Candy Crush, the popular mobile puzzle game, has been entertaining millions of players worldwide since its release in 2012. With its colorful graphics, addictive gameplay, and sweet treats, it’s no wonder why it’s become a staple on many mobile devices. However, amidst the excitement and frenzy of swiping and matching candies, have you ever stopped to wonder about those mysterious brown squares that appear on the game board? What are they? Why are they there? And most importantly, how do they affect your gameplay?
The Origins of the Brown Squares
To understand the purpose of the brown squares, let’s take a step back and examine the game’s design and mechanics. Candy Crush is a match-three puzzle game, where players are tasked with swapping adjacent candies to create sets of three or more identical candies in a row. The game’s creators, King Digital Entertainment, aimed to create a casual yet engaging experience that would appeal to a wide range of players.
The brown squares, officially known as “blockers” or “obstacles,” were introduced as a way to add an extra layer of challenge and complexity to the game. These squares are scattered throughout the game board, often in hard-to-reach areas or in clusters, making it more difficult for players to create matches.
Types of Brown Squares
There are several types of brown squares in Candy Crush, each with its unique characteristics and effects on gameplay.
Ice Cubes
The most common type of brown square is the ice cube. These squares are covered in a thin layer of ice and can be removed by making a match adjacent to them. Ice cubes are relatively easy to get rid of, but they can still hinder your progress if not dealt with promptly.
Chocolate Spawners
Chocolate spawners are a more formidable type of brown square. These squares produce chocolate pieces that spread to adjacent tiles, making it difficult to create matches. Chocolate spawners can be removed by making a match adjacent to them, but the chocolate pieces they produce will remain on the board until cleared.
Candy Cane Blocks
Candy cane blocks are another type of brown square that can appear on the game board. These blocks are covered in a striped pattern and can only be removed by making a match that includes a special candy, such as a striped candy or a wrapped candy.
Other Types of Brown Squares
There are other, less common types of brown squares that can appear in Candy Crush, including nut crackers, peanut brittle, and more. These squares often have unique effects on gameplay, such as blocking certain types of candies or requiring specific matches to remove them.
The Impact of Brown Squares on Gameplay
So, how do brown squares affect your gameplay experience in Candy Crush? The answer lies in their ability to add an extra layer of complexity and challenge to the game.
Blocking Progress
The most obvious impact of brown squares is that they block your progress and make it more difficult to create matches. By taking up space on the game board, brown squares limit your options for making matches, forcing you to think strategically and work around them.
Increasing Difficulty
Brown squares also increase the difficulty level of the game by introducing new challenges and obstacles. For example, chocolate spawners can quickly spread across the board, making it harder to create matches and clear the level.
Encouraging Strategic Play
On the other hand, brown squares can encourage strategic play and problem-solving skills. By forcing players to think creatively and work around obstacles, brown squares add a new layer of depth to the game and challenge players to develop new strategies and techniques.
Tips and Tricks for Dealing with Brown Squares
So, how can you deal with those pesky brown squares in Candy Crush? Here are some tips and tricks to help you overcome them:
Make the Most of Special Candies
Special candies, such as striped candies, wrapped candies, and color bombs, can be incredibly useful in removing brown squares from the game board. Make the most of these candies by using them strategically to clear entire rows or columns of brown squares.
Plan Ahead
To deal with brown squares effectively, you need to plan ahead and think strategically. Look for opportunities to create matches that will clear multiple brown squares at once, and try to anticipate where new brown squares will appear.
Use Boosters Wisely
Boosters, such as the hammer or the extra move booster, can be incredibly useful in dealing with brown squares. Use them wisely to clear stubborn brown squares or get out of a tricky situation.
The Psychology Behind Brown Squares
But why do brown squares have such a profound impact on our gameplay experience in Candy Crush? The answer lies in the psychology of game design.
The Concept of Flow
Game designers use various techniques to create a state of flow, a mental state of complete absorption in the game. Brown squares are one such technique, as they challenge players and encourage them to focus and think strategically.
The Role of Frustration
Frustration is a crucial aspect of game design, as it provides a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction when overcome. Brown squares are designed to be frustrating, but not impossible to overcome, providing a sense of achievement when cleared.
The Importance of Challenge and Reward
Brown squares also tap into our desire for challenge and reward. By providing a sense of challenge and obstacles to overcome, brown squares make the game more engaging and rewarding, as players feel a sense of accomplishment when they clear a difficult level.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the mysterious brown squares in Candy Crush are more than just obstacles to be overcome. They are an integral part of the game’s design, adding complexity, challenge, and depth to the gameplay experience. By understanding the different types of brown squares, their impact on gameplay, and the psychology behind their design, we can appreciate the subtle genius of King Digital Entertainment’s game design.
So, the next time you’re stuck on a particularly tricky level, remember that those brown squares are there to challenge you, to make you think strategically, and to provide a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment when overcome. Happy crushing!
What are the Brown Squares in Candy Crush?
The brown squares in Candy Crush are a type of blocker that appears randomly on the gameplay board. They are typically found in higher levels of the game and are designed to add an extra layer of challenge for players. The brown squares are unlike other blockers in the game, such as the licorice swirls or chocolate spawners, as they do not have a specific pattern or behavior.
The brown squares are also sometimes referred to as “chocolate blocks” or “brown blockers” by players, but it’s worth noting that they are not actually blocks of chocolate. Rather, they are a unique type of obstacle that requires a different strategy to clear. Understanding how to deal with the brown squares is crucial for progressing through the higher levels of Candy Crush.
How do the Brown Squares affect gameplay?
The brown squares can significantly impact gameplay in Candy Crush. When they appear on the board, they can block the movement of candies and make it difficult for players to create matches. This is because the brown squares cannot be swapped with other candies, and they do not disappear when a match is made next to them. Instead, they remain on the board until they are specifically cleared by the player.
To overcome the challenge of the brown squares, players must develop strategies for clearing them quickly and efficiently. This may involve using special candies, such as striped or wrapped candies, to blast the brown squares off the board. Alternatively, players may need to think ahead and plan their moves carefully to create opportunities to clear the brown squares.
What triggers the appearance of Brown Squares?
The exact mechanism that triggers the appearance of brown squares in Candy Crush is not fully understood, but it is believed to be linked to the player’s progress through the game. As players advance to higher levels, the game becomes more challenging, and the brown squares are one of the ways that the game increases the difficulty.
It’s worth noting that the appearance of brown squares may also be influenced by the player’s performance in previous levels. If a player has been struggling with a particular level or has been using a lot of extra lives, the game may introduce brown squares as an additional challenge.
Can Brown Squares be cleared with special candies?
Yes, special candies can be used to clear brown squares in Candy Crush. Striped candies, wrapped candies, and color bombs are all effective at clearing brown squares from the board. When a special candy is used to clear a brown square, it will be removed from the board, allowing the player to make progress in the level.
It’s worth noting that not all special candies are created equal when it comes to clearing brown squares. For example, a striped candy may only clear a single brown square, while a color bomb may clear multiple brown squares at once. Players should experiment with different special candies to find the most effective way to clear brown squares.
Are Brown Squares more common in certain levels?
Yes, brown squares are more common in certain levels of Candy Crush. In general, levels that are designed to be more challenging, such as levels with multiple objectives or levels with limited moves, are more likely to feature brown squares. Additionally, levels that are designed to test the player’s skills, such as levels with complex board layouts or levels with specific requirements for completion, may also feature brown squares.
Players should be aware of the level design and the challenges that they will face when playing a level that features brown squares. By understanding the level design and the role of the brown squares, players can develop strategies for overcoming these challenges and progressing through the level.
Can I avoid getting Brown Squares in a level?
Unfortunately, it is not possible to completely avoid getting brown squares in a level of Candy Crush. The game is designed to introduce these challenges randomly, and players must be prepared to deal with them as they arise. However, players can take steps to minimize the impact of brown squares on their gameplay.
One strategy is to focus on clearing the board quickly and efficiently, as this can reduce the likelihood of brown squares appearing. Additionally, players can try to maintain a stockpile of special candies, which can be used to clear brown squares if they do appear.
Do Brown Squares appear in other King games?
No, the brown squares are a unique feature of Candy Crush. While other King games, such as Candy Crush Soda Saga and Candy Crush Jelly, may feature similar challenges and obstacles, the brown squares are specific to the original Candy Crush game. This is one of the things that makes Candy Crush so beloved by players – the endless variety and surprise of the game.
However, players who enjoy the challenge of the brown squares may find similar features in other King games. For example, Candy Crush Soda Saga features ” Bubblegum Hills”, which can also block the movement of candies and add an extra layer of challenge to the game.