M&M’s Adventure Beginner’s Guide: Tips, Tricks & Strategies to Complete More Levels and Unlock Everything

They’re small, crunchy, chocolatey and sweet. They melt in your mouth and not in your hand. They’re M&M’s.

From their use in WWII as soldier rations to becoming a household name, they’re undoubtedly the favorite candies of a lot of people. What’s not to like about them? The best part about these is that anyone can eat them. There are flavors for everyone, but these tiny candies are most well-known to be sugar-shelled chocolate sweets, occasionally having a single peanut in the middle of every piece. Apart from being a world-famous brand of candy, the company that owns them went on to produce their own spinoff media and that includes video games.

M&M’s appeared in a few video games here and there. Most of them are releases for consoles and the most recent one happens to be a mobile puzzle game. This title in particular has a mix of match-3 elements and physics, where the M&M’s mascots are routinely separated in their adventures together.

They travel from America to Europe and even some places in Asia all the while dodging hungry strangers who want to eat them up. It’s a zany journey around the world with sights to see and problems to solve. Most importantly, they need to work as a team in order to get around in one piece. Can Red, Yellow, Green, Blue, Orange, and Brown stick together in M&M’s Adventure?

While we have stated that this game has match-3 elements, matching the candies in M&M’s Adventure involves a simple tap but this is where the physics come in. The candies pour into the playboard and flood it, often changing your plans altogether.

What makes M&M’s Adventure an even more special kind of puzzle game is that it makes you hungry for M&M’s has contraptions and special pieces almost every level and this is enough to make you go crazy if you miss a move! Did you miss a star or two when the level ended? Too bad! You can’t come back, and we’re not exaggerating (completionists beware)!

Is it your first time getting lost with our colorful candy cadre? Are you looking to minimize your loss of stars and finish each level flawlessly? If you said yes to any of these, then read our M&M’s Adventure guide for beginners down below!

1. Be Observant

As it is with many match-3 games, observation plays a big factor. Too much observation could lead to overthinking while the lack thereof may cause you to miss important moves or details. In M&M’s Adventure, observation plays an extremely important role.

How M&M’s Adventure plays is slightly different in that there are a lot of physics involved. If you aren’t careful, your decisions could easily change in the blink of an eye. For instance, a stage with a windmill in the middle will have your M&M’s constantly being shuffled across the board. Keeping up with potential matches will take lots of patience.

The key to completing a level isn’t how fast you can do it but how many M&M’s you can match together. The stars that you get at the end of each level depend on how many candies you matched during the round and not on how many moves you have left. Maximizing your movements to get the most M&M’s is one thing whereas just spending your moves to get the candies in a position you’d want is another. In some cases, observation and timing work hand-in-hand.

Other than the aforementioned windmill level, there are plenty of levels that involve ropes, locked passages, and more. These also play their part in the physics-based aspect of the game, so be alert and see when you should make your move.

That said, how do you know which moves are good ones and which ones aren’t? Well…

M&M’s TRIVIA: M&M’s were initially a part of an American soldier’s rations in WWII. They were exclusive to the military and it took a couple of years before they were available for civilian consumption.

2. Don’t Waste Moves on 2s or 3s Unless Necessary

Most puzzle games nowadays consider 3 pieces next to each other a normal match and in this game, 3 pieces or 2 are just as ineffective.

Having a few M&M’s touch each other means you’ll be able to match them, but in almost every puzzle, you have these three factors to keep an eye on:

• Turns
• Objectives
• Space

Naturally, turns determine how much longer you have before you lose the puzzle. Objectives are what you need to catch to win. Lastly, space is what you need to keep your options changing. The more space you have, the more chances there are of you being able to get your objectives done within the next few turns. The caveat here for taking out 2s or 3s is if Piñatas are involved and if you want to fuse them.

That said, it’s better to clear your board by picking out groups of 4 or more. Not only will you get more space as you do this, but you will get more Piñatas as you do this. The best part of all this? You get even more Piñatas thanks to your M&M character’s combo meter.

But maybe you might be thinking: M&M’s character? Combo meter? Piñatas? Don’t worry. We’ll fill you in one subject at a time.

M&M’s TRIVIA: These candies and anything made under the Mars company were made to be easily identifiable without their wrappers. This is why each M&M has an “m” printed at the very center.

3. Fill the M&M’s Combo Meter

In most mobile puzzle games, matching multiple pieces in succession tells you that you might’ve made a combo. In some games, it’s rewarding and in this one, it helps you win.

On the upper right portion of the screen, you will see a portrait of your chosen M&M’s character. Circling them is a meter that fills every time you make a match. This is their combo meter. What it does is that, once filled, the M&M’s character will throw you a Piñata that will randomly appear on your board somewhere. This Piñata will occasionally defy the physics of the game as it may land in the M&M’s. If you’re extremely lucky, this could really save your game.

Take for instance having your board full of mismatched candies. A Piñata dropped there (with luck, of course), could help bring the candies down and open up more possibilities for you to keep matching. Of course, this will only happen after you fill the combo meter. However, keep in mind that using a Piñata will also help increase the combo meter.

All this talk about Piñatas and we haven’t addressed them yet, huh? Let’s take a closer look at them.

M&M’s TRIVIA: There used to be a purple-colored set of M&M’s! They were eventually swapped out for tan. After that, the company decided to ask its customers which next color they would want to see in the mix and majority voted for blue.

4. Piñatas Make You Win When Used Well

Piñatas are usually the symbol of a party happening. Inside every Piñata is a collection of candy for everyone to enjoy, but that’s why it has to be broken open first! Aren’t you wondering why Piñatas show up in an M&M’s game? Well, to put it lightly, it’s party time.

That’s right, every time a Piñata appears (which happens when you match 4 M&M’s or more), it’s time to get partying. The Piñatas explode and collect any M&M caught in the blast! This doesn’t mean that you should recklessly blow up every single Piñata on your board if you can help it. Sometimes, a wrongly placed (or exploded) Piñata could even ruin your board! The Piñatas also come in an assortment of colors.

Below is a list of the various Piñatas you can encounter in any game:

• Yellow Piñata – The most accurate Piñata… albeit sometimes too accurate. It can be used to precisely take out layers of M&M’s in a horizontal line.

• Blue Piñata – An upgraded Piñata gained when two Yellow Piñatas touch. This one collects M&M’s in a cross-shaped blast.

• Purple Piñata – A wild and highly explosive Piñata created when two Blue Piñatas touch. The Purple Piñata, unlike the two other Piñatas, explodes twice. The radii of both explosions are circular as opposed to the other two being in straight lines.

Note how we mentioned that matching M&M’s in groups of 4 or more forms Piñatas. Related to item number 2 on this list, this is the biggest reason why you shouldn’t waste your moves on 2s or 3s. Additionally, matching M&M’s in groups much greater than 4 will result in bigger Piñatas. A small Piñata is fine, but the Piñata’s size is relative to the size of its explosion. In short, the bigger the Piñata, the bigger the explosion!

On top of all that, Piñatas also come from your chosen M&M’s character as we’ve mentioned earlier.

M&M’s TRIVIA: Forrest Mars was such a quality nut that he would sometimes call sales associates during ungodly hours if he saw that a single piece of M&M’s candy had its “m” improperly printed or printed off center. This would mean that the entire batch would be recalled. Henceforth, M&M’s are known not to bear any imperfections.

5. Pick the Right M&M Character for the Job

What are these delicious chocolate candies without their colorful and funny mascots?

We’ve seen them in commercials — Red and Yellow in adventures everywhere, like the cinema where a Red witnessed a man eat M&M’s, Yellow talking to fans (the ones that blow air in your face, not the people), Red playing on the piano doing a parody of the late Meatloaf’s I’d Do Anything for Love, and many more.

Apart from the other M&M’s who make appearances in other commercials, it’s mostly just Red and Yellow. There were some commercials where Ms. Green or Orange appear, Blue shows up being suave as usual, and Ms. Brown being her usual self… until the likes of Red steal her thunder, of course.

Commercials and M&M’s lore aside (we don’t know how deep the rabbit hole goes, but you’re free to explore that), each M&M’s character actually has a special skill. They all summon Piñatas, but they provide different colors at different speeds.

• Red

The de-facto leader of the group, Red likes to show off and isn’t afraid of taking risks. He throws small Yellow Piñatas and his skill gauge fills up quickly.

• Yellow

While not as bright as his peers, Yellow is the cheerful member of the group. After filling his skill gauge, he throws small Blue Piñatas. His gauge fills quickly.

• Blue

The cool and suave piece with a knack for style, Blue likes to look good all the time. He throws large Yellow Piñatas with a skill gauge that fills slowly.

• Ms. Green

Playful and often flirtatious, Ms. Green knows her charms well. She throws large Blue Piñatas and has a skill gauge that is slow to fill.

• Orange

Orange is usually seen as panicky and paranoid. While he isn’t running from anything he deems a threat, he is picked on by his friends. He throws small Purple Piñatas that are accompanied by a quickly-filled skill gauge.

• Ms. Brown

While some would see her as a intelligent prude, Ms. Brown’s straightforwardness is actually what makes her stand out. She throws Purple Piñatas and has a skill gauge that fills slowly.

As you can see, each of them suits different situations. For instance, in some levels where you need to blast special pieces below, you may need Yellow or Ms. Green. If the board needs a quick clearing, you might need Orange or Ms. Brown. Does the level have pieces you need to collect on the sides? How about Red or Blue? It all depends on the design of the level. Unfortunately, the game does not provide you with an explanation on what the level looks like.

The best course of action here is to play through the level. If you happen to power through this level and the next ones, you should be fine with who you have. The moment you get stuck (and believe us, you will), you may have to swap your character out for another. This is completely necessary but it costs you your lives.

As far as lives go, you usually start with a maximum of 5. Losing a life isn’t permanent — you regain these after a couple of minutes or so. Don’t worry about them, what matters is you continuously experiment on who you need to use next. This normally happens if physics or the special pieces defeat you.

The special pieces can be nuisances and some of them can be helpful. Let’s discuss how they behave so you can approach a level better.

M&M’s TRIVIA: Since their manufacturing, each M&M color had a superstition. These rumors were started by the consumers themselves (e.g. red makes your wishes come true, orange is good luck, brown is bad luck, etc.). Most infamously in the 1970s, a rumor spread that the green ones in particular were aphrodisiacs. Eventually, Mars caught on and capitalized on the rumor by creating Ms. Green — an M&M girl with come-hither eyes and a flirtatious demeanor.

6. Keep in Mind the Behaviors of Special Pieces

As it is in most puzzle or match-3 games, M&M’s Adventure has its fair share of odd pieces here and there.

Special pieces in any of these types of games are present to throw players off or keep them on their toes. In Puzzle Quest 3, there are the likes of Rage Gems. In Matchland, there are slimed or chained pieces. In Puzzle Combat, there are grenades and multiple bullet tiles. All of these appear as you play through a round but the pieces in M&M’s Adventure are slightly different.

While these different pieces affect the whole board, they often appear at the beginning of the round. They are also sometimes objective items that you need to clear. Taking them out or collecting them will ensure that you clear the level. Take too little of them, however, and you’re not going anywhere, so it’s quite important to understand and keep in mind how these special pieces work. Doing so will also help you focus.

Below are some (if not all) of the special pieces that show up, barring the ones from events:

• Peanut Butter – These jars have to touch the candy-striped floor to be collected. They cannot be blasted with Piñatas or Popcorn or be broken.

• Ice Blocks – Ice Blocks can be broken or collected by matching M&M’s that touch them. They may also be blasted with Piñatas or nearby Popcorn bags.

• Popcorn – Popcorn bags explode in a small blast radius when matched with M&M’s. Blasting them with Piñatas also works.

• Crates – Crates cannot be taken out by being matched with M&M’s. They, instead, can only be destroyed by being blasted with Piñatas or nearby Popcorn.

• Chocolate Bars – Unlike most of the objects on this list, Chocolate Bars are a part of the background. They only get collected by M&M’s in front of them or by being blasted with Piñatas. Popcorn blasts work, too.

• Peanuts – Possibly the most annoying special piece of the group. Peanuts require 2 matches or 2 blasts to be collected. They can be matched by M&M’s that touch them or blasted by both Piñatas and Popcorn.

• Paint – An unpredictable piece. Paint can only be matched by M&M’s that they are touching. They may also be blasted by both Popcorn and Piñatas. The tricky part happens after they get matched — paint will fly out and randomly color a group of M&M’s with the color it had (e.g. Red paint will randomly color a small number of M&M’s present on your board).

• Water Balloons – Just like Paint, Water Balloons come with colors that should match the M&M’s they touch. They can only be matched with M&M’s of the same color. Otherwise, blasting them with Piñatas or Popcorn is a viable option.

Some of these pieces may show up in different levels and sometimes all of them can be in the same level. The key here is to bring the right M&M for the job, referencing the previous item. For instance, most levels with Peanuts may require you to blast them with Purple Piñatas since they explode twice, but not all of them work that way, so we once again stress the importance of experimentation.

If you aren’t sure of how the special pieces can be collected, try tapping them to see how you can remove them from the board!

If none of the levels seem to go your way, it’s time to use your secret weapons.

M&M’s TRIVIA: M&M’s used to come in cardboard tubes with lids. You pop open the lid and pour some on your hand.

7. Use Boosters Only When You Need Them

Booster items are integral to any puzzle game.

They can range from increasing the number of turns the player has, completely re-arranging the board, strengthening heroes if the puzzle game hybrids into a hero collector, and many others like these. They help give the player options to strategy and they may even provide that one opening that the player needs to win a level. The boosters in M&M’s Adventure, while limited, are all quite helpful if used right.

There are Piñata Boosters which you can use before a stage. These boosters specifically spawn a Piñata of your choice. The use of a Piñata Booster may help in particularly difficult levels if you find yourself stuck. Conversely, you can use these to help you get out of easy levels more quickly, but we would rather you save these for the hard ones.

In-level, however, you have three different boosters that, when used, do not count as a move:

• Hammer Booster – This booster allows you to destroy any object of your choice. Quite helpful if you have one move left but can’t blast that one crate because you have no Piñatas present. You can also use this to take out that one M&M separating two Piñatas from fusing.

• Candy Ball Booster – Is your board a little congested? Try chucking this into the M&M’s clump. It should help loosen things up a little.

• Fan Booster – The Fan Booster helps re-shuffle the colors so that you can get a chance to find better matches. This will come in handy when you’d like more Piñatas on your board.

Don’t spam these boosters, however. Apart from the Piñata spawns, the in-level ones are quite hard to come by. Save them for when you really need them.

If the main game is bogging you down, why not try the Events for a change of pace?

M&M’s TRIVIA: The two M initials that named the candy stand for the surnames of their creators — Forrest Mars and Bruce Murrie. Mars and Murrie. M&M’s. Now you know!

8. Play Events for a Different Pace

After running through some levels of the main game, you’d probably feel exhausted trying to wrack your brains around the strategy to beating the next level. How about going on a quick “vacation”?

Most games these days have Events. Events have freebies and exclusive rewards that are given to players that participate in them. Given the temporary nature of Events, they come and go, but the developers of the game at least try to make it memorable to the players. To commemorate some Events, players are given special items that signify that they were there. Other than participating in these Events that come once in a while, they are also designed to give the player a break from the main game.

This change of pace helps the player reconstitute their thoughts and think outside of the box, usually because the Events come with their own rules. In this game, however, sometimes the M&M’s produce Fireworks instead of Piñatas when their combo gauge fills. The Fireworks destroy two random items on the board when activated. Playing here instead of the main game (for a time, of course) will open up your mind to new strategies. Additionally, your brain will be more refreshed when you return to the main game.

But when skill and strategy fail, what do you do now?

M&M’s TRIVIA: The red M&M nearly disappeared for a decade once because there was a rumor that Red Dye #2 contained carcinogens.

9. Ads Are Good

We all live in the digital age where advertisements are everywhere.

You see them on social media, before you watch a video, in this very website where you are reading this guide — heck, this game in itself is one huge advertisement. The sad reality of it all is that advertisements are nigh inescapable. In-game, advertisements present themselves as offers to help you keep going.

When you fail, the game will offer you first 5 extra moves with premium currency or 3 extra moves after watching an ad. You might as well take this opportunity to try finishing the level if you can fit the solution all in 3 moves. This chance refreshes every time you exit and re-enter the game. Otherwise, ads also appear as a reward doubler so you can have extra boosters and collectibles.

Just remember that your success in this game isn’t entirely defined by how easily you solve the puzzles — it’s actually by how tenacious you can be.

M&M’s TRIVIA: In 2012, Google had jars with a bottomless supply of M&M’s in their offices. Bottomless because they would be refilled every now and then. The rapid consumption of these jars worried the management, so they replaced the jars with fruit and other healthier snacks. The jars of M&M’s remained in the offices, however; they’re just hidden within the office premises.

10. Don’t Give Up

Whenever a game signals your defeat, sometimes you’ll feel discouraged to carry on at all. But we’re here to tell you why you shouldn’t give up.

Your wit will be sharper as you get through later levels. Every time you see a different setup of M&M’s on the board, you will know exactly what to do with them. Aside from that, taking a break from the game should help give you fresher thoughts when you come back. Think of it as reeling from an injury — you’re broken now, but you will come back stronger.

Games are like an allegory to life. You will face that one level that’ll stump you and maybe that one boss monster you have yet to overcome, but with enough preparation, you’ll get through. Look ahead no matter what.

M&M’s TRIVIA: Every day, at least over 400 million M&M’s are produced worldwide. That’s a lot of M&M’s!

While it’s a seemingly simple puzzle game on the outside, M&M’s Adventure has a couple of points that you should always remember as you play:

• Observation is your friend — be careful of mis-tapping!
• As much as possible, don’t waste your moves on 2 or 3 pieces of M&M’s.
• Filling your M&M’s combo meter will spawn Piñatas.
• Piñatas are powerful and very helpful, but don’t blow them up when you don’t mean to!
• Each M&M character behaves differently, so pick the right one for the job.
• Observe how the special pieces on the board behave. They can help you strategize.
• Use your boosters only when you absolutely need them.
• Events help you take breaks from the main game.
• Advertisements are helpful. Consider using them to your advantage!
• Never, ever, ever, ever give up!

That’s a wrap, folks! That was a beginner’s guide to M&M’s Adventure. Match them up, blow them up, have fun!

Did we miss anything important? Do you have a better set of tips for other players? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below!