Arcade Game Central

What happens when you mix Gold Miner and Jewel Quest, two of the more popular games in recent memory? Jewel Miner, of course.

As you might guess from the title, Jewel Miner mixes the characters from GameRival’s and the gameplay from iWin’s Jewel Quest to create a brand new adventure, a match-three style game set in a jewel mine.

The game begins with Gold Miner, the hero of Gold Miner, Gold Miner Special Edition, and Gold Miner: Vegas, receiving a bill from the IRS. Seems he forgot to file his taxes, and now his hard-won casino is in jeopardy!

Help Julie, Gold Miner’s niece, raise enough money to save her uncle’s casino by matching jewels in the mines. You’ll have to work fast, though, because the dastardly villains Hansel and Joey Joe Joe are hot on her trail looking to steal her riches for their own.

This game is easy to play but challenging from the first time you sit down. As in most match-three games, the object is to line up three or more jewels in a row, either horizontally or vertically, by swapping two adjacent jewels. However, instead of each swap requiring two clicks, Jewel Miner uses an innovative one-click swapping method. Just hover your mouse over the two pieces you want to swap. They’ll automatically be highlighted, and a single click is all that’s required. If you’re accustomed to the standard two-click swapping method, this new approach requires a few minutes to acclimate, but once you’ve re-trained your fingers, this simple and elegant technique will feel entirely natural.

Jewel Miner allows you to play in either Story mode or Cave-In mode. In story mode you help Julie find jewels in various mines, and try to raise enough money to pay her Uncle’s tax bill. In Cave-In mode it’s simply you against the clock as you match jewels and try to survive as long as you can.

I addition to the many jewels in the mines, there are also power-ups you can earn, such as dynamite, TNT, jackhammers, and extra time, each of which can help you clear levels before the villains steal your treasure. The game features 48 challenging levels, 9 different power-ups, and one amazing woman.

This is an enjoyable game, with charming and light-hearted graphics and sound. It’s not a terribly immersive gaming experience, nor is it a hugely inventive game. But it is fun and addictive, and is definitely worth the download.

More information about Jewel Miner
Download Jewel Miner (9.79MB)