3D Refill Mechanism for Match-3 Game Board Continuity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing match-3 games lack an engaging and dynamic refill mechanism that maintains player interest by ensuring a constantly filled game board, which is crucial for maintaining gameplay engagement and rewarding experiences.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method for controlling a display that renders a game board with selectable game objects, allowing players to slide objects to create line combinations, with a new refill mechanism that replaces removed objects in three dimensions, ensuring a constantly filled board and enabling chain reactions and combos.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If game objects are removed from the board after matching, then the board becomes empty and requires refilling, but this creates gaps and interrupts gameplay continuity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a third dimension (z-axis) for object refilling, where objects fall from above the board to fill gaps. This dimensional approach allows continuous gameplay by maintaining the board as constantly filled, transforming the traditional 2D match-3 board into a 3D space where refilling occurs vertically rather than leaving empty spaces.
2Quantity of substance
If a traditional refill mechanism is used, then removed objects are replaced, but the gameplay becomes repetitive and less engaging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic refilling where objects continuously fall from the top of the board to fill gaps created by matches. This creates an ever-changing board state with objects constantly moving and settling, preventing stagnation and maintaining player engagement through unpredictable patterns rather than static replacement.
Solution Approach 2:
Objects are pre-positioned in a virtual column above the visible board before being dropped. This preliminary arrangement allows the system to prepare refilling objects in advance, ensuring immediate replacement of matched objects and maintaining continuous gameplay without interruption or empty spaces.
3Ease of manufacture
If the board is allowed to have empty spaces after matches, then refilling is simpler, but the visual appeal and player motivation are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
By adding the z-axis dimension for object refilling, the patent creates a visually appealing cascade effect where objects fall from above to fill gaps. This maintains board fullness and visual appeal while providing a clear, intuitive refilling mechanism that is relatively simple to implement through gravity-based animation and position updating.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer-implemented method of controlling a display of a computer device by: rendering on the display a game board having a plurality of selectable game objects, each at a respective tile location in an array. User input is detected to select a game object causing the game object to move in a direction. A game move is implemented in which the selected game object is moved to an adjacent new tile location and swapped with the selected game object. Match data is generated if the move results in at least three game objects of the same characteristic occupying adjacent tile locations, which are removed from the rendered image. New game objects are generated to replace the removed game objects.