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Best Merge Games with the Least In-App Purchases
Some may compare them to match 3 apps but merge games are an altogether different affair. Ready to explore them? We have picked the best for you!

The assumption that there's nothing new under the sun - especially in the world of gaming - is a false one. While some games may rely on previous achievements, new genres do appear, bringing a breath of fresh air in the process. Merge games are the perfect example - one that seems to be growing in popularity at a fantastic pace.
The basic premise is rather simple but the level of imagination and diversity that can be introduced into the mix makes them potentially infinitely interesting. From basic domino and number ones to fantasy and city-building games - we couldn't have asked for more. Hours upon hours have been spent testing these brilliant apps. We must admit that we've had a bit of trouble selecting only 3 as our favorites.
Table of Contents
So many dragons!
Who doesn't love these adorable, magical (fire breathing) creatures? Living alongside them on a tropical island is a dream come true - especially if it comes in the form of such an engaging game.
Why we chose Dragonscapes Adventure?
- Creative gameplay that will capture your attention and your imagination
- Beautiful graphics with a distinctly retro feel
- Great potential for longevity and literally months of play - with mini-games galore
- The game is free to enjoy, with only small in-app purchases available that are in no way necessary for endless fun
We couldn't possibly be more pleased with this one and will be keeping it as a welcome distraction from the very busy period we're having at work.
Read Dragonscapes Adventure's Full ReviewEven more dragons!
Ok, seriously, we had to include this one too. An immersive story, fun gameplay, and some pretty zany ideas are what this awesome game stands for.
Why we chose Merge Dragons?
- Dragons. Seriously. Dragons are awesome.
- Extremely addictive gameplay that will keep you glued to your portable device until the early hours of the morning
- Less emphasis on the story and more on the actual play which is what many users will enjoy
- Total freedom from ads, even in the free version
The only reason you might want to skip this one is if you have a very strong aversion towards dragons. But, in reality, everyone loves these beautiful flying lizards. Right?
Read Merge Dragons!'s Full ReviewEver entertaining
Few if any games belong purely to one genre. Overlaps, mixtures, and merging (pun intended) do occur - to create new and immersive ways to enjoy your afternoon off.
Why we chose EverMerge?
- An interesting combo of merge and world-building simulation
- Sandbox-style play which promises a lot of fun
- A story tied to old-world fairytales and stories our parents and grandparents grew up with
- Weekly special events that are sure to spice things up
A fine balance between challenging and entertaining makes this game the one to explore and enjoy. As soon as the lengthy tutorial is over - you will have a lot of freedom to build your own magical world.
Read EverMerge's Full ReviewEverything We Recommend
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Our Pick
Dragonscapes Adventure
4.8 Ratings 463K+ Reviews 10M+ DownloadsGo on a tropical adventure to mysterious new islands and discover dragons!
Join your best friend Mia and her crew on their tropical adventure to a remote island! While there, you'll discover and collect new dragons and help build them a home on your island. How many will you find? Let's find out!
Dragonscapes Adventure is a casual energy exploring game where you find and merge dragons to discover new ones. Build a home for yourself on a tropical island and craft various products to fulfill different orders, while joining Mia on her adventures to new islands.
App Notes:
• This app requires an active internet connection to play. Please make sure your device is connected while playing.
• Dragonscapes Adventure is completely free to download and free to play. However, some items in the game may be purchased with real money. If you don't want to use this feature, please disable in-app purchases in your device's settings.CostFreeFreeIn-App Purchases$0.99 - $99.99 per item$0.99 - $19.99 per item -
Runner UpDiscover a magical land of entertainment and mystery in the world of Merge Dragons! where you can combine everything into better and more powerful items for your journey.
In a mystical world hidden among the clouds, the vale of Dragonia flourished. Then evil Zomblins cast a void across the vale. The only hope to heal the land rests in YOUR magical power to MATCH ANYTHING - dragon eggs, trees, treasures, stars, magical flowers, and even mythical creatures.
Match eggs to hatch helpful dragons, then evolve them to discover more powerful dragons! Encounter and solve challenging puzzle levels: match the Gaia statues to win, then bring rewards back to your Camp to collect and grow.
Match even more with daily quests and rewards with Kala. Take part in brand new themes every two weeks with a cool puzzle for you to complete - can you match and collect the brand new dragons, too?
MERGE DRAGONS! FEATURES:
== Match Objects 🍏 ==
• Discover over 500 fantastic objects to match and interact with through 81 challenges!
• Freely drag objects around the beautiful world and match 3 of a kind evolve them into more superior items!
• Match Life Essence and tap it to unleash power to heal the vale!
• Discover the Gaia statues stuck in each level’s cursed land. Match them to solve the puzzle and create life!
== Collect New Dragon Breeds 🐣 ==
• Discover 37 brand new dragon breeds who live in the vale, and evolve them through 8 growth stages for new dragons!
• Match eggs to hatch helpful dragons who will roam the vale and harvest objects for you to use or match.
== Tricky Puzzles 🧩 ==
• Almost 900 quests to challenge your mind!
• Test your puzzle solving skills in more than 180 levels filled with new quests and rewards to help you build your dragon camp!
• Match nearly anything - plants, buildings, coins, treasures, fallen stars, magic objects, mythical creatures, and more! How many combinations can you make from 1600+ objects that come before you?
• Discover hidden levels - can you find them all?
== Camp Building 🏠 ==
• The evil fog has taken ahold of the main camp, fight off the fog and heal the land to restore and take back the dragons’ home!
• Collect dragons eggs, hatch them in the main camp, and earn dragon power to fight off the evil fog.
== Be Social 👭 ==
• Add your friends and gain inspiration from them by visiting their camps and learning their strategies. Gift items and rewards - sharing is caring!
• Unlock the Dens feature to join a Den, and play alongside like-minded defenders of Dragonia! Socialize, chat, share tips and tricks, and help out fellow members of your Den - band together to heal the land!
Download now and discover where Merge Dragons! will take you!
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Optimized for Tablets. May be played without an Internet connection.
Use of this application is governed by Zynga’s Terms of Service, found at www.zynga.com/legal/terms-of-serviceCostFreeFreeIn-App Purchases$0.99 - $99.99 per item$3.99 - $99.99 per item -
Also Groovy
EverMerge: Merge 3 Puzzle
4.6 Ratings 530K+ Reviews 10M+ DownloadsEverMerge is a magical world that gets bigger and better with each discovery. Come play this part merge, part world-building puzzle game, as seen on TV!
EverMerge’s sandbox-style play offers endless possibilities and combinations! Find new mergeable items - and meet classic characters and creatures - as you complete puzzle quests and reveal new lands.
Lift the cursed fog over the lands of EverMerge by matching and combining clusters of identical pieces. Each merge will reveal new discoveries as your land expands around you.
You’ll need a little bit of strategy to progress through this delightfully fun merging game.
Key Features:
IT’S YOUR WORLD, YOUR STRATEGY! Drag, merge, match and organize puzzle pieces the way you want on the wide-open game board.
BECOME THE MERGE MASTER! New items are always appearing, waiting to be matched, merged, combined and built.
BUILD YOUR COLLECTION! Match and merge to build castles, and unlock and collect both classic characters and fantastical creatures.
MINE FOR MORE! Running low on resources? Mine for stone, wood, and more!
MAGICAL TREASURES ARE WAITING! Collect gems, valuable coins, mystical wands and enchanting chests to help expand your own extraordinary world!
MORE TO DISCOVER! Take part in daily matching quests to collect coins and gems or complete delicious puzzle recipes for the characters in order to get rewards.
PLAY SPECIAL EVENTS! Complete unique match puzzles to earn specially themed treats and surprises.
Match hundreds of items, build larger buildings, and make the biggest combinations you can imagine!
You’ll earn treasure chests, mine materials, and harvest new resources as you progress through this fantastical adventure.
There is always something unexpected bursting onto your game board. Bring order to the chaos and match puzzle pieces to make your game world look exactly as you want.
Need help? We’re only a click away! https://www.bigfishgames.com/help/evermerge
Find us!
•Friend Us on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/evermerge
•Double Tap Us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/evermerge/
•Tweet with Us - @EverMerge
•Watch Us - https://www.youtube.com/c/EverMerge
By downloading and using this app, you agree to the Big Fish Terms of Use at http://www.bigfishgames.com/company/terms.html and acknowledge the Privacy Policy at http://www.bigfishgames.com/company/privacy.html.CostFreeFreeIn-App Purchases$0.99 - $199.99 per item$1.99 - $19.99 per item
The 411 from our Appventurer
How we tested?
Fiddling with these colorful apps has been a true joy. The sheer level of positivity they can inject into a gloomy, rainy day (especially here in Wales) is quite a surprise. Since each app came with a rather unique story, we decided to use this as a determining bit of criteria. How engaging it is? What is the level of longevity?
Of course, we couldn't ignore the basic controls and how easy they are to master. After all, you wouldn't want to suffer through an hour-long tutorial. Let's leave that to elaborate PC games. On mobile, we like things to go easily. This, however, doesn't mean that we want our games to be too simple. Oh no - we definitely do enjoy a challenge. The more they make us sweat, the better.
Last but not least, we also tend to pay attention to the prices of in-app purchases - and whether they are actually necessary to make progress or can be avoided altogether.
Why get the app?
Just like with any other game, the main reason you will want to play will be - you've guessed it - fun. The more exciting it is, the better. But the story doesn't end there. Merge games go well beyond the usual ways to kill time and bring with them an immersive experience and surprisingly engaging stories.
Don't believe us? The numbers speak for themselves. According to our latest market research, this category has an average revenue of almost $19,000,000 per month. Fans are definitely flocking to this genre so there must be something to it. Are you curious enough to investigate? You will be able to train your reactions, develop strategic thinking, and have loads of fun doing it.
More About Dragonscapes Adventure: Our Pick
The real world can sometimes be a dreary place. Loads of work, noisy (and nosy) neighbors, and bad weather can all come crashing down on you - leaving you longing for sunnier shores. While the holiday may be far off - especially since the pandemic is not over yet - there is a different route to a tropical island we can offer. We're talking about a magical adventure on which you will discover dragons - and so much more.
In Dragonscapes Adventure, your mission is to help these magical creatures build a home. Don't worry - it's easy - and very enjoyable. There's no need to sign in or do anything of the sort. Your privacy will not be jeopardized at any point and the game will never try to intrude into your Facebook account. Instead, you will be able to start immediately - dive right into the world of magic. We must say we are always pleasantly surprised when we run into such a game.
Your job is to join Mia and her crew on a tropical island, discover its magic, take on quests, and pursue an adventure. You can merge different objects to create dragons - and merge the creatures themselves to make even more elaborate dragons. Some may call this genetic engineering but we would not be so grim. The app is, after all, very cheerful, fun, and borderline magical.
It's not just the exploration and the merging that will constitute the play. Mini-games abound and you will find yourself amused and entertained in many different ways. The isometric perspective on the core map will perhaps strike some users as a bit too retro but beautiful graphics will compensate for this old-fashioned approach. The tried and tested method simply does not fail.
On top of that, the game is perfectly free to play. Only minor ad-ons and bonuses require a bit of an investment but this is something you may as well ignore. There is no need to spend a single penny to enjoy this gaming masterpiece - and you won't see a single ad either way. This level of unobtrusiveness is something that is rarely seen in the mobile gaming world and we cannot help but admit that this was, to a great extent, the deciding factor. Dragonscapes Adventure is our winner - through and through.
Snags but not drags:
Picking flaws in such an immensely fun, gorgeous game seems like an impossible task. If there is one thing we could single out, it would be the fact that you will need to be connected to the internet in order to play the game. Scores, updates, and help from friends will all come through this route, making it borderline impossible to progress without a connection. For many, this will be perfectly acceptable but, for those who love camping and going off the grid, it could pose a challenge.
Beyond that, it's really impossible to find any major flaw. Perhaps we'd wish for more levels, more updates - preferably five times per day - so we can keep playing for hours on end. Such unreasonable demands on our part aside, we really have nothing to complain about.
More About Merge Dragons!: Runner Up
"Oh, more dragons, is it?", I can almost hear you whisper. Yes, more dragons - not because any of us at AppGrooves have an obsession but because, by some random coincidence, the two best games in the category contain them. We wanted to introduce more diversity, we tried to cover different scenarios but - in the face of Dragonscape Adventure and Merge Dragons! - we failed miserably. So - dragons it is.
Much like all the other games on the list, in this one, your goal is to combine everything you may encounter on the map into better and more powerful items for your journey. Unlike our winner, this one, however, doesn't rely so much on exploration. Instead, in good old Zynga fashion, things are very much centered around the core playing mechanism. The story is there - very engaging, even! - but what will glue you to your screen will be the addictive nature of the gameplay itself.
Merging is predictable enough at first, with matching three objects of the same kind to create something more useful to you. As the game progresses, more and more unusual combos will enter the picture, until some of the ideas start sounding a tad crazy. And we love this! What's better than a bit of weirdness?
From the point of view of genre, Merge Dragons! actually sits somewhere between merge and match 3 games. Your task is to collect the Gaia statues, stuck in each level's cursed land. In the process, you will also collect and create new dragon breeds - and have tons of fun.
This is after all a Zynga game and we have grown accustomed to expect only the best of the best from them. Fortunately, after so many years in the business, they are still able to deliver. From the detailed tutorial to very pretty graphics, this one is definitely a great app.
The only reason the app has not snatched the top spot on our list is the fact that, for some reason, the whole thing somehow seems smaller than Dragonscapes Adventure. Sure, you will still get a good few weeks out of it but - will it last any longer than that? It's just a question of longevity, really - one that is particularly important if you find yourself falling in love with this game. We are definitely smitten and couldn't recommend it more - especially since we didn't notice any ads and the in-app purchases were not required. A 9.9/10, as far as we are concerned.
More About EverMerge: Also Groovy
Famous companies have a lot to live up to. After a couple of hits, we grow to expect a certain level of quality from them. Take Zynga (the creator of our runner-up) as an example. They simply cannot allow themselves to flounder. The same applies to Big Fish Games. With quite a bit of experience under their belt, this is a team behind the classics such as Fairway Solitaire HD and Mystery Case Files. In ideal circumstances, they should be trusted to deliver. And deliver they did!
EverMerge is a truly unique game. Our winner brings in an element of adventure, our runner-up whisks in some match 3, but the third app on the list goes all the way and brings in more than a few elements of world-building simulations. It's definitely an interesting twist - a big risk too! - and one that has definitely paid off. This sort of diversity does, after all, make testing a pure joy.
In EverMerge, your mission is to lift the cursed fog that has spread over the lands. This you can achieve with the help of several fairytale characters such as Sleeping Beauty and the Puss in Boots. Simply merge different objects, explore the map, and, in true sandbox-style, have pretty much endless hours of fun.
Over time, you should be able to go beyond simply creating tools and into building larger structures, and taking your adventure in a whole new direction. This is where the sim element will shine the brightest and your ability to organize and delegate tasks within your little eco-system will make a huge difference.
The element of surprise is always present and you will never know what sort of magical thing will appear on the map next. In addition, you can also enjoy special events which occur every week and are a nice bonus to the overall gameplay. They definitely make the whole thing more diverse and fun.
Purchasing items is possible but not crucial to your progress. We are lucky enough that all of our top 3 can be enjoyed without spending a dime. Perhaps the only flaw of EverMerge we can possibly think of is the excruciatingly long tutorial you will have to deal with at the very beginning of the game. Some users will appreciate it, so this is perhaps only the aversion that yours truly has for this sort of thing. Still, overall, EverMerge is about as fun as it can be. You won't be disappointed.
Other Apps Considered
This wonderful little game gives you an opportunity to merge the widest variety of creatures and objects in order to create even more powerful items for your journey. Overall, the gameplay is exciting enough but there is one technical aspect of it that we are not fully satisfied with. Instead of storing all your progress on your Google Play account, the app hooks onto your Facebook profile. This, in our experience, is a sure way to lose all of your in-game data - if only the slightest thing goes wrong with your phone.
Your main task is to organize and perform a full home makeover. This you can achieve by merging, connecting, and putting zany and quirky objects to good use. The gameplay is comfortable, deliberately low-key - and very slow-paced. Perhaps too slow for our taste, if we are to be perfectly honest. We would definitely wish for a stronger dose of excitement but this app somehow manages to push things so far in the other direction, it almost falls into the "idle" genre.
Merge and match creatures, tools, and objects to bring an ancient garden back to its former glory. This truly is a beautiful game that manages to be the exact opposite of Merge Mansion. A tad too difficult, a bit too stringy with the rewards, it often makes progress next to impossible. We constantly felt nudged in the direction of purchasing bonus points - and everyone who is following us on AppGrooves will know that we are not very keen on that sort of situation. Not at all.
If you have ever wanted to study and understand the evolution from eggs into fantastic fantasy dragons - this will be your game. However, bear in mind that it can sometimes be a bit taxing on the phone memory. With a multitude of special effects, it hogs up your device's RAM like crazy. An average smartphone may begin to sweat and grunt under the pressure. The whole thing probably works a lot better on a device that is not two years old so - either buy a new one - or skip this game altogether.
What we said of Merge Magic! also applies to Merge World Above. The game gets connected to your Facebook account which is a situation that can make things rather tricky. If you just want to have a bit of fun, this will be fine, but if you are very particular about saving your progress, you will want to look for a different app. Other than that, the game is truly divine but this one issue is a deal-breaker for us. In fact, all of the games on this list are pretty great, we just have to be very selective in order to come up with a top 3, instead of a top 13.
Stefan Racic
My phone tends to be filled to the brim with apps I am either trying on for size of using on a regular basis. I use them for a variety of tasks, including sketching and creating art, keeping in touch with friends, being up to date with the latest news, learning about diverse spiritual practices and, of course, playing games!
With over 10 years of experience as a translator and writer, I channel my creativity into writing about things I enjoy. My education in business (I hold a bachelor's degree in operations management) is but one part of expertise. I have worked for art magazines, spiritual blogs, news and business sites, and now I explore the fascinating world of apps.
My previous work is as diverse as my interests. Fresh out of college, I was employed as a translator and interpreter at the fringes of the corporate world and the NGO sector. After switching to writing, I first focused on business news, then shifted to working for a series of art magazines (WideWalls perhaps being the most well known), and even wrote content for a couple of spirituality-focused apps for Labyrinthos Academy. Little did I know that I would eventually devote a good chunk of my time to writing about all sorts of interesting new apps out there.
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HiTek
Just one thing that I would add to this conversation is each game's method of saving your progress because ofvwhat is currently happening with me at the time of this writing. I have been playing Merge Dragons for years and have a score of over 345 million. Merge Dragons uses Facebook to keep your progress in the cloud and that is where I ran into a problem. Something happened that the tech support at Merge Dragons cannot figure out or correct and now I can only save to my device. If something happens, all of my progress will be gone because of the Facebook storage issue. I say all of this to say that after I got tired of tech support telling me to do the same useless things over and over, I decided to look to another game and started playing EverMerge. All you do is sign up with your email and password without having to deal with Facebook or Google, for that matter.
Jenny
Thank you so much! I just had the same problem with another game (Merge County). Lost everything because of issues with Facebook. Even though I had all my account numbers and info, Microfun would not (or could not) help me. I wanted to find a replacement and it's good to hear that EverMerge is better on this score.
Mathilde
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