How to play Fortune Gem

What is on the screen

A three-by-three grid fills most of the display. Each cell holds a coloured gem — commonly five colours: red, green, blue, amber and violet. A thin timer ring runs around the grid and drains over forty-five seconds. Under the grid are two counters: lines completed on this board, and boards cleared this session.

There are eight possible lines on a three-by-three grid: three rows, three columns and two diagonals. Completing one locks those three gems, which are then outlined and cannot be moved again. Because the grid is small, every lock removes options from the remaining space, and the order in which you make lines is most of the puzzle.

Playing a board from scratch

Seven steps, in the order the game presents them.

1. 1

   Count the colours before you move

   The timer does not start until your first drag on most builds, so use that pause. Count how many gems of each colour are on the board. A colour with only two gems cannot make a line at all, and knowing that immediately narrows your search to two or three colours.

2. 2

   Find your line before you find your move

   Pick the specific row, column or diagonal you intend to complete, then work out the swap that gets you there. Beginners do the reverse — they spot a swap that looks tidy, make it, and then hunt for a purpose for the new arrangement.

3. 3

   Drag to swap adjacent gems only

   A drag swaps a gem with the neighbour you drop it on, including diagonally on most builds. Non-adjacent drags do nothing and cost you a second. Unlike many puzzle games, a swap that completes no line is still allowed here — the grid is too small to require it.

4. 4

   Take the centre seriously

   The middle cell belongs to four of the eight lines — a row, a column and both diagonals. Locking the centre early is powerful when the lines you want run through it, and crippling when they do not. If you are unsure, leave the centre free and build an outer row first.

5. 5

   Prefer the two diagonals early

   Diagonals are the hardest lines to assemble once the corners are locked, so they are worth attempting while the board is still fully mobile. Rows and columns stay reachable much longer.

6. 6

   Watch the timer ring, not the clock

   The ring changes colour at the fifteen-second mark, which is your cue to take whatever line is one swap away instead of setting up a better one. A completed simple line always beats an unfinished clever one.

7. 7

   Finish the board or let it expire

   The board ends when the timer empties or when no unlocked gem can form a line. Your line count is added to the session total and a fresh grid deals immediately. Clearing four or more lines on a single board is a good result; all eight is rare and requires a friendly opening layout.

Controls

What a session feels like

The failure mode is a board where you make two quick lines and then discover the remaining three gems can never match. That is an ordering mistake rather than an unfair board, and working out where the order went wrong is what keeps the puzzle interesting past the first session.

Pointers for a first hour

• Use the free look before your first drag. Ten seconds of counting colours is worth more than ten seconds of swapping.
• Turn colourblind mode on. Shapes read faster than colours under a timer, whatever your vision.
• Attempt diagonals first. They are the lines that disappear as soon as the corners lock.
• Do not lock the centre by accident. Check what a centre-crossing line takes away before you complete it.
• Simplify at fifteen seconds. When the ring changes colour, take the one-swap line in front of you.
• Stop between boards, not during one. The gap after a board deals is the natural exit, and nothing is lost by using it.