with that color. Larger combinations can create stronger board effects and help clear multiple tiles at once.

The key is to think beyond the immediate match. A move that creates a useful cascade or sets up a future combination can be more valuable than simply making the largest obvious match.

Puzzle Combat Match-3 Strategy

Look for Cascades

Before making a move, scan the board for combinations that can create additional matches after the first one.

Cascades can generate extra attacks without requiring additional turns.

Don't Always Make the Biggest Match

A large match is attractive, but it isn't automatically the best move.

Sometimes a smaller match can:

• Create a cascade

• Charge an important hero

• Set up a stronger combination

• Remove dangerous tiles

• Improve your next turn

Think About the Whole Board

Don't focus only on the bottom or center of the puzzle.

Look across the entire board before moving a tile.

Create Special Tiles

When the board allows you to create special combinations, consider where the resulting effect will have the greatest impact.

A special tile positioned near a large group of useful tiles can produce much more value than one created in an isolated area.

Puzzle Combat Hero Guide

Heroes are the foundation of your combat team.

The game includes hundreds of characters across different themes and types, including warriors, brawlers, droids and zombies. New heroes have also been added through the game's ongoing content updates.

Each hero has its own:

• Color

• Attack characteristics

• Health

• Defense

• Special skill

• Progression requirements

Your goal is to create a team whose heroes work well together.

How to Build a Strong Hero Team

A balanced team should not rely entirely on one type of character.

Consider including heroes that provide:

• Reliable damage

• Area attacks

• Healing or recovery

• Defensive support

• Status effects

• Strong single-target attacks

Your exact lineup should depend on the game mode and enemies you are facing.

A team that performs well in the story campaign may not be the ideal setup for PvP or a particular boss.

Color Matching Strategy

Color management is one of the most important parts of Puzzle Combat.

When possible, use tile colors that correspond well with the enemies you are attacking.

This can increase the effectiveness of your attacks and help you eliminate dangerous targets more quickly.

Focus Fire

If one enemy poses a serious threat, concentrate matching attacks against that target instead of spreading damage unnecessarily.

Removing one dangerous enemy can sometimes be more valuable than damaging several weaker enemies.

Puzzle Combat Special Skills

Heroes charge their special abilities as you make matches.

Once a special skill becomes available, decide whether to use it immediately or wait.

Immediate use can be useful when:

• An enemy is close to defeating your team.

• You need burst damage.

• You need healing.

• You need a defensive effect.

Waiting can be better when:

• A boss is about to enter an important phase.

• Multiple enemies can be hit simultaneously.

• You are preparing a larger attack.

• A stronger combination is about to become available.

Puzzle Combat Boss Strategy

Boss battles require more planning than ordinary encounters.

Before attacking a boss, identify:

1. Its strongest attack.

2. Any special abilities.

3. Supporting enemies.

4. Your team's weaknesses.

5. Which heroes should save their special skills.

Don't automatically use every special ability as soon as it charges.

Sometimes saving several abilities and using them together creates a much stronger attack sequence.

Story Campaign Guide

Puzzle Combat includes hundreds of campaign levels across three difficulty modes, along with a Zombie Mode.

The campaign is useful for developing your roster and learning the game's mechanics.

Early Campaign

Concentrate on learning:

• Color relationships

• Hero abilities

• Special tiles

• Enemy behavior

• Resource management

Mid Campaign

Begin specializing your strongest heroes and improving their equipment.

Pay closer attention to team composition because enemies become more demanding.

Later Campaign

Use specialized teams when necessary.

At this stage, simply increasing overall power may not solve every problem. Choosing heroes that complement the level's requirements becomes increasingly important.

Puzzle Combat Beginner Tips

1. Build Around a Core Team

Don't spread your most valuable resources across dozens of heroes.

Choose a core group and develop them first.

2. Match With a Purpose

Every puzzle move should ideally accomplish something:

• Damage an enemy

• Charge a hero

• Create a cascade

• Set up a special tile

• Remove dangerous tiles

3. Protect Your Strongest Heroes

If an important hero is close to defeat, don't continue taking unnecessary risks.

Use healing, defensive abilities or careful matching to keep the team alive.

4. Charge Skills Before Difficult Fights

If you know a boss or difficult wave is coming, entering with several charged special abilities can provide a major advantage.

5. Upgrade Selectively

Upgrade the heroes you actually use.

Spreading resources too widely can slow your overall progression.

6. Develop Your Base

Your base isn't just decorative.

It provides systems for producing resources, training heroes and crafting important battle items.

7. Join an Alliance

Alliance activities provide access to cooperative content, including large-scale PvP wars and PvE missions.

8. Complete Events

Limited-time events can provide additional resources, heroes and other rewards.

Check available events regularly rather than focusing exclusively on the campaign.

Puzzle Combat Weapons Guide

Weapons provide another way to improve your heroes.

The game allows players to discover, craft and upgrade weapons while continually improving their statistics.

When upgrading equipment, consider which heroes you use most often.

Don't automatically spend valuable materials on every weapon you acquire.

Prioritize equipment that supports your main team and the game modes you play regularly.

Puzzle Combat Base Building

Base development is an important long-term system.

Your base allows you to:

• Train recruits

• Develop heroes

• Harvest food

• Mine metal

• Craft battle items

• Upgrade buildings

These resources feed directly into your combat progression.

Base Upgrade Strategy

Focus on buildings that support your immediate progression first.

As your resource production improves, expand into additional upgrades and crafting options.

Keeping your resource-generating buildings active helps maintain a steady supply of materials.

Resource Management Guide

Puzzle Combat contains several resources that support different progression systems.

Avoid spending everything immediately.

Save valuable materials for:

• Hero upgrades

• Weapon upgrades

• Base development

• Crafting

• Important event requirements

A common mistake is upgrading too many systems at once and leaving your main combat team underdeveloped.

Puzzle Combat PvP Guide

PvP allows you to battle other players and compete on leaderboards. The game also includes revenge mechanics that can provide additional rewards.

PvP Team Strategy

Your PvP team should be built around reliability rather than simply choosing your highest-power heroes.

Consider:

• Team balance

• Special skill timing

• Color distribution

• Survivability

• Damage output

• Enemy team composition

Watch the Opponent's Specials

Pay attention to which enemy heroes are close to charging their abilities.

If a dangerous special skill is almost ready, adjust your strategy accordingly.

Alliance Wars

Alliances allow players to cooperate in large-scale battles.

The App Store listing describes 30-vs-30 PvP wars alongside PvE missions and cooperative boss raids.

Alliance Wars require a different mindset from ordinary campaign levels.

Coordination, roster depth and team selection become increasingly important.

Boss Raids

Puzzle Combat also features alliance boss raids where players work together against powerful enemies.

These battles provide an opportunity to use specialized teams rather than relying exclusively on your normal campaign lineup.

Before a raid:

• Check the boss mechanics.

• Identify its weaknesses.

• Prepare appropriate heroes.

• Upgrade relevant weapons.

• Save useful items.

• Coordinate with your alliance when necessary.

Zombie Mode

Zombie Mode offers an additional way to play beyond the standard story campaign.

It provides a different challenge from normal campaign progression and gives players another reason to develop a flexible hero roster.

Don't assume your usual campaign team will always be ideal for Zombie Mode.

Limited-Time Events

Puzzle Combat regularly includes special events, weekly tournaments and monthly challenges.

Events can introduce:

• Unique enemies

• Special rules

• Temporary stages

• Additional rewards

• Competitive leaderboards

• Limited-time objectives

Check event requirements before committing your resources.

Path of Valor

The Path of Valor is the game's battle-pass-style progression system.

Players complete daily tasks to progress through the Path of Valor and unlock additional rewards.

If you're participating, complete the easiest available daily objectives consistently rather than waiting until the end of the event period.

Advanced Puzzle Combat Strategy

Think Two Moves Ahead

Don't make a match simply because it is available.

Ask what the board will look like after the move.

Charge the Right Hero

If you have multiple special abilities available, decide which one provides the greatest immediate benefit.

Protect Your Board

Removing certain tiles can sometimes be more important than attacking.

A clean board gives you more opportunities to create useful combinations.

Build Multiple Teams

As your roster expands, create specialized teams for:

• Campaign

• PvP

• Bosses

• Events

• Alliance Wars

• Zombie Mode

This gives you more flexibility when the game introduces unusual requirements.

Keep Improving the Base

A strong roster depends on more than hero levels.

Your base, resource production, crafting and weapon systems all contribute to long-term progression.

Free-to-Play Strategy

Puzzle Combat is free to download, but the App Store explicitly lists optional purchases, including paid random items.

For players who prefer not to spend money, patience and resource management become especially important.

Focus on:

• Completing daily objectives

• Using available energy efficiently

• Participating in events

• Joining an active alliance

• Developing a core roster

• Avoiding unnecessary resource spending

• Taking advantage of free rewards

Progress can take longer when you avoid purchases, so building a sustainable routine is more important than trying to develop every hero simultaneously.

Puzzle Combat Updates

The current App Store version history shows the game continues to receive bug fixes and smaller improvements. The listing currently shows version 52.5.17, dated September 8, with several preceding updates also focused on fixes and improvements.

Because Puzzle Combat is an ongoing live-service RPG, new heroes, events, balance adjustments and other content can change the best strategies over time.

Puzzle Combat Features

• Match-3 RPG combat

• Hundreds of heroes

• Hero collection

• Hero upgrades

• Special abilities

• Upgradeable weapons

• Base building

• Resource production

• Crafting

• Story campaign

• Three campaign difficulty modes

• Zombie Mode

• PvP

• Leaderboards

• Revenge battles

• Alliance Wars

• 30-vs-30 PvP

• PvE alliance missions

• Boss raids

• Weekly tournaments

• Monthly challenges

• Limited-time events

• Path of Valor

• Daily tasks

Puzzle Combat on iPhone and iPad

Puzzle Combat: RPG Match 3 is available for iPhone and iPad. The current App Store listing requires iOS 13.0 or later and lists the game in the Role-Playing category. Small Giant Games is the developer.

The listing currently shows a download size of approximately 337 MB and a 13+ age rating.

Puzzle Combat Pros and Cons

Pros

• Combines match-3 puzzles with RPG combat.

• Large hero collection.

• Multiple progression systems.

• Upgradeable weapons.

• Base building adds depth outside battles.

• Story campaign has hundreds of levels.

• PvP provides competitive gameplay.

• Alliance Wars support large team battles.

• Boss raids provide cooperative content.

• Regular events offer additional activities.

Cons

• The number of systems can feel overwhelming for new players.

• Hero and item collection involves random elements.

• Competitive progression can require considerable time.

• Free players may need patience when building a strong roster.

• The game contains optional purchases and paid random items.

The App Store's user reviews show different experiences with progression and spending. Some reviewers describe enjoying the puzzle combat and receiving useful rewards without spending, while others criticize the time or spending they feel is required for high-level progression. These are individual player experiences rather than universal conclusions.

Who Should Play Puzzle Combat?

Puzzle Combat is suited to players who enjoy combining several genres in one game.

It can appeal to fans of:

• Match-3 games

• Puzzle RPGs

• Hero-collection games

• Turn-based combat

• Strategy games

• PvP RPGs

• Base-building games

• Alliance games

• Boss battles

The biggest attraction is the combination of puzzle decisions and RPG progression. Your board moves affect combat while your heroes, weapons and base determine how strong your overall team becomes.

Puzzle Combat FAQ

What is Puzzle Combat: RPG Match 3?

Puzzle Combat is a match-3 RPG from Small Giant Games that combines tile-matching combat with hero collection, weapons, base building, PvP, alliances and boss battles.

Is Puzzle Combat free?

Yes. Puzzle Combat is free to download and play, with optional in-app purchases. The App Store also identifies paid random items.

How does combat work?

Players match colored tiles to attack enemies while charging their heroes' special abilities. Strategic matching and hero management work together during battles.

How many heroes are in Puzzle Combat?

The game features hundreds of collectible heroes, with additional heroes introduced through ongoing content.

Can you upgrade heroes?

Yes. Heroes can be leveled and developed as part of the game's progression system.

Can you upgrade weapons?

Yes. Players can discover, craft and upgrade weapons to improve their arsenal.

Does Puzzle Combat have PvP?

Yes. The game includes player-versus-player battles, leaderboards and revenge mechanics.

Does Puzzle Combat have alliances?

Yes. Players can join alliances and participate in cooperative PvE activities, boss raids and large 30-vs-30 PvP wars.

Does Puzzle Combat have a story campaign?

Yes. The game includes hundreds of campaign levels across three difficulty modes, plus Zombie Mode.

Does Puzzle Combat have boss fights?

Yes. Boss encounters are available in the campaign and cooperative alliance content.

What is the Path of Valor?

The Path of Valor is a battle-pass-style progression system in which players complete daily tasks to unlock rewards.

Can you play Puzzle Combat without spending money?

The game can be downloaded and played for free. However, optional purchases and random-item purchases are available, so players who do not spend may need more time and patience to build their roster.

What devices support Puzzle Combat?

The current App Store listing supports iPhone and iPad running iOS/iPadOS 13.0 or later.

Puzzle Combat: RPG Match 3 combines match-3 puzzle gameplay with hero collection, RPG progression and strategic combat.

The most important skill is learning to make puzzle moves that serve a purpose. Matching tiles charges attacks, creates opportunities for cascades and helps your heroes use their special abilities. At the same time, your team composition, weapons, base development and resources determine how effectively you can handle increasingly difficult content.

Beyond the campaign, PvP, Alliance Wars, boss raids, Zombie Mode, limited-time events and the Path of Valor provide additional progression and challenges.

For players searching for a match-3 RPG, puzzle combat game, hero collection RPG or strategy game with PvP and alliance battles, Puzzle Combat offers a broad combination of puzzle mechanics and long-term character progression.