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Put together as a project during lockdown last year Gem Jam is the creation of developer Leosoft. The game is essentially a clone of the classic tile matching game Bejewelled which, unbelievably, is now twenty years old this year - how time flies!

The aim of the game is rather simple, swap around different tiles in order to match at least three tiles of the same type in either a vertical or horizontal line. Once matched, the tiles disappear, points are awarded and the next lot of tiles drop into the screen from above and fill up any empty spaces which, in some instances, will cause even more tiles to match up.

Sounds easy but you're up against the clock which is indicated by a blue bar above the tiles that will continue to decrease in size until it is replenished slightly by matching up some tiles.

Should the bar get too low it turns to read and tempo of the in-gae soundtrack speeds up, creating a sense of urgency that can lead to frantic yet fun gameplay. There are settings in the game that allow you to change the game speed which can be set to either slow, medium or fast.

As well as this, you can also change the tiles from gems to either pieces of fruit or some funky abstract shapes. There's even a savable high score table for all you score junkies out there.

I quite enjoy a good puzzle game and Gem Jam is very much that. The graphics are very bright and colourful and pleasing on the eye while the sound effects and upbeat music track are spot on, if not a tad repetitive after a while. Good fun for a while, but no amount of changing the shapes from gems to fruit or abstract shapes makes the game any more exciting.

That said, Gem Jam is a good challenge for those into this kind of game. It could possibly benefit from more additional levels and a few more challenging modes but overall it's a decent and simple puzzle game where what you see is what you get.

Gem Jam is a game that does exactly what it says on the tin, and it does so with simple, colourful graphics, a cheery and surprisingly enjoyable theme tune, and responsive controls. The tried and tested 'match 3' gameplay offers nothing new but does so adequately nonetheless.

The option to change the gems into fruit or abstract shapes is a nice addition, as are the three different game speeds available.

OVerall, the game is just as good as all those other 'match the three tiles' games being played on modern smart phones! Go and give it a try now!

Presentation 72%
Simple yet well presented on-screen. Everything feels like it's where it should be.

Graphics 75%
Good use of the CPC's colour palette. Vibrant and colourful.

Sound 71%
Excellent in-game soundtrack and good sound effects. Main track a tad repetitive after a while though.

Addictive Qualities 70%
Addictive just like the original Bejewelled. Fun in short doses unless you're into this kind of game.

Lastability 65%
Fun for a while but needs more variety. Still a good challenge.

Overall 68%