In a world where video games like GTA 5 and Minecraft sell hundreds of millions of copies, it’s easy to forget that there are some mobile games that have an even bigger fanbase, sell even more copies and rake in far greater sums of money that most of us can ever imagine.
Chief among them is Candy Crush Saga, which despite launching as a free-to-play iPhone and Android game all the way back in 2012 (how time flies), has managed to earn developer King billions upon billions of pounds in revenue.
One of the most played games ever made, Candy Crush Saga is essentially a tile matching game in which players must complete objectives in order to move to the next stage.
By matching three sweets of the same colour, you’ll be tasked with ridding a board of Jellies, destroying marshmallows and eliminating other sugary obstacles within a certain number of moves, or risk losing a life.
Fortunately, there are countless power-ups and special candies to help you along the way, including explosive sweets that you’ll earn by matching up more than three treats at a time.
If you’re clever you can also look out for combo opportunities, with moves that can be chained together for a satisfying cascade of candy explosions.
While it sounds simple, the difficulty soon ramps up, leading to tense moments where you’ll need to be at your very best in order to keep your precious lives.
If you’re a Candy Crush Saga novice looking for some tips to raise your game, or a seasoned pro looking to reach the next level, these three tips will help massively improve your skills.
1. Use your boosters and special candy sparingly
Just like in real life, it sometimes pays to be frugal and save for a rainy day.
Unlocking Boosters is key to surviving Candy Crush Saga’s more challenging stages, which is why you absolutely shouldn’t use them right away – as tempting as it is.
The same goes for special candy that you create by matching sweets in each of the game’s stages. You can create much bigger and more spectacular chain reactions by combining special candies together, which is why it’s sometimes worth holding them back until you only have a few moves left, or need to reach a certain high score.
2. Try to play from the bottom
Rushing is the enemy of all Candy Crush Saga players, and something I’ve fallen foul of many times in the past. It’s easily done, especially when you see lots of quick and easy moves you can make at the start of each stage.
However, it’s always best just to take a second and have a proper look around the board, because you can’t afford to want to waste any moves when the going gets tough.
Indeed, it’s always best to start from the bottom of the board and try to clear candy from below. That’s because you have a much better chance of creating a chain reaction when more candy rains down from above.
3. Ignore the game’s suggestions
Candy Crush Saga seems like a really straightforward and simple game when you start playing, especially when the game itself shows you which moves to make.
Indeed, after a few seconds of inactivity, certain candy will begin to flash, which signifies a move you can make to create some more space.
While it’s tempting to make this move – especially if you’ve switched your brain off and are in autopilot mode – you should never perform this action blindly.
While occasionally it will be the only move you can make, most of the time there’s a better move that will set up an even greater combo and help you finish that stage.