Emoji link : the smile game

Emoji link : the smile game swaps the usual mahjong symbols for smileys and other emoticons. Every tile on the board is an emoji, and each one has a twin somewhere else on it. Pick two that match and, provided they can be joined by a path of fewer than three straight lines, both leave the board.

There is a clock on every level. Clear all of the faces before it runs out and you move on, and the next board brings a fresh set of emoticons to pair up. The developer says each level gets a bit harder than the one before, though it does not explain what changes. That is the extent of it: a connect-pairs puzzle with a timer and a cast of familiar emoji in place of the traditional tile pictures.

Tap an emoji tile to select it, then tap another tile showing the same emoji. If the two can be linked with fewer than three straight lines, they vanish together. Keep pairing until the board is empty. Manage that before the time limit expires and the level counts as won, after which the next one opens with new smileys.

The line limit is the rule to keep in mind. Two identical emoji are not enough on their own; they also have to be joinable in fewer than three straight lines. With a clock on every level, take pairs that sit side by side or in a clear straight row first, then come back to the awkward ones.

A pair-matching connect puzzle with emoji tiles, played in a portrait frame. It is level-based and timed, and tiles are selected by tapping. How many levels there are is not stated.

Animal Connection uses a similar linking rule with animal pictures and spells out a limit of two corners. Onet Rings drops the timer altogether and has you link identical rings with up to three straight lines.