# Matchstick Memories — A meta text adventure

> Meta text adventure with puzzle-solving and narrative progression. (iPhone/iPad app by CH Buckingham.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/matchstick-memories/id912230789 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [CH Buckingham](https://appshunter.io/developer/722630787)
- Category: Games, Role Playing, Word
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 3.92/5 from 37 App Store ratings · 57 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 12+
- Requires: iOS 8.0 · 8 MB
- Languages: English
- Released: 2014-09-03
- Data updated: 2026-07-01
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/matchstick-memories/id912230789/reviews.md

## What is Matchstick Memories?

- "If you enjoyed A Dark Room, this game is absolutely for you." -PocketTactics.com
- "an existential journey" -Gamezebo.com
- "a great example of what can be done with the match three and puzzle genres if developers think outside of the box" -MacNN.com
- "surprisingly compelling and tactile gameplay" -JayIsGames.com
- "a refreshing departure from the typical mobile puzzle game" -Continue-Play.com

 - 

You are meant to be confused. The story begins as a sparse linear narrative, but as you become familiar with the world, and as the story progresses, puzzles become more complex and entire chapters eventually become meta-puzzles that must be completed in order to move forward, but even then, this story is as much about the journey as the struggle.

Features:
- The world dynamically adjusts the difficulty of puzzle types over time.
- The Failsafe System, which can be disabled via the pause menu, changes the puzzle type if the player appears to be unable to progress.
- 10 hours of crafted story and 12 procedural endless modes.

A hybrid of a classic streamlined 'Zork-like' text adventure and color based puzzle match games and minesweeper.

You navigate a world of memories, making decisions and solving puzzles as a confusing, complex, cryptic, and at times dark story unfolds in the text based world around you.

A unique iPhone, iPad (supports both portrait and landscape), or iPod color match / interactive fiction app. The first half of the story is free, the second half of the story requires a single In-App-Purchase to permanently unlock. This is the only IAP in the game.

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   twitter: @heavyhandedgame

## Key features

- Dynamic puzzle difficulty adjustment
- Failsafe system for progression
- Crafted story and procedural endless modes
- Hybrid text adventure and puzzle gameplay
- Interactive fiction with decision making

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| FULL UNLOCK | $0.99 | one-time |


## Recent user reviews (10 of 57)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/matchstick-memories/id912230789/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Wish I could still play it

*2023-05-02, version 1.31*

I loved playing this game. I wish I could do it again but it won’t open on the newer iPhones. :-(

### 1/5 — Crashes every time

*2023-02-11, version 1.31*

I would love to love this app, but it crashes every time I open it.

### 1/5 — Doesn’t work

*2022-07-30, version 1.31*

Doesn’t work on iPhone SE iOS 15.5, and iPad mini 4 iOS 15.4 and there is no app support. Can’t give 0 stars

### 1/5 — Doesn’t work :(

*2021-07-16, version 1.31*

I want to try this game so badly!! Please update it so it works with current IPhones!!

### 1/5 — Doesn’t load

*2021-04-26, version 1.31*

Game flashes to next screen and quits. Have tried to reinstall twice. iPhone X.

### 1/5 — Does not work

*2020-01-19, version 1.31*

Downloaded this app through the App Store twice on my ipad.  It does not e en open.  Please refund my money. Bel

### 5/5 — Clever and Innovative

*2019-10-16, version 1.31*

gem that combines classic puzzling mechanics with an evocative text adventure. Beautifully designed and highly recommended.

### 1/5 — Severe battery drain

*2019-03-11, version 1.24*

This game seems to drain the battery very rapidly.  This may be because the game also seems to be sending vast amounts of data through the internet.  I also do not understand why the game is using up battery while the iPad is in standby mode.

### 1/5 — Summary was correct

*2017-06-20, version 1.24*

Yes, I am now confused. Haven't played very far but the game doesn't seem very compelling or cohesive...

### 4/5 — Interesting & engaging game

*2017-04-30, version 1.24*

A new, unique way to imagine a game in a genre that has produced so many dry and monotonous Candy Crush clones. The story is good, albeit difficult to follow at times. The full story unlock is placed at a good time so as to make the player have enough background of the game to want to continue. As for the gameplay, the variety of puzzles keeps the player engaged, but at certain points the player can get stuck to the point that the game becomes boring. A hint system or somewhat of an online walkthrough would be helpful to assist players in getting through the more tedious areas, especially Chapter 10. Finally, the sound effects are nicely done, but a bit of ambient music would be appreciated, as it gets a little dry at times listening to the same clicks and chimes. Overall, great game, but needs some work.

## Frequently asked questions about Matchstick Memories

### What kind of game is Matchstick Memories?

Matchstick Memories is a meta text adventure game that combines elements of classic text-based adventures, color-matching puzzles, and logic games like Minesweeper. You navigate a world of memories, making decisions and solving puzzles as a cryptic story unfolds.

### What are the key features of this app?

The app features a dynamically adjusting puzzle difficulty, a Failsafe System to help players progress, and a substantial amount of crafted story content alongside procedural endless modes. It offers a hybrid gameplay experience that is both narrative-driven and puzzle-oriented.

### How much does Matchstick Memories cost?

The first half of the story is available for free. To permanently unlock the second half of the story, a single in-app purchase is required. This is the only in-app purchase available in the game.

### What devices is Matchstick Memories compatible with?

This app is a unique interactive fiction and color match game designed for iPhone, iPad, and iPod. It supports both portrait and landscape orientations on compatible devices.

### What is the gameplay like?

The gameplay starts with a sparse linear narrative and evolves as puzzles become more complex. Chapters may even become meta-puzzles that must be solved to advance. The game is described as a hybrid of 'Zork-like' text adventures and color-based puzzle matching.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.31 — 2019-10-15

-Changed string match logic to be less about guessing user intent, and more about precision.
-Changed some scoring logic for some of the more challenging game types.
-Made some game types less difficult.
-Hopefully fixed some threading cases that were causing instability.
-Made it much faster to navigate between some sections in the garage area.

### 1.24 — 2014-12-27

FIX: there was a small chance that the final memory in Chapter 10 could enter an impassible state if the stars aligned correctly.

### 1.23 — 2014-11-20

NEW: Matchboxes unlocked in Story mode now exist in Endless mode
NEW: Balance and Tuning
FIX: Random Type leaderboards will now update correctly
FIX: Cluster memories will now appear in random mode

### 1.21 — 2014-11-07

-NEW: Dynamic difficulty system. All memories adapt difficulty over time based on play style.
-NEW: Game Center Integration. Track achievements and Endless leaderboards.
-NEW: Button on info screen asking you to review the game
-FIX: Possible fix for the small number of reports relating to iOS8 save file corruption.
-NEW: Just in case, the delete save slot menu screen now has a "RESTORE BACKUP" option.
-NOTE: If you purchased the app prior to this version, then the entire game will remain unlocked.

### 1.12 — 2014-09-29

--iOS 8 Updated Support
--NEW 'failsafe system', enabled by default, alters any memory after being reset 5 times. Can be disabled via the pause menu
--NEW 'overall story score' is visible and overhauled (note: new scoring is not retroactive)
--Changes to Flashes Memory Type for older hardware

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## Related topics

[matchstick memories](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/matchstick-memories)

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-07-01.*