Let them eat (more) cake.A PlayStation 3 cult-favorite, 2009’s Fat Princess put a unique—and humorous—spin on the classic real-time strategy experience. While its PSP follow-up, subtitled a Fistful of Cake, didn’t stray far from the franchise’s face-feeding formula, the series’ latest lap around the buffet is changing things up. Dubbed Fat Princess: Piece of Cake , Sony’s calling the upcoming PS Vita and mobile installment a “strategic turn-based match-3 game.”

“ The cartoon-y visuals and amusing animations will look familiar to veteran princess rescuers.

Seasoned fans of Candy Crush—and its gazillion clones—will recognize the latter part of that description, as it’s responsible for them franticly attempting to match gems and other colorful objects on their mobile devices. Piece of Cake marries the addictive match-making of these portable puzzlers with some of the more strategic elements of the Fat Princess games. As I discovered during a recent demo, combining this pair of concepts means separating the screen into two parts; the bottom two-thirds of Piece of Cake’s display looks pretty much like any other match-3 style title, while the upper third should be recognizable to anyone who’s previously taken on the princess-abducting blue army.Players control all the action below, strategically matching symbols—bombs, swords, muskets, slices of cake, etc.—while the results of their moves unfold on the battlefield above. The touch-screen mechanics are intuitive and responsive, but Piece of Cake is more interested in taxing your mind than your reflexes. You see, while the finger-friendly tapping and swiping could almost fool you into thinking you’re enjoying a casual puzzle game, Piece of Cake begins revealing its brain-bending depth after just a few of its 55 levels.The franchise’s RTS roots are reflected in this more complex side of the game; players manage four character classes—ranger, priest, bomber, and knight—that can be upgraded and tweaked with some light RPG elements, including the ability to unleash special moves. But again, all character moves and actions are dependent on the matches you make. Score three items that correspond to the priest on the puzzle board below, and watch his healing skills work some health-boosting magic up top. Those looking to take a more aggressive approach can seek out bigger matches—like five bomb tiles—to really make a dent in the enemy’s defenses. Special matches, such as making “L” and “T” shapes, also promise to pack some pain-bringing surprises.While Piece of Cake flips the franchise’s gameplay on its robust behind, it still manages to retain all the personality and style of its charming predecessors. The cartoon-y visuals and amusing animations will look familiar to veteran princess rescuers, while her highness’s insatiable hunger for sweets supports some fresh tricks. During my demo, for example, I witnessed our heroine plow through enemy forces after I’d matched a few cake-emblazoned tiles.If Vita owners can save the sweets-loving Cinderella without breaking the bank—or dipping into their snack food fund—this match-3/strategy mash-up could prove as sweet as pie, er, cake when it arrives this fall.

A fan of the Fat Princess games, full-time freelancer Matt Cabral wishes more games incorporated sweets into their gameplay. He dreams of playing Uncharted: Drake’s Cakes. Follow him on Twitter @gamegoat