Puzzle Quest 3

While puzzle-based combat games are rather common, this one adds some interesting wrinkles that make it feel rather fresh. In Puzzle Quest 3, you play as a hero who's just walking alone in the forest when you're attacked and have to defend yourself. But instead of smacking goblins and giant spiders with a sword by hitting a button, you have to move three or more gems into a line... which then makes you smack something with your sword. That said, this does copy a bit from more action-oriented fantasy games. You have to talk to people, while dispatched enemies drop weapons, spells, and armor, and the resources needed to improve them.

Now, while players have gotten to smack orcs by playing puzzle games before, what makes this fun and challenging is how it doesn't play like every other match-3 game. For starters, there's only a few seconds on the clock, which starts clicking when you make your first move. But you can make as many moves as you like, including diagonally, before the clock runs out. Also, the gems you line up don't disappear until your turn is over, which means you can line up three and then four and then five if you have the time. That said, because the board is always five gems by seven, and can be studied carefully before your turn starts, this is less of an intellectual challenge than most match-3 games. But if you're looking to test your reflexes more than your brains, Puzzle Quest 3 should give you a hero's welcome.