You’ve probably played or at least seen some variant of the classic match-3 game by now, so let me just skip to the meat of this review: This game retreads familiar mechanics, but it’s a splendid retread indeed with gorgeous graphics and cunningly designed levels. Monarch – The Butterfly King incorporates the same tile-clearing and chain-reaction mechanics seen in previous games like Big Kahuna Reef. But instead of fish, you have flowers to match and butterflies to collect.

The plot deals with a butterfly king rescuing his minions by solving lots of puzzle levels, and that’s just what you do. Tiles have to be cleared by matching 3 or more flowers on them at least once – more than once in the case of chained tiles which prevent more flowers from cascading down and filling parts of the puzzle level.

Match 5 or more flowers at one go, and you get bonus “bombs” that can flip entire chain-reactions of tiles all around, while you also score bonus points for continuing nonstop series of matches, which causes the figure of the butterfly king to hover higher and higher at the side of the board. After completing each set of levels, you collect a new butterfly with a strikingly unique wing pattern.

Higher levels have trickier and trickier puzzles with chains, malevolent frogs and other tricky obstacles flung in your way. All in all, the designers have started you off with 150 levels and even more are available for download, so if you end up buying this game you’re more likely to get good value for your buck.

The graphics follow an eye-soothing palette of floral colors, and the explosion effects are accompanied by quite a dazzling eyeful of flashy effects. The music also manages to be pleasant and easy to listen to without lulling you to sleep. Although I do think the 3-D rendering of the child-faced butterfly king looks a little too doll-like, but that’s just a minor sticking point. The fact remains that the look and sound of the game more than lives up to the strong gameplay.

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