I'm always looking for a fun game to play while I'm waiting for the bus or killing time between classes. And a game with a bit of a challenge will easily keep me occupied during these times. This is where Fishdom comes in.
As one of the most popular match-three puzzle games on mobile, Fishdom has managed to rope me into playing the game over the years. The main goal of the game is to match puzzle pieces together to earn points. It may seem easy, but it can be quite challenging which makes it addicting as well.
In this guide, I'll share with you strategies for playing this game better, how to use your power-ups properly, how to get diamonds, and more. After you give the game a try with some of the tips I offer, you'll see why it's my favorite game to pick up when I've got a bit of downtime.
- Always Have a Plan Before Playing
- Play for the Power-Ups
- Remove Pieces at the Bottom First
- Complete Achievements to Earn Diamonds
- Decorate Your Aquarium
Always Have a Plan Before Playing
It takes a lot of skill to play Fishdom and based on my experience, playing the game requires a number of strategies. Some people might wonder why you'd need strategies for a simple puzzle mobile game.
While the premise of the game is simple, the execution is far more difficult. Play the game with an open mind, especially if this is your first time playing such a game. Try to look at the entirety of the puzzle first before you make your first move.
Always have a plan in mind that is based on the objective of the game. At each level, you'll have different goals to complete so make sure that you have a strategy in mind before you start.
For example, if the objective of the level is all about destroying a certain color of the puzzle, start checking all the puzzle pieces surrounding it to make sure you still have plenty of moves to play.
Restart the Game Immediately
By looking at the entire puzzle before playing, you allow yourself the option of restarting the game if you find the puzzle to be too difficult.
There will be times in this game that you'll hardly find a good place to start making moves. Avoid this scenario from happening by exiting the app and logging back in.
This will also refresh the puzzle and hopefully give you a better one to play with. You won't lose a life by doing this so don't worry. I even do this a couple of times until I get a puzzle that I can work with.
Play for the Power Ups
You'll notice that you destroy the pieces when you match three puzzles pieces together.
You'll also earn a bonus whenever you match four or more puzzle pieces. This results in power-ups appearing after you've destroyed the pieces.
Power-ups help make the game even more challenging and fun for players. There are a lot of power-ups that can be used in this game. They are commonly used to destroy more blocks and help you get more scores at the end of each level.
While most power-ups can be used automatically in the game, you can still save them for later. A good strategy is to manually detonate them when you have stacked a series of blocks together creating a massive chain.
Always Go for the Firecracker
I mentioned that there are various power-ups that you can acquire in Fishdom. For example, matching four pieces together creates firecrackers. This is the easiest power-up to acquire and one of the most highly effective types in the game.
Both bombs and dynamite can be acquired when you match five and six pieces together. They can be very good for your game but you won't be able to acquire a lot of them throughout the game. This is why I suggest that you go for the firecracker whenever you have it.
Firecrackers destroy all the puzzle pieces that are adjacent to them making room for more pieces to appear. I also suggest combining different power-ups such as a firecracker-dynamite combo to create large explosions that will clear a large portion of the puzzle immediately.
Remove Pieces at the Bottom First
The standard strategy in playing Fishdom is very simple. First, you need to look at the puzzle in its entirety so you can choose which area to start with. The very first thing that I do in this game is to look at the bottom area first.
If certain pieces can be removed in an instant, this is a perfect sign that I should be able to pull off some great moves in the game. Always look at the bottom row first and take them out immediately.
This will automatically make room for more pieces to drop allowing for more possibilities and chances for you to play the game.
The more pieces that become available, the more opportunities that you have to create chains of explosions.
Focus on Removing Obstacles First
Another great strategy that I utilize in the game is removing the obstacles first before matching different puzzle pieces together. This isn't a problem in the early levels but as soon as I hit level 20 or so, the game introduces different obstacles that make it even more challenging.
Most of these obstacles cannot be removed by simply matching the puzzle pieces near them. There are only a few ways to remove these obstacles, and one of the most effective methods is by using the lightning power-up.
It's a special power-up that is created once I've fully charged up the meter at the lower left of the screen. Once it is activated, lightning will remove all the obstacles or certain pieces from the board.
Complete Achievements to Earn Diamonds
Diamonds are quite an important resource in Fishdom. They are often used to purchase some of the boosters and power-ups that you use when playing the game.
There is only a limited amount of diamonds that I can earn in the game so it is always best to conserve them by using them only at specific times.
However, there is one other way to farm for diamonds and that is to complete achievements. Achievements are tasks that you need to complete while playing the game.
Once you have completed the tasks, you unlock the achievements and will be rewarded with either coins or diamonds for you to spend in the game.
Conserve Your Boosters
Boosters are similar to power-ups, however, they are often preloaded before you play the game. I get to choose from different boosters before the game starts and each of them has a unique specialty. Lightning is also considered a booster.
Some of them include dynamite and double bomb which you can use to help clear up some of the more challenging puzzles in the game. However, as I mentioned before, boosters are quite rare. If you want more, you'll have to use your precious resources to get them.
If you don't want to use your gold or diamonds for boosters, stick to playing a more strategic game but if you want to open the game with a bang then use your boosters whenever you feel like it.
Decorate Your Aquarium
Every time I finish a level, the game rewards me with either gold or diamonds.
Both of these resources are commonly used to purchase either boosters or in-game cosmetic items. Some of these items include decorations for my aquarium.
Make good use of the money that you've earned while playing the game and personalize the aquarium so that your fish will stay healthy and happy.
Don't Forget to Feed the Fish
Speaking of fish, I always make sure that all of the fish in my aquarium are fed on time and fed properly. This is because there's an advantage to feeding your fish on time.
When fed on time, your fish will often give a few gold coins after.
So, if you need some coins, tap on the fish that has the lowest health point to feed them. Once they regain their health, expect a few coins to be added to your pocket.
Conclusion
The key to getting better at playing this unique match-3 puzzle game is to play as many games as possible. I was able to learn all of these tricks simply by playing the game and trying out different strategies to see which worked the best.
If you don't have a lot of time to play the game, make sure to follow the tips mentioned above and you should be able to quickly earn a lot of coins and diamonds to spend on your aquarium. Fishdom is currently available to download and play from the Google Play Store and the App Store.
