Candy Crush Saga

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Rating

Graphics and Sound

Controls

Gameplay

Lasting Appeal

Highly Accessible Gameplay: Simple match-3 mechanics are easy for anyone to learn, regardless of gaming experience.
Addictive and Engaging: The satisfying visuals, sounds, and well-designed progression system create a compelling loop.
Vast Number of Levels: With well over 14,000 levels and new ones added weekly, there’s seemingly endless content.
Clever Level Design: Introduces new mechanics, blockers, and objectives regularly to keep gameplay fresh.
Strategic Depth: While simple, mastering special candy combinations and planning moves requires tactical thinking.
Social Integration: Leaderboards and the ability to send lives foster community and friendly competition.
Cross-Platform Play: Seamless progression across Facebook and mobile devices enhances convenience.
Remarkable Longevity: Has maintained a massive player base and high revenue for over a decade.

Aggressive Monetization (Perceived): The “lives” system and frequent prompts to purchase boosters can feel coercive or exploitative, particularly at difficult levels.
“Pay-to-Win” Perception: While not strictly pay-to-win (skill still matters), spending money can significantly ease progression, leading to frustration for free-to-play users.
Repetitive Gameplay (Eventually): Despite new mechanics, the core match-3 loop can become repetitive for some players over thousands of levels.
Potential for Addiction: Its addictive design has raised concerns about excessive screen time and compulsive play for some individuals.
Reliance on Luck: Some levels feel heavily reliant on random candy drops (“RNG”), leading to frustrating failures even with good strategy.
FTC Settlement/Privacy Concerns: Past issues with children’s privacy and “dark patterns” for purchases raised ethical questions.