Puzzle guide
Falling Gem Puzzle Tips From 9 Drop-Only Test Runs
Key takeaways
- In 9 runs where we only pressed the down arrow, the board filled in 7.5 to 9.4 seconds (median 8.0).
- 6 of those 9 runs scored 0; the other three ended with 15, 15 and 35 points.
- On its own, a column falls about one row every 2 seconds, so waiting is slow and steering is cheap.
- The board is 12 columns wide and you start in the 7th, so every column is within 6 steps.
The first falling gem puzzle tip is not to drop every column straight down: in 9 test runs of Gemlane where we did only that, the board filled in 7.5 to 9.4 seconds and 6 of the 9 runs scored nothing. We ran the test three times on each of the three levels and wrote down what the screen showed.
How the game works
Columns of three gems fall down a tall board. You move a column with the left and right arrow keys, change its colors with Space and drop it with the down arrow. Lining up three or more gems of the same kind clears them. A box at the top right shows the next column, a clock starts at 60:00 and counts down, and when the stack reaches the top, a Results panel shows your score and level. We counted 12 columns and 19 rows on the board, and the first column starts in the 7th place from the left.
9 runs with only the down arrow
For each run we started a level, waited for the GO! message and then pressed the down arrow again and again without moving or recoloring anything, so every column landed in the same lane. We noted when the Results panel appeared and what the score said. The times are readings from screenshots taken about once a second, so treat them as accurate to roughly one second. We played in a test browser, which can run the game slower than a normal computer.
| Level | Run | Seconds to Results | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easy | 1 | 8.3 | 0 |
| Easy | 2 | 7.6 | 0 |
| Easy | 3 | 8.5 | 15 |
| Medium | 1 | 8.0 | 0 |
| Medium | 2 | 7.6 | 0 |
| Medium | 3 | 8.6 | 15 |
| Hard | 1 | 9.4 | 35 |
| Hard | 2 | 7.5 | 0 |
| Hard | 3 | 7.5 | 0 |
Nine runs from one test browser are a small sample, not an average for every player.
The median time was 8.0 seconds, and the three runs that scored (15, 15 and 35) got there by chance, when three columns happened to put the same gems together. Dropping into one lane is the fastest way to fill the board and the slowest way to score.
How fast a column falls on its own
On an empty board we tracked the top of the first column at the start of a run. It moved about 20 pixels per second on Easy and about 22 on Medium and Hard. One row is 40 pixels, so that is one row every 1.8 to 2.0 seconds, and a column would need over half a minute to cross the empty board without help. The three levels were within about 10 percent of each other at the start, so what changes between them is mostly the backdrop: meadow, desert and canyon.
4 tips that follow from the numbers
- Spread the columns out. Piling every column in one lane filled the board in about 8 seconds. The board is 12 wide, so use the width.
- Use the free time. A column falls about one row every 2 seconds, so you have time to move it sideways before it lands. You start in the 7th column: 6 steps reach the left wall and 5 reach the right wall.
- Change colors before you drop. Space changes the current colors of the falling column, which costs nothing while it is still high.
- Read the Next box. It shows the column that follows, so you can leave a gap for it.
Where to try it
Try it yourself in Gemlane. For a word puzzle, Wordplank asks you to swap letters back into order, and Orchard Link asks you to chain matching fruit before a timer ends.
Frequently asked questions
How fast does the board fill if you only drop columns?
In 9 test runs where we only pressed the down arrow, the Results panel appeared 7.5 to 9.4 seconds after the first press, with a median of 8.0 seconds.
Is dropping every column straight down a good idea?
No. Six of our nine drop-only runs scored nothing, because the columns piled up in one lane instead of lining up matches.
How wide is the Gemlane board?
We counted 12 columns and 19 rows. The first column starts in the 7th place from the left: 6 steps reach the left wall and 5 reach the right wall.
How fast does a column fall on its own?
About 20 to 22 pixels per second, which is one row (40 pixels) every 1.8 to 2.0 seconds at the start of a run.
Are Easy, Medium and Hard different speeds?
Not that we could measure at the start of a run: the three levels were within about 10 percent of each other.
Is the top score kept after a reload?
Yes. The Top Score on the start screen was still there after we reloaded the page.