Шaрики/Shariki, “The Balls” (1994, MS-DOS) – The original Match-3 [Russian][720p60]

…is the game that started it all.

From what the internet is saying, this is officially the first ever Match-3 game (in the “Swapping” subgenre, at least); from which its mechanics spawned popular series like Bejeweled and its friends.

Will probably give it a go again sometime, I am sure 340 points is pretty lame.

[11 November 2012]
Now I see why this game is so friggin hard – it uses EIGHT (and in later versions even NINE) colours, instead of usual seven (or less) colours more commonly seen in Bejeweled and other Match-3 games, this causes the game to have barely any legal moves even at the start.

Game has no sound, except at the very end when you game over.

you can get the game here:
(Requires Dos-BOX to play properly)
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See my other PC/DOS gameplays here

See my other gameplays here

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Featured in media:

(09 August 2013, Hebrew)

(19 February 2014)

Footage used in “Bejeweled Review Series: Bejeweled (2001)” by courtemanche437