Few games have ever really captured the public consciousness like Candy Crush. Though it is based on a simple Match-3 formula, the game has become the go-to example of mobile games, spinning off a host of related titles and remaining a veritable juggernaut in various app stores. Candy Crush Saga is one of the game's many iterations, and the ways that it stands out from the standard formula does make a closer examination a must for many players.

Features

Candy Crush Saga takes the basic Match-3 formula that has been floating around the mobile world since the beginning and adds a few minor twists. Every stage in the game has its own unique goals and mechanics, ranging from getting a specific high score to getting rid of a certain number of pieces. There are also a variety of mechanics in each stage, ranging from pieces that get frozen in place to those that take multiple matches to delete. At its core, though, the game follows the standard path of matching three or more identical pieces in order to clear the board, get a high score, and move on to the next stage.

Benefits

The biggest benefit of Candy Crush Saga is that it is a fairly gentle time waster. Though some of the later stages can get a bit difficult and most players will end up losing plenty of time to bad luck, the truth is that this game is easy to play no matter how far along you might get. This is the zenith of those games that were meant to be played in a waiting room, giving players a very entertaining bite-sized gaming experience that doesn't require much in terms of either skill or time commitment.

Pros and Cons

This is an incredibly cheerful, up-beat kind of game. The bright colors and the up-tempo music are great for boosting your mood even when you're feeling down, while the simple game play style can give you something to do that doesn't require a great deal of mental effort. Candy Crush Saga feels like it was designed with those who don't have much time in mind, allowing players to get in and accomplish a small task in a matter of minutes. If you're the kind of person who views games as a pleasant distraction, this might be the game for you.

Unfortunately, a fair bit of the game play comes down to luck. This seems to largely be done in order to get players to purchase various boosts for the game, but it does make some stages almost impossible to win even if you play perfectly. The end result is that you can get stuck on a stage for weeks and find yourself disillusioned with the game, only to finally break through and find yourself in an similar situation as soon as you move on to the next stage. The design could use a little tweaking, especially when it comes to how some of the random board elements come into play.

Conclusion

Candy Crush Saga is a fun, silly game that doesn't go very deep but that can provide you with quite a bit of entertainment. It is free to play and only features a few basic microtransactions, so it's also an excellent game for those on a budget. If you are looking for a new time-waster, this might be one of the best apps out there for your gaming needs.