Matching

Games built around spotting and pairing identical things - tiles, colours, shapes or objects - to clear them off a board. The mechanic is simple enough to learn instantly, which is why it turns up in so many different formats.

Mahjong Connect is the easiest way in if you've played anything like this before. If you'd rather something with a twist, Prism Match 3D asks you to rotate objects into alignment rather than work on a flat grid.

Not quite. Match-3 is one specific format where you line up three identical pieces. Matching is the broader idea, and it covers pair-finding, connect-the-tiles and merge mechanics that never involve a row of three at all.

Usually not. Most are about noticing the pair rather than reacting quickly, so they suit playing at your own pace. Man Runner 2048 is the exception here, since it puts the same instinct into a game where you're moving.

Yes, every game under this tag plays free in your browser. There's nothing to download, no account to create and nothing gated behind a purchase before you start.

Most of them, yes. They run in a mobile browser the same way they run on desktop, and the tap-to-select input that matching games rely on translates to a touchscreen without losing anything.