Big Fish, the world's largest producer of casual games, today announced that "Match-Up! by Big Fish" is now available for free on the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. "Match-Up! by Big Fish" is a real-time tournament game platform built for casual gaming on iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. The platform offers three types of popular skill-based games -- Word, Match 3, and Mahjong -- in which gamers can match-up against live opponents to win virtual currency, experience, status, and achievements. Developed in partnership with Jawfish Games, "Match-Up! by Big Fish" will change mobile social play from turn-based experiences into fast-paced synchronous bracketed tournaments of up to 16 players.
Built from the beginning for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, the groundbreaking synchronous tournament technology serving the "Match-Up! by Big Fish" game platform is what makes this game stand out. The servers can instantly connect hundreds of thousands of players in fast-paced, exciting simultaneous play. The technology takes live mobile play to a new level by including a "Spycam," which lets opponents see each other's game board while they play.
"'Match-Up! by Big Fish' solves that frustrating wait by instantly connecting players in competitive play any time they want," said Chris Williams, Vice President and GM of Big Fish Free-to-Play. "Regardless of which game you choose, the gameplay is always fast-paced. Each tournament round is only 30 seconds, so a complete 'Match-Up!' tournament only lasts a few minutes. This new synchronous way of playing competitive casual games is undeniably more fun than the old turn-based approach."
All "Match-Up! by Big Fish" tournaments reward the winners with chips - a virtual currency that can be saved to buy into higher stakes tournaments. There are 16-player bracketed tournaments, up to eight-player elimination games, and best of five head-to-head competitions. Returning players are rewarded with chips for coming back to the game daily. While free tournaments are always available, the higher stakes games will offer more challenging gameplay and more intense competition. For players who like to see where they rank, the game includes leaderboards, stats, and achievements connected to Game Center. For players who like an extra competitive edge, they can purchase "boosts," which give them unique advantages as they play in a match-up.
"Match-Up! by Big Fish" games include:
Word Rack: This game combines Boggle®-like play with Scrabble®. The winning player makes the highest value word within 30 seconds using as many letters as they can.
QBeez: This is a skill-based Match 3 game with a twist. Tap on clusters of color blocks to have them disappear from the screen. Clear the screen quickly and strategize to ensure you have none remaining. If you are stuck, you can twist your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch to slide the tiles to discover new matches.
Mahjong: The ancient game of Mahjong is now a competitive tournament. Quickly match pairs of tiles to clear the board before your opponents.
