If you enjoy match-3 puzzle games, then you probably have heard of Gardenscapes. Playrix developed Gardenscapes, a vibrant game where a player not only solves puzzles but also restores a garden’s splendor. The mobile game is no different. It is still based on a life-system. You start the game with 5 lives and every time you fail a level, you lose one life. When you are out of lives, you can either wait, buy lives using in-game currency, or find other ways to acquire them.
Luckily, there are several ways to get free lives in Gardenscapes without spending real money. This guide will walk you through all the legitimate strategies to keep playing without interruptions.
1. Understand the Lives System in Gardenscapes
Before jumping into how to get free lives, it’s important to understand how the system works:
- You start with five lives.
- Failing a level costs one life.
- Lives regenerate automatically every 30 minutes.
- Once your lives are full, no more will regenerate until you lose some.
- You can buy lives using coins, but that costs real or in-game currency.
But if you don’t want to wait or spend coins, read on for smart, free ways to get lives.
2. Ask Friends for Lives
One of the easiest ways to get lives is by asking friends in the game. Gardenscapes allows players to connect with others, especially if you link your game to Facebook.
How to do it:
- Connect your Gardenscapes account to Facebook.
- Add friends who also play Gardenscapes.
- Tap the “Lives” icon.
- Choose “Ask Friends” and select who you want to request lives from.
Your friends can send you a life, and in return, you can send them one too. It’s a win-win.
Pro Tip:
Join Gardenscapes Facebook groups or Reddit communities to add active players who regularly exchange lives.
3. Participate in Events and Competitions
Gardenscapes frequently hosts in-game events and mini-games where you can win various rewards — including free lives.
Common events include:
- Treasure hunts
- Team tournaments
- Daily missions
- Special holiday events
Completing tasks or reaching certain milestones in these events often rewards you with unlimited lives for a limited time (like 15 minutes, 30 minutes, or even 1 hour).
Tip:
Make sure you have free time before claiming unlimited lives, so you don’t waste them!
4. Use the Lucky Spin or Fortune Wheel
Occasionally, Gardenscapes offers a fortune wheel or daily spin. One of the potential prizes is free lives or unlimited lives for a set time.
While it’s not guaranteed, spinning the wheel daily gives you a chance to win extra lives.
5. Join or Create an Active Team
Teams are more than just a fun social feature — they’re a valuable source of lives!
Benefits of teams:
- You can request lives from team members.
- Members are usually quick to respond.
- Active teams often participate in tournaments, unlocking additional rewards.
How to join:
- Unlock the team feature (around level 36).
- Tap the Team button.
- Search for a team with active players.
- Or create your own and invite others.
Being in a good team ensures you almost never run out of lives.
6. Time Your Playing Sessions
When you lose a life, Gardenscapes takes 30 minutes to replenish one. That means your five lives will fully recharge in 2.5 hours.
Smart tip:
- Play a few rounds.
- When you’re down to one or two lives, take a break.
- Come back later with a fresh batch of lives.
You don’t need to stay glued to the screen. Managing your playtime helps you avoid the frustration of waiting.
7. Switch Between Devices
If you play Gardenscapes on multiple devices (like a phone and a tablet), you might be able to take advantage of how the game syncs your data.
Here’s how:
- Make sure both devices are linked to your Facebook or game account.
- Lose your lives on one device.
- Switch to another device, sometimes, your lives may still be full there.
It’s not guaranteed, but many players report success using this method. Be sure your progress is synced to avoid losing data.
8. Set Your Clock Ahead (Use with Caution)
This is a controversial trick but worth mentioning. Some players change their device’s clock to trick the game into giving them lives faster.
How it works:
- Go to your phone’s date and time settings.
- Manually set the time ahead by 2.5 hours.
- Open Gardenscapes, your lives may be refilled.
Warning:
- After setting the time back to normal, some features might behave strangely.
- Playrix could patch this workaround in future updates.
- This method is not officially recommended and could affect other apps.
Use this only as a last resort and at your own risk.
9. Take Advantage of Unlimited Life Rewards
Sometimes the game rewards players with temporary unlimited lives. These can come from:
- Completing story milestones.
- Achieving high scores.
- Logging in on special occasions (like anniversaries).
Be sure to keep an eye on notifications, pop-ups, and bonus gifts. Don’t claim them unless you’re ready to play, unlimited lives are on a timer and can’t be paused.
10. Watch Ads (If Available)
Some players may have the option to watch video ads to earn lives or boosters. Though not available for everyone, it shows itself during special occasions or beta tests.
If you see the option:
- Watch a 30-second ad.
- Receive 1 free life or a power-up.
It’s a small time investment for more game time.
11. Daily Rewards and Login Bonuses
Gardenscapes rewards players for logging in every day. Sometimes these include:
- Coins
- Boosters
- Free lives
The longer your login streak, the better the rewards. Even if you don’t plan to play, logging in daily can help you stack rewards for later use.
12. Use Coins Wisely
While this guide is mainly focused on free lives, it is worth mentioning that spending 900 coins to buy 5 lives is an option. If I were to find myself stuck on a level and have a decent stash of coins, I wouldn’t hesitate to use some to buy additional lives and continue playing.
Tip:
Don’t spend all your coins on lives — save them for power-ups when levels get really tough.
13. Keep the Game Updated
Game developers often release new features, bonuses, and bug fixes in updates. Sometimes, updates introduce new ways to earn lives or reduce wait times.
Always make sure you’re running the latest version of Gardenscapes to take advantage of the newest free-life opportunities.
14. Use Alternative Accounts
If you have access to multiple Facebook or Playrix accounts, you can switch between them to receive more lives.
For example:
- Play on one account until lives run out.
- Switch to another account.
- Keep alternating as needed.
Just make sure all progress is saved to avoid losing your gardens and achievements.
Conclusion
Getting stuck on a level in Gardenscapes can be annoying, especially when I run out of lives and am only a match away from winning, but there are plenty of ways to acquire free lives without paying for them. Gaining the ability to team up with friends, waiting a bit, or simply participating in events can make all the difference.
