Gem Columns is a free columns puzzle game online. A column of three cut gems falls into a well six wide and thirteen deep; it never turns, but you can cycle the order of its gems and slide it left or right. Three or more of one colour in a line — across, down or along either diagonal — clear, the gems above drop, and if the drop lines up three more they clear too as a cascade. Each level is a quota of gems to clear: every ten speeds the fall up, every twenty bring a rainbow gem that wipes out one whole colour, and a gem left above the rim ends the run. Points multiply for cascades and for lines that form together, so the stars are for clearing well, not just clearing. Ten levels add a fifth and sixth colour, loose rubble at the bottom and a faster fall. No download, no sign-up — play with a keyboard, or with the on-screen pads on a phone.
How to play Gem Columns
- Pick a level and press Start. A column of three gems enters above the middle of the well, and the next column waits beside it.
- Move the column with ← and → (or A and D). It never turns on its side: press ↑ or X to cycle its gems — each moves down one and the bottom gem goes to the top — and Z to cycle them back. On a phone, use the pads under the well, or tap the well to cycle.
- Hold ↓ to drop faster, or press Space to drop the column straight to where the faint ghost shows it will land.
- Three or more gems of one colour in a line clear — across, down, or along either diagonal. The gems above fall, and if the fall lines up another three, they clear too: a cascade.
- A clear scores 10 points a gem, times the cascade step, times the number of lines that formed together. Two lines crossing score double; a line in a cascade’s third step, triple.
- Each level is a quota of gems. Every ten you clear speeds the fall up; from level 2, every twenty bring a rainbow gem that clears every gem of the colour it lands on.
- Reach the quota to clear the level; two higher scores earn the second and third star. A gem still above the rim once everything has settled ends the run.
Tips
- Look for the diagonals. Most players only see rows and columns, and a gem dropped at the end of a slope often completes a line nobody planned.
- Two of a colour side by side with a gap above the third column is a line waiting for its gem. Leave it open and cycle the next column so its matching gem lands on top.
- Waiting pays: one gem that finishes two lines at once scores double, so do not always clear a three the moment you can.
- Build cascades by stacking a colour one row above a pair of the same colour, so the clear underneath drops it into place.
- Keep the middle low. Columns enter above the third column, and gems piled there leave you no time to steer as the fall speeds up.
- Aim the rainbow gem at the colour you have most of — it clears every gem of that colour on the board, and dropped on the floor it clears nothing.
- Rubble levels start with loose gems at the bottom. Clearing near the floor drops everything above it, which is where the long cascades come from.
FAQ
Is Gem Columns free to play?
Yes. It runs free in your browser with no download, no install and no account, on a computer, a tablet or a phone.
Do diagonal lines count?
Yes. Three or more gems of one colour in any straight line clear — across, down, or along either diagonal. A gem can be in two lines at once, and it clears once while both lines count toward the score.
How is the score worked out?
Each clear scores 10 points for every gem, multiplied by the cascade step and by the number of lines that formed at the same time. So a plain line of three is 30 points, a plus-shaped cross of five gems in two lines is 100, and a line of three in the second step of a cascade is 60.
What does the rainbow gem do?
From level 2, every twenty gems you clear earn a rainbow gem, a flashing star column shown in the Next box. When it lands it clears every gem on the board of the colour directly under it. If it lands on the empty floor it clears nothing.
Why does it get faster?
Every ten gems cleared speed the fall up a notch, and the time a column may rest before it locks shortens with it. Most later levels also start faster. That is the whole difficulty ramp: in tests, a slow player clears every run of the first six levels and loses most runs of the last three, while quick hands clear them all.
How are the stars decided?
Reaching the gem quota is one star; two and three stars are higher scores, shown on screen. They were measured with test players: one that looks one column ahead earns three stars on between a quarter and four-fifths of its runs on every level, while one that clears whatever it can right away earns two stars on at most a quarter and three hardly ever.
How many levels are there?
Ten. Level 1 uses four colours, levels 2, 3, 5 and 7 five, and the rest all six. Levels 3 and 6 to 10 start with rows of loose rubble at the bottom, and most later levels start with a faster fall.
Does Play again give me the same columns?
Yes. Every run is dealt from a seed, so Play again and Try again drop the same columns in the same order onto the same rubble. New columns deals a different run of the same level.
Is this like the Columns game?
It plays the classic falling-column rules that Sega’s 1990 Columns made famous — three gems that cycle rather than rotate, and lines of three in any direction including diagonals — as a level-by-level game with gem quotas and star scores. It is an independent game, not affiliated with Sega.
Can I play on a phone?
Yes. The pads under the well move, cycle and drop the column — hold ← or → to keep sliding — and a tap on the well cycles the gems. The well is tall, so the game plays upright on a phone.