One of the most popular mobile games ever made is Candy Crush Saga, created by King. The game was first released on Facebook in April 2012, but it soon became popular and was later made available on iOS, Android and Windows. This game was inspired by a russian game developed in 1994 called “Shariki”, which is one of the earliest titles based around the type of match-three game.
Candy Crush Saga is classified as a "match-3" puzzle. Players must match three or more candies of the same colour to accomplish goals and move on to the next level. The game contains 10000+ levels, with more under construction. Each level has its own set of rewards, mechanics, and challenges.
Candy Crush is set in the exquisite Candy Kingdom, a world with chocolate rivers, candy-coated characters, and sweet landscapes. Tiffi (short for Toffette), the main protagonist who visits different places and assists locals in solving problems, is joined by the player. Characters like Mr. Toffee, Yeti, and Odus the Owl accompany her along the way; they all make appearances in various story arcs or unique levels.The Candy Crush map is divided into colourful regions such as: Lemonade Lake, Chocolate Mountains, Gumdrop Glade and Sugarcube Summit.
Power-ups and Boosters like the Lollipop Hammer, Free Switch, Jelly Fish, and the colour bomb help complete difficult levels. Hard and Super Hard Levels are marked with a purple or dark red icon, respectively. Each level offers explicit short-term goals. Players move on to the next level by completing the tasks within a limited number of moves or time, which include:
Candy Crush integrates social features such as Facebook Connect, which lets you sync progress, compare scores, and share lives with friends, and includes many global events such as Candy Cup, which offer high-tier rewards for top performers. Players can join teams to participate in cooperative challenges and unlock shared rewards.
In-game purchases include Extra lives, Boosters and Gold bars (premium currency). Some higher levels are designed to encourage purchases by limiting moves or introducing time delays. The game nudges you to spend money when you're close to winning (eg, “Only 3 moves left!”).
Addictive nature: The constant positive sensory feedback rewards players' skill and luck, creating a dangerously strong sense of achievement and satisfaction. Its unpredictable rewards, balance of simplicity and challenge, along with its bright colours and fun animations, stimulate the brain and provide instant gratification.
After several failed attempts on a particular level, the game may “nudge” a win by dropping favourable matches. This illusion of improvement reinforces the belief that success is near, a classic “near-miss” effect, which increases player engagement. You only get 5 lives. Once they’re gone, you must wait or pay. This delay encourages you to return frequently, creating a habit loop.
Hence, Candy Crush proves to be highly addictive because it taps into several key psychological principles.