A Sugary Addiction

A Sugary Addiction

by Carcass H

Ah games. They come in many shapes, sizes and types. From traditional games like hop scotch and tag to modern, electronic games like MMORPGs and consoles, there is something about games that keeps you preoccupied, and assists you in losing track of time.

Among the most popular electronic game currently is Candy Crush, which can be played on multiple platforms and operating systems (though I only ever use Android, as I’m not very familiar with Facebook).

Diabetes inducing

I was first introduced to this game by a colleague, whom I saw playing the game. After watching him play a few times, I got interested and decided to download it myself. While I was starting out, another colleague (you know who you are) showed me she was nearly two hundred levels ahead of me, at a level similar to the introducer. This started my quest to go the distance and see how far I could reach, and if I could pull ahead (to rub it in their face).

Before even reaching the more difficult stages, the first stumbling block I discovered was the ticketing system – every 15 or so levels required unlocking to access, which could either be overcome with real cash, or earning a key through two systems – the first required three friends to send you a ticket, while the other required you to play special games, in 24 hour intervals.

As my game was not linked to a Facebook account, having friends send tickets was definitely out (if I even had any playing the game to begin with). Cash-strapped and not interested in “cheating”, I went for the method which required me to go through three days to unlock – at later stages, this was even longer, especially when I could not get past the special stage within the five daily lives that was provided.

With patience, I managed to climb all the way to the top, reaching the highest level offered at the time. Of course, the number of levels was further increased, with new gimmicks incorporated into the game.

Getting Past a Sticky Situation

Now that I’ve got acquainted with the game, I have a general idea on beating the stages set in the game. There is a strategy to the games, and your chances of beating it increases once you find the optimal solution.

For example, in stages which require you to drop fruit, the most important thing is to keep an eye on where the fruit should end up. Since timing the drop is so vital, any possible matches in the area you wish to drop it should be left alone.

Special candies (striped candy, wrapped candy, etc) and combos are both a boon and bane, depending on your desired outcome. In some situations, you really don’t want to activate it, as it can get you in trouble. You should always keep an eye out for potential triggers, including other candies of the same colour or nearby coloured candies. And do remember that sometimes, creating coloured candies can hinder you. This applies to stages which require strategic destruction of grey candies. As for Combos – such as colour bomb + striped candy – they can rid you of keys you can’t afford to be rid of (ie there are no replacement keys that will drop down from the sky).

Hazards such as chocolates, tornadoes and the coil thing are generally a nuisance, but can occasionally prove useful, so give it some thought before getting rid of them. One such example is if there is a time bomb you can’t get rid of. If it is situated near some infectious chocolate (it’s like a zombie, the way they spread), you shouldn’t work to get rid of the chocolate, and instead let the chocolate deal with the time bomb.

Some tricks I pull in the later stages – when there is a frog, you can use it as “shelter” –  the candy above it will not fall down, but those at the side will. You can use this to “guide“ your desired candy to a better location.

Luck-based Lunacy

While there are strategies to overcome levels, luck does play a factor in the game. Those mystery candies are one major example – it could become a vital piece to help you finish off the level, or become a time bomb which limits the number of moves you can have unless you get rid of it. Only use these candies when you have no other choice – or if you wish to gamble for a quick success.

One particular combo I sometimes have to gamble is the colour bomb + wrapped candy, as the second colour to be removed is completely random, but it often paves the way for more candy I need to be close to each other. In elimination stages I will hope very hard they get rid of the colour I need to be rid of.

Another factor is the sweets that drop from the sky – you have no idea what is going to come down from there.  If you were lucky, the next three candies are of the same colour of the one behind it, giving  you that last candy bomb you need – if you weren’t, the candy that drops triggers the very match you were saving for later. Be aware that this can happen, so you don’t get caught unawares.

Unfortunately, there ARE levels which rely on pure luck. In cases such as these… Good Luck!

(Disclaimer: Carcass hates luck based levels because his luck is very poor (probably a rank D or E), and also dislikes certain factors of luck, although sometimes this “luck factor” is what makes candy crush so exciting and addictive – it’s like the thrill of gambling.

~ END ~

The asshole who bragged about being 200 levels ahead of this writer was Nessreen. The photos in this post were added by her without the writer's permission. Read more of Carcass H's contributions to Another Sidebar HERE.