Our forums are buzzing about Tavern Guardians ($0.99) by Wombo Combo Games, and it’s easy to see why. This match-3 RPG recalls some of the greats of the genre, such as Dungeon Raid ($0.99). Matching is done in Bejeweled style, where you swap tiles to make matches. Enemies steadily descend down the map to the bottom of the screen, where your wall is built to keep them out. This wall serves as your armor, and will take damage before your health. You’re trying to clear as many levels as possible, fighting bosses on each level. You unlock new character classes the further you get in the game, and can upgrade existing classes with coins you collect, though those can also go toward mid-game upgrades.

The combat has an interesting aspect to it where any matches that touches any enemy does damage based on your attack, with the element of the tile then having an effect unrelated to what the enemy is. So, matches have to be made not just on proximity to enemies, but based on what they can do for you. So if you have stone tiles next to an enemy, you can make a match, build your wall, and make them pay for it. Tavern Guardians is a cool match-3 RPG that is sure to be a real time-waster, and if you can free yourself from its grasp, check out the active forum thread for the game.