Bejeweled Twist (TM) Gameplay Instructions GOAL The goal of Bejeweled Twist is to score as many points as possible by matching gems before succumbing to a Bomb Gem. BASICS Bejeweled Twist is played on a board containing an 8 x 8 grid of gems. Surrounding your cursor is the Gem Rotator, a silver ring that encloses a 2 x 2 square of gems. Clicking the mouse button twists the gems in the Rotator one clockwise step. When three or more gems of the same color make a line, they disappear. The gems above them fall to fill the spaces of the vanished gems, and more gems fall in from the top of the board to fill the grid. To the left of the gem board is the Tube. As you make matches, the Tube fills up. Filling the Tube warps you to the next level with a new grid of gems. CONTROLS The controls for Bejeweled Twist are simple: move the Rotator around the board with your mouse cursor. Click the left mouse button to twist the gems in the Rotator one clockwise step. GEMS There are seven different types of gem: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, white and violet. All gems match and score identically. CASCADES When gems are matched, they vanish, causing the gems above them to fall and take their places. If those gems also make matches, they too will vanish, creating a cascade of matches. LEVELUP TUBE To the left of the gem board is the Levelup Tube. As you match gems, the tube fills up with glowing energy. When the Tube is full you warp to the next level and a new grid of gems. The segmented meter at the top of the Tube shows your current Score Multiplier. The white number just below the Score Multiplier shows your current score. The yellow number on the rising ring that encircles the Tube shows your current level. The four gem icons which appear near the bottom of the Tube after the first level show the current Bonus Challenge sequence. CHAINS & SCORE MULTIPLIER While you are always able to make non-matching twists, each consecutive matching twist adds to a chain. As the chain grows longer, the chain meter at the top of the Tube fills up. Each time you fill the meter, the Score Multiplier increments upwards, multiplying all your points. A non-matching twist breaks the chain and empties the meter to the bottom of the current Multiplier. Another non-matching twist reduces the Multiplier by one. Thus, excessive non-matching twists can rapidly deplete the Score Multiplier. On the other hand, once a new Multiplier level has been attained, it is possible to alternate match/non-match twists to stay at the same Multiplier level. When the Score Multiplier is at 10x, filling the chain meter no longer increases your Multiplier. However, extending the chain will fill the chain meter up with pulsing rainbow lights. If you fill this rainbow chain meter, your Score Multiplier will not increase, but a bolt of energy will fly out from the Tube and convert one of your Locked or Bomb Gems into a Fruit Gem. FLAME GEMS AND LIGHTNING GEMS Matching four gems in a row, or using the same gem to match two sets of three in an L, T or plus sign shape, combines the gems into a powerful Flame Gem. When a Flame Gem is matched, it explodes and destroys itself plus the eight gems surrounding it. Matching five gems in a row combines the gems into a super-powerful Lightning Gem. When a Lightning Gem is matched, it sends bolts of energy up, down, left and right, destroying all the gems in its row and column. If you complete a level with Flame or Lightning Gems still on the board, they will accompany you to the next level. COALS Coals are inert rocks that cannot be matched. However, they can be destroyed with Flame Gems or Lightning Gems, releasing valuable geodes inside. LOCKED GEMS Every so often a small swinging padlock icon will appear on a gem. If this gem is not matched, it will become a Locked Gem on the next turn. Locked Gems cannot be twisted. However, they can be matched like any other gem, or destroyed by Flame or Lightning Gems. BOMB GEMS Starting at level 2, Bomb Gems will begin to appear. Bomb Gems have dull metallic outer casings and a large number on the front. The number counts down every time you twist, regardless of whether you make a match or not. If the number counts down to zero, a warning klaxon will sound and you will be given an opportunity to disarm the bomb. Bomb Gems can be twisted and matched like any other gem, or destroyed by Flame or Lightning Gems. Locked Gems are destroyed at the end of each level. DISARM SPINNER When a Bomb Gem counts down to zero, a klaxon sounds, the screen zooms in to the Bomb Gem, and the Disarm Spinner activates. There are eight gems on the spinner, two of which will change to skull symbols. The spinner then spins, and the player may click the stop button to stop the spinner. If the spinner stops on the skull icons, the game is over. If the spinner stops on a pair of gems, the game continues. You will then be returned to the gem board and six twists will be added to any other Bomb Gems on the board. Each time a Bomb Gem counts down to zero, the Disarm Spinner is activated with another two gems replaced with skull icons. This means that the first time you encounter the Disarm Spinner, you have a 3-in-4 chance of continuing your game; the second time a 2-in-4 chance; and the third time a 1-in-4 chance. After three Bomb Gems have counted down and activated the Disarm Spinner, any additional use of the Disarm Spinner will give you a 1-in-4 chance of continuing your game. FRUIT GEMS Fruit Gems are created by maxing out the Score Multiplier (filling the chain meter twice at a 10x Multiplier). When a Fruit Gem is matched, it emits a pulse of energy that explodes all gems of the same color and adds 10 twists to any Bomb Gems on the board. It also activates the Mega Fruit Bonus (see "Bonus Challenge"). BONUS CHALLENGE Starting with level 2, the bottom of the Tube opens up and reveals the Bonus Challenge. The Bonus Challenge section shows four gem types. Matching those types in sequence activates the Bonus, which greatly boosts your Score Multiplier. Matching a Fruit Gem activates the Mega Fruit Bonus. The Mega Fruit Bonus works the same way as a regular bonus, but you are rewarded with more points, a greater Multiplier boost and a spectacular Fruit dance. RANKS As you complete levels in Classic or Zen modes, challenges in Challenge mode or games in Blitz mode, you earn stars. Stars fill up your Rank Bar in between levels, and when the Rank Bar is full, you earn a new Rank. REPLAYS After a particularly good move, the Instant Replay button may appear at the bottom of the gem board. Click this button to watch your sweet move again and again. When you're finished watching your replay, make another twist to dispel the Replay button. GAME MODES In addition to Classic Mode, Bejeweled Twist may be played in Zen Mode (endless play with no Bomb or Locked Gems), Blitz Mode (a five-minute timed version of Classic) and Challenge Mode (a series of tricky Twist puzzles).