Asynchronous multiplayer puzzling in Zynga's Gems With Friends

Gems With Friends is the sixth incarnation of the “With Friends” franchise, and another attempt by Zynga to emulate the worldwide phenomenon that was Words With Friends. Like its immediate predecessor Matching With Friends, Gems With Friends is an original asynchronous puzzle title rather than the non copyright-infringing adaptations of popular board and parlor games we saw in Words, Hanging and Scramble With Friends.

The name Gems With Friends may involuntarily bring to mind images of PopCap’s Bejeweled Blitz, but in fact the game is closer in execution to a competitive variant on Spry Fox’s Triple Town — Zynga was beaten to the punch on the concept of “asynchronous Bejeweled Blitz” by Scopely’s Jewels With Buddies from earlier in the summer.

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