About Candy Pop
Candy Pop is our take on the match-3 genre made famous by games like Candy Crush and Royal Match. Each level gives you goals, such as collecting a number of candies or clearing jelly, and a limited number of moves.
Special matches create powers that are introduced one at a time as you discover them. You can double-tap any power to set it off, or swap two powers together for a combo.
Candy Pop at a glance
| Genre | Match game |
|---|---|
| Price | Free, no download or sign-up |
| Controls | Swipe, tap, double-tap powers |
| Typical game length | 2 to 4 minutes per level |
| Lives | 3 per level |
| Works on | Phones, tablets and computers, in any modern browser |
| Daily challenge | Yes, the same puzzle for everyone each day |
How to play Candy Pop
- Swap two candies. Swipe, or tap one candy and then its neighbor.
- Match three or more. Lines of the same candy clear and new ones fall in.
- Complete the goals. Goals are shown above the board, like "collect 20 red candies" or "clear all jelly".
- Use your powers. Double-tap a power to fire it, or swap two powers together for a combo.
Rules
- Each swap or power activation uses one move.
- Swaps that make no match bounce back and do not use a move.
- Running out of moves costs a heart and lets you retry. You get 3 hearts per level.
- If no moves are possible, the board reshuffles automatically.
Levels and difficulty
Levels 1 to 3 are tagged Easy, 4 to 6 Hard, 7 to 9 Super Hard, and 10 onwards Difficult, with fewer moves and double-layer jelly. Jelly goals start on level 6 and power combos are introduced on level 7.
Scoring
You earn points for every candy cleared, multiplied by cascades, plus bonuses for jelly and for creating powers. Finishing a level adds a bonus for every move left. Harder level tags multiply the score. Daily challenge scores can be shared with friends.
Tips and strategy for Candy Pop
- Make matches near the bottom: falling candies set off free cascades.
- Match 4 in a line for a Line Blaster, an L or T shape for a Candy Bomb, a 2×2 square for Flying Candy, and 5 in a line for a Rainbow Orb.
- Swapping two powers together is almost always stronger than using them separately.
- On jelly levels, save Flying Candy: it targets jelly automatically.
- Keep an eye on the goal counter and do not waste moves on candies you do not need.
How we built and tested Candy Pop
We balanced the levels by having a computer player play hundreds of simulated games on every level. It wins almost every Easy level, around 80% of Hard levels, 40 to 55% of Super Hard levels, and 25 to 35% of Difficult levels. With 3 hearts to retry, that gives a steady climb in challenge.
Frequently asked questions
How do I activate a power without swapping?
Double-tap it. It fires in place and uses one move.
What does the Rainbow Orb do?
Double-tapped, it clears the most common color. Swapped with a candy, it clears every candy of that color.
What is jelly?
Pink tiles under some candies. Make matches on top of them to clear them. Dark jelly needs two hits.
Are powers available on every level?
Yes. Each power is explained the first time you make it.