Believe it or not, I've had Candy Crush Saga on my phone for months now, and I'm still just as hooked as I was the first time I booted up the app. It's addictive, not going to lie. And extremely creative, too.
I used to think Candy Crush Saga was just like any other mobile game. A past time that you play when you feel bored or are stuck in a rural "no signal" cellular zone.
But a friend told me about it months ago. And showed me the basics. That it wasn't just about matching a minimum of three similar candies in one line and watching them explode. But, also about keeping track of the objective, the number of moves you have left, and the number of lives you have remaining.
Lives are the number of chances you have for a do-over, put simply. When they run out, Candy Crush gives you a time out, literally, to grab dinner, get back to society, before having another go at it. Or, you can buy more lives with in-game currency or actual cash and watch the sun shoot out of the sky? Your choice.
In a Nutshell
Matching three candies is the bare minimum. You can get lucky and match four candies in a line, which rewards you with one special candy. They can be stripped horizontally or vertically, which means you can match them with a candy with a similar color next to it, and watch an entire row or column, respectively, explode. Or, you may get a non-stripped candy, which explodes along with all surrounding candies.
If you match five candies, though, it gives you a special chocolate candy that can blow up all the candies in the puzzle that are of the same color as the candy you matched it with.
Okay. I'm getting it a little twisted now. Please click here for a simpler how-to-play guide. The point is Candy Crush Saga isn't just any other puzzle game. For instance, it's nothing like Tetris because, quite honestly, Tetris would bore me after a few runs.
A Little Too Addictive... Maybe?
I find myself making time to play Candy Crush Saga. Literally cutting time off of my Netflix and chill sessions to play Candy Crush Saga. I even go to extremes. Like when I only have a few hours to chill with my boyfriend, but instead, we both have our Candy Crush Saga apps open and are working toward hitting the next jackpot.
I'm currently on level 1670-ish, I think. My boyfriend is on 2230-ish. Yes, I know. I'm toast. In my defense, though, he's had lots of years of experience with this game.
See, even though we started at the same time and are competing to see who takes the lead, he's clearly a better Candy Crush Saga player than me. And I'm being honest about this because the game isn't just about moving Candies around. It's about the thought process. About thinking ahead.
Pause. Stop. Reset.
Say you have 50 pieces of ice to break. Then you may need as many special candies as you can get to clear the level in the limited number of moves you have. But it also depends on where the ice is most centered. And which candies you're matching to make sure that when the matched candies explode, they take as much ice as they can with them into the abyss.
I still am coming up with a proper strategy, sometimes without properly articulating them, but I find different people approach Candy Crush Saga differently. I'm a perfectionist, so I tend to focus on the smallest of things. My boyfriend is a strategist, so he finds a way to complete big tasks in the smartest way. Others may want to complete tasks in the quickest way.
In closing, I might go as far as to say Candy Crush teaches you one or two things about yourself. Play it with a friend and you may get bonus discovery sessions. Here's a thought. Why don't you give it a shot? I'd love to hear how it goes!
FAQs
Why are Candy Crush games so addictive?
Three reasons. It’s simple, it’s fun, and it’s easy to play. Many people don’t look for complicated games to download on their phones because they want a temporary escape from whatever new thing is stressing them out in the real world. Also, older people loved to play easy games like Tetris and Snake, and it’s the same concept that applies to Candy Crush today.
Does playing Candy Crush help your brain?
I’m no expert on the human brain, even though I badly wanted to become a neurosurgeon. Story for another day. I can say for a fact, though, that Candy Crush helps to elevate your dopamine levels and generally keep your brain active. It’s also a tough game, even though most people underestimate it, which helps you think through puzzles and find creative solutions.
Is Candy Crush the most addictive game?
I don’t know about “the most,” but it is one of the most addictive games. Some sources say the developer makes $1 million daily from Candy Crush’s in-app purchases. That’s a huge ton of traffic on there, I’ll say.
Can I play Candy Crush Saga for free?
Yes, most definitely! It’s a free-to-play game on your PC and mobile phone via iOS or Android.
What is unique about Candy Crush?
I think it’s the unassuming difficulty of the game. At first, you may think, “Meh, this is going to be easy to beat.” Until you’re deep in the game and realize it’s a damn tough game! That feeling when you finally beat a level, it’s indescribable. An inward scream for joy that’s the reason I keep returning to play for months, and possibly, years to come.
I'm curious, though. What's your experience playing Candy Crush Saga? Got some tips for newbies? Meanwhile, check out our “How to Play Candy Crush Saga: Getting Started, Gameplay, Tips and Tricks” article, and do let us know of any questions or concerns!