Zynga chills out with launch of Ice Age: Arctic Blast mobile match-3 game

Zynga launched its Ice Age: Arctic Blast match-3 game today as part of a partnership with filmmaker Fox Digital Entertainment. It has some cross-promotion potential as it has scenes from the upcoming Fox film Ice Age: Collision Course, which debuts next month.

The game is set in the familiar animated world of the Ice Age film franchise. It’s now available to download for free on the App Store for iPhone and iPad and Google Play in 16 languages.

“Starring timeless characters like Sid, Manny, Diego, Scrat and more, Ice Age: Arctic Blast is a new twist on the Match-3 genre, challenging players to progress through the iconic Ice Age universe,” said Jim Stern, executive producer at Zynga, in a statement. “For the first time ever, we are integrating all of the Ice Age movies into a single game, giving movie fans the ability to interact with the entire herd of Ice Age characters through deeply immersive gameplay and stunning visuals. We can’t wait for our players to travel back in time and discover it for themselves.”

It has 100 levels of match-3 gameplay, with 16 characters from across the Ice Age movie franchise. As they match, swipe, expand and swap tiles to bust through the jewel-blasting levels, movie fans will harness the heroic powers of their favorite furry friends, including Scrat’s Super-Smash and Crash & Eddie’s Snowball Assault.

The game will premiere new movie scenes from the upcoming film, Ice Age: Collision Course, in-game, giving players a sneak-peek at the latest Ice Age movie ahead of its theatrical debut.

“As one of the top international animated film franchises of all time, fans across the globe love and connect with the characters, the stories of friendship and adventure told in the Ice Age movies,” said Rick Phillips, executive vice president at Fox Digital Entertainment. “We are proud to work with Zynga in bringing this beloved brand to players through an exciting Match-3 experience that encompasses the humor and heart of Ice Age.”

Ice Age: Arctic Blast was developed in close collaboration with Eat Sleep Play, the studio behind Zynga’s previous title Looney Tunes Dash. Eat Sleep Play worked closely with Zynga’s team, collaborating on art, design and engineering to bring the Ice Age universe to life.