Learn how Lemonade, Gummy Bear, Owl, and Ladybugs work in Gardenscapes, including drop paths, exit points, and special mechanics.
Drop-to-Collect Elements are elements whose main objective is to create a path toward the bottom of the board so they can leave the board and be collected. Some of them also have additional mechanics that must be dealt with first.
This category includes Lemonade, Gummy Bear, Owl, and Ladybugs.
Lemonade
Lemonade usually appears on its own on the board. In this form, it is already ready to drop. The player needs to clear gems and obstacles below the glass until there is an open path to one of the exit points at the bottom of the board.
In some levels, Lemonades appear inside a tray. The glasses in the tray start out empty and must first be filled.
The tray requires 3 hits, either from Match-3 combinations next to it or from Power-Ups. Each hit fills the Lemonade a little more. After the third hit, the glass is completely full and comes out of the tray. From that point on, the normal drop process begins: the player clears whatever is underneath until the glass reaches an exit.
According to Playrix, each tray can contain between 1 and 4 glasses of Lemonade.
Main mechanic: It must reach an exit at the bottom of the board.
Secondary mechanic: When it is inside a tray
, it must first be filled with 3 hits and released.
🔴▶ Lemonade Element Gameplay Video
Gummy Bear
The Gummy Bear appears inside a wrapper. Unlike the other Drop-to-Collect mechanics in this article, it belongs to the more recent wave of new Gardenscapes elements added to the game. According to Playrix, it takes 4 Match-3 combinations next to the wrapper to open it.
Once the Gummy Bear is released, it must be brought down toward the bottom of the board. At that point, the strategy changes: the player no longer needs to focus on the wrapper, but instead on clearing a path below the Gummy Bear.
Main mechanic: It must reach the bottom of the board.
Secondary mechanic: The wrapper must first be opened with 4 Match-3 combinations next to it.
Owl
To collect an Owl, the player needs to clear the tiles and obstacles underneath it. Matches and Power-Ups can both be used to open the path.
Once the Owl completes its descent, it spreads its wings and flies off the board. This is simply part of completing the objective and should not be confused with the Ladybugs mechanic, where the elements move upward during the level.
Main mechanic: It needs a clear path downward so it can leave the board.
Ladybugs
Ladybugs are the most unusual elements in this category. The goal is to move them toward the bottom of the board and get them out, but at the same time they have a mechanic that makes the process significantly more difficult.
Ladybugs move one tile upward with every move. In practice, this means the player is trying to push them in the opposite direction by clearing the space underneath them before they have a chance to climb higher.
Because of this, simply having a possible route downward is not enough. The path has to be opened quickly enough, or the Ladybugs will keep moving toward the top of the board.
Main mechanic: They must be brought down to the bottom exit to be collected.
Secondary mechanic: They move one tile upward with every move, making it harder to bring them down.
Drop-to-Collect Elements at a Glance
| Image | Element | Main Objective | Secondary Mechanic |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Lemonade | Reach the bottom exit | When it is inside a tray, the empty glass is filled with 3 hits from Match-3 combinations or Power-Ups |
|
Gummy Bear | Reach the bottom of the board | The wrapper opens after 4 Match-3 combinations next to it |
|
Owl | Create a clear path downward | Once it completes its descent, it spreads its wings and flies off the board |
|
Ladybugs | Bring them down to the bottom exit | They move one tile upward with every move and leave the board once their descent is completed |
Basic Strategy
With Drop-to-Collect Elements, the first thing to look at is the entire route from the element to the exit. An obstacle several rows farther down can be much more important than an easy match right next to the element. Ladybugs also require speed, because their upward movement is constantly working against the direction you need them to go.
This is one of the situations where it pays to read the board before the first move instead of reacting only to the closest available match.
Have you noticed something that isn’t mentioned here? Level differences, changes, or team-related issues? Leave a comment.