Foundlings: Match 3 is a timed match-3 game. The player must sort matching items in sets of three before time runs out across 10 room levels. They must also attempt to earn three stars per level.
Each room displays a surface covered by a pile of mixed items. Common items include cheese wedges, cowboy hats, drink cans, green and red peppers, lava lamps, pie and pizza slices, plastic-wrapped hard candies, red bow ties, ring donuts, spiral notepads, spray bottles, wide-mouth cups, and yellow bath duckies.
The game displays a goal of collecting a specific number of certain items along the top of the screen. The player wins the level when they collect the items. They don't need to clear away the entire pile. From level to level, the game increases the number of items to collect. It also makes sorting quickly harder by increasing the density of the pile and decreasing the available time.
Foundlings: Match 3 gives the player a seven-slot sorting tray below the pile. After the player sorts items into it, the game removes the match-3 sets. That said, if the player fills all the slots without making a match, they lose the level. The game helps them play faster by providing two shuffle options. Items shuffle slightly when they hover and roll their cursor over the pile. The lower-left fan button also provides some movement.
If the player ranks high across all levels, they can place their username and score on a top 10 list. They access this list via a trophy button on the main screen.
