Good things come in threes, but as any fan of match-3 puzzle games will tell you, even better things come in fours and fives.

Because most match-3 games are cut from the same gem, understanding a few simple strategies can go a long way. Whether you have a sweet tooth for Candy Crush Saga or feel right at home with Homescapes, try these universal puzzle pointers.

Combos – those satisfying matches of four or more – are crucial in nearly every match-3. Creating one is often a happy accident, but there’s a way to up the odds: match toward the bottom of the board so pieces above cascade into cool combos. Think ahead!

Racking up combos doesn’t guarantee victory, however. Many match-3 levels have specific objectives. Need to clear a number of blue candies? Don’t get distracted by greens – unless they indirectly help the cause.

Rocking a Rocket? Cooked up a colour bomb? Sweet! But consider saving it until you really need it or can combine it with another power-up. Homescapes’ Paper Plane and Bomb specials are each useful on their own, for instance, but match them together and you’ve got a flying explosive that will obliterate a hard-to-reach spot on the board.

Unless you’re playing a time-based match-3 puzzler like Legendary, don’t rush it. There’s no penalty for being deliberate, so scrutinise the board carefully. And remember: many games will nudge you with a suggested move after a short delay, but it may not necessarily be the best move.

Most match-3 games challenge you to beat a level within a certain number of moves. Try to come in well under that target. In games like Disney Frozen Adventures, leftover moves are transformed into specials that scatter across the board, boosting your score through the roof!