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Developed by Placademy "Match Ventures! is a Match 3 game that casts you in the role of an overworked assistant to a Leprechaun called Finlea who is keen to get you working on a variety of tasks.  The reason for the abundance of tasks that you will need to complete is that the Crimson Treaty has been shattered and you will be required, guided by Finlea, to put matters right.

While the game provides you with a range of adjustments that you can make to the gaming environment, it does not appear to allow you to create profiles to record the progress of individual players.  You can adjust volume levels for music, sound effects and voice volume plus opt to turn on/off animation, have full-screen viewing. play in relaxed mode, allow for the skipping of mini games, select from three cursor images and decide to make use of a tutorial feature.

Even more experienced players would benefit from this tutorial.  Working through the full tutorial will take you through 15 levels and covers all the various aspect of the game.  You will learn about the amphora and bombs plus the ability to make use of portals as you search for the require objects to complete a level such as using gem shaped stones to clear areas, clear iced cells and navigate through areas by using a mini map which is provided in the lower left corner of the screen.

While this title contains a number of side issues which need to be tackled, its main focus is based around its Match 3 game play which come in a series of levels.  A centrally positioned grid, populated with embossed tiles, is your starting point.  Some of the tiles will be coloured differently with the gold coloured ones needing to be cleared from the grid. 

Tiles can be removed by the fairly standard method of creating groups of three or more tiles by swapping two adjacent tiles.  The created group will disappear and the resulting space will be filled by other tiles falling downwards.  If, at any time, you create a group has four or five tiles then you will be rewarded with an amphora for four tiles or a bomb for a five group.  These rewards can be used to help clear areas of the grid.

As well as its content of tiles, the central grid for each level will also provide access to further linked grids via a portal system.  In order to make use to these portals, which are located at the corner of the main grid, you will need to have found the appropriate key tool element.  Once a portal has been opened then it can be reused until the level is completed.

Along with the amphora and bombs which I mentioned earlier, you will be granted the use of some power-up tools.  These tools come in the form of a bomb, lightening bolt and flying boots.  These tools need to be powered by making progress through the game's levels.

Along with the Match 3 game play, helping you earn money and gems to pay for later tasks, you will be faced by other problems.  While helping to relieve you of any goods you have found, Finlea will expect you to help her redecorate a mansion she has just inherited.  These task could involve finding the required list of items located in rooms based on Hidden Object game play.  These items could be sold to pay for the restoring the mansion.  You will also need to rebuild the Keeps protecting the land from invaders. 

Finlea isn't the only one needing your assistance.  Your reputation for helping others will encourage other residents of the area to offer you contracts to help supply their needs in return for gaining a reward.  These extra tasks will be carried out as part of your search for items with Match 3 game play.

You can download this title from Gamehouse.com where it is priced at $9.99.  Required specification call for a 1.0 GHz processor with 1024MB of RAM and 326MB of hard disk space running Windows 7 and later.

MatchVentures 4 | GameHouse