What do you usually think when you come across the word MMORPG?

First thing that comes to mind for most people is: a world of sprawling expanse, with monsters crawling everything and enemy players waiting to ambush you if given the chance. You might also think of awesome 3D graphics and breathtaking special moves from your characters.

You might also think of quests and non-playable characters, as well as professional voice acting in some cut scenes.

Yes, those are valid descriptions. In fact, you find MMORPGs mostly taking that form. However, those are not the only forms MMOs can take. You’re undeniably familiar with MMOFPS like Cross Fire and many others. However, do you know that there are also MMORPGs that are designed to be Match 3 games instead of the usual variants that you are familiar with?

You’ll be surprised at how many games there are in this sub-genre of massively multiplayer online RPGs, if you’re not familiar with them already. Well, just to give you an idea, here are two Match 3 MMOs that you might want to check out.

Marvel is currently on a roll nowadays in its Cinematic Universe with films like Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War and the upcoming Dr. Strange movie. You won’t find an open-world exploration RPG featuring Marvel’s Avengers, of course; they just don’t fit the format. However, they are the stars in Marvel Puzzle Quest, a Match 3 RPG that follows a battle between Marvel’s heroes and villains.

The game’s mechanics are simple -- you take control of one character, and it is pitted against an opponent. When it’s your turn to make a move, you have to match as many cubes corresponding to the character and as fast as you can. Matches then become attacks against your opponent.

However, you’ll have to do it fast and smart. The AI could also make matches that could deplete your HP, resulting in a loss.

Another Match 3 MMO that you’ll want to check out is Celsius Heroes.

In this game, you take control of a party of four heroes. Each of these heroes has his or her own element that they correspond to. This is represented by colors. Just like Marvel Puzzle Quest, you need to match the gems that belong to the character’s element in order for his or her to initiate an attack against the opponent.

Opponents also have corresponding elements; you’ll have to attack them with the elemental attacks that they are weak against in order to make the most damage to their health points.

Unlike Marvel Puzzle Quest, Celsius Heroes does feature a dungeon exploration mode. This is in a first-person perspective, and the controls require an on-screen directional pad instead of using your keyboard or mouse.

Think that Match 3 and MMORPGs cannot be mixed together in a game? These two games should make you think again.