Swap two neighbouring jewels, watch a line of three vanish, and the column above drops into the hole it left. That is the whole of Jewel Academy, and it is more than enough.
The part that decides whether you finish a level is the falling. A clear is never just the tiles you removed, it is also every new arrangement the drop creates, and a board that has been left tidy tends to produce nothing at all.
How to play Jewel Academy
- Click or tap a jewel, then click the one next to it to swap them.
- A swap is only allowed if it creates a line of three or more.
- Matched jewels vanish and the column above drops down.
- Each level has a goal, and a limited number of moves to reach it.
- Special jewels appear when you match more than three at once.
Reading the goal first
Every level tells you what it wants before you make a move. Some ask for a score, some ask you to clear jewels of one colour, some ask you to bring something down to the bottom row.
These need different play. A score level rewards big cascades anywhere on the board. A colour level rewards patience: matches that do not involve the target colour are close to wasted moves.
Moves are the real currency
The counter in the corner is the only thing you can run out of. Every swap that clears three jewels and nothing else costs one move and gains you almost nothing, which is how a level with a generous move count still ends two jewels short.
Tips and strategy
Play from the bottom
- Matches near the bottom of the board drop more jewels than matches near the top, so they create more chances for a chain.
- A match at the very top clears three tiles and refills three tiles. Nothing above it moves, because there is nothing above it.
- When two matches look equal, take the lower one.
Making cascades
- Before you swap, look at what will be sitting where. The gems that fall are the ones that matter, not the ones you removed.
- Four in a line or an L shape usually produces a special jewel. Those are worth more than two ordinary matches.
- Two specials next to each other, swapped into one another, clear far more than either does alone.
When a level resists
- Count the moves you have left against what the goal still needs. If the arithmetic does not work, stop optimising and start hunting for the biggest available clear.
- Scan the edges. Most players read the middle of the board and miss the columns on the far left and right entirely.
- If nothing is visible, take any legal swap. A board that moves shows you something new, a board you stare at does not.
What costs players levels
- Spending early moves on whatever match is easiest to see.
- Chasing score on a level that is not asking for score.
- Forgetting that the swap has to make a match, then wasting attention on pairs that will never move.
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Frequently asked questions
How do you make a special jewel in Jewel Academy?
By matching more than three at once. Four in a line or a bend in the shape of an L or a T produces a jewel that clears more than the tiles around it.
Can I swap any two jewels?
Only jewels that sit next to each other, and only when the swap creates a line of three or more. Swaps that make nothing are refused.
What happens when I run out of moves?
The level ends. If the goal is not met you replay it, and the board is laid out the same way each time you restart.
Is Jewel Academy free?
Yes. It runs in the browser with nothing to install, no account and no payment.
Does it work on a phone?
Yes. Tap one jewel then the one beside it, exactly as you would click on a desktop.