In the world of mobile games, Candy Crush is the king. While it faces tough opposition from challengers such as Monopoly Go and Subway Surfers, the mobile match-three is still the big dog of both the App Store and Google Play Store, with millions of users worldwide. However, there’s still so much we don’t know about the game, how it’s made, and how it’s evolved. So, when offered the opportunity to chat with a high-ranking team member at King, the game’s developer, we jumped at the chance.
We spoke to Paula Ingvar, General Manager of Candy Crush Saga. She’s worked at King for over nine years, having occupied the role of Candy Crush Soda Saga’s VP of product before recently leveling up to oversee the original game. Simply put, there are few better to tell us everything we want to know about the Candy Crush games, so we jumped right in at the deep end with our questions.
Given that Candy Crush is now well over ten years old, how difficult is it to come up with fresh concepts for the game?
Paula Ingvar: “It’s been incredible to see the evolution of Candy Crush Saga over the past decade. Its continued success and longevity are truly unique, with the game now boasting more than 17k levels and more than 5 billion downloads across the franchise, but a lot goes on behind the scenes to keep gameplay fresh and engaging.
We’re always listening to player feedback from the Candy Crush community, and this is instrumental in guiding our approach to innovation. We focus on doing more of what our players love and less of what they don’t. As our games are live, we also get insights immediately and frequently through gameplay too, allowing us to adapt and evolve quickly.
To this point, the Candy franchise is now so much more than just a match-three game; it’s really become an entertainment platform in its own right. Our hard-working teams are finding new ways to excite and delight our players on a daily basis, and our partnerships and player events are great examples of this. From collaborating with BARBIE to celebrate its film premiere last year to launching the Jonas Brothers’ new single to hosting our annual Candy Crush All Stars tournament, there’s always something fresh and fun going on.”
Is there a core Candy Crush ethos that has guided the game from its inception to the smash hit it has become today?
PI: “At King, our mission is simple: ‘Making the World Playful.’ It’s not just a statement; it’s the core of everything we do. Candy Crush Saga really embodies this ethos, and the game has been developed to entertain and delight players, whenever and wherever they’re playing. It’s a guiding principle that informs everything, from visual and audio design to the level of challenge and progression.”
When a game becomes part of the cultural zeitgeist, as Candy Crush has, how do you go about finding new players for the game?
PI: “We’re really celebratory of the fact that we’re considered part of the cultural zeitgeist, and we are proud of our diverse player base, from the commuter playing a few levels on the way to work to the mum with a few minutes to spare. But of course, we want to make sure we’re appealing to the full breadth of this audience and continuing to attract new players.
An important way we do this is by meeting our audiences at other touch points with experiences that go beyond the core gameplay. For example, our partnership with Mattel for the launch of the Barbie movie put Candy Crush Saga at the forefront of pop culture, and the results were impressive, with 400 billion Barbie candies collected and 425,000 exclusive content views. Tapping into other culturally relevant moments has proven very successful, and it’s a great way of reaching new players.”
How much do you think the frequent nature of in-game events has spurred on Candy Crush’s ongoing success?
PI: “In-game events have played a pivotal role for Candy Crush. The importance of player feedback in shaping our approach, and one thing we consistently find is that players love the competition and community elements of the game.
We strive to give players more of what they want, and competitions such as the Candy Cup and Candy Crush All Stars Tournaments are a testament to this. The impact is clear. This year’s Candy Crush All Stars Tournament saw over 15 million players competing across multiple rounds, culminating in an epic live final in Los Angeles.”
Some have deemed Candy Crush’s microtransaction model as predatory; how would you defend the game from these claims?
PI: “One of the great things about Candy Crush Saga is that it’s a completely free-to-play game, but we also think it’s important to give players choices. If someone wants to buy extra lives or boosters to level up their game at a certain moment, they can. That is a choice players can make. It’s all about letting players decide how they want to play.”
We’ve seen many Candy Crush imitations pop up in the years since the game first launched; how do you think you’ve managed to stay on top?
PI: “The match-three puzzle game formula isn’t unique to the Candy Crush franchise, but we do have other unique elements to our game, which I think helps to set us apart! From the soundtrack to the visual delight of the candies themselves, we’re focused on providing the best quality experience possible for our players. We’ve also built an awesome community around the game and offer a lot beyond core play.
I think it’s the combination of all these things that have enabled Candy Crush Saga to stay competitive in an expanding mobile gaming market and keep our players playing!”
What do you think keeps regular players coming back to Candy Crush rather than playing other mobile games?
PI: “A lot of our regular players have been playing Candy Crush Saga for many years and have built a lasting relationship with the game. It feels familiar to them, and as such, they feel a sense of belonging, which keeps them returning again and again.
But while the game continues to feel familiar, we’re also constantly innovating, creating new and exciting levels, and optimizing them based on player feedback. This means refining level design to strike the perfect balance between challenge and reward.
If a game is too easy, it’s boring; too hard, and it’s frustrating. Achieving this balance isn’t easy, but our developers and testing processes are top-notch, which is why players keep coming back. With over 17,000 levels and more in the works, we have so much more for players to engage with.”
How did the idea for the Candy Crush All Stars Tournament come about? And do you think it’s been a success for the game?
PI: “We first launched Candy Crush All Stars in response to player feedback, which indicated a desire for more competition. Now, several years in, we can build on the learnings from previous tournaments, doing more of what players like and less of the things that don’t resonate.
Candy Crush All Stars has also been designed in such a way that it welcomes more players to the game, and I think it’s a great starting point for any new player. So not only is it successful from a player retention point of view, but it also plays an important role in attracting new players too.
I personally believe that immersive player experiences such as Candy Crush All Stars are instrumental in bringing our community together and are a part of the reason why, almost 12 years on from its launch, Candy Crush Saga is still one of the most popular and recognized games in the world.”
We’ve seen studios slowly begin to implement AI in development over recent years; are you utilizing AI to help develop Candy Crush? Or do you have plans to in the near future?
PI: “We have historically used AI in different parts of our business, but with the new disruptive potential offered by large language models and generative AI, we need to move quickly to learn how to make use of these new capabilities. The potential for AI and machine learning to enhance the way we develop and interact with games is huge, and we’re already seeing advancements in the way we’re using this technology to create games at King.
For example, it’s been a beneficial tool for supporting our game developers with level testing, as this technology can play the levels at a much faster rate and evaluate multiple levels simultaneously. This enables developers to receive valuable insights to confirm if creative tweaks to levels are working, helping them to speed up the process of making gameplay more creative, responsive, and adaptive.
We’ve always had a data-driven culture at King, where decisions are made based on player analysis, and this makes us well-placed to implement AI into our processes. We see it playing a key role in the future in helping to optimize gameplay, improve the player experience, and make decisions.”
What does the future of Candy Crush look like?
PI: “Our players are at the heart of everything we do. As we look ahead, we’ll continue to listen closely to what they want, whether it’s more competition, exclusive partnerships, or something entirely new, and we’ll do our best to deliver. We’re committed to finding fresh ways to surprise and delight, always putting our players first.
Our focus remains on growing our live games and leveraging our technology to create the most engaging and enjoyable experiences, all driven by player feedback. This commitment is all part of our ongoing mission: Making the World Playful!”
If there’s one thing that stuck with us after our chat with Ingvar, it’s how determined King is to keep Candy Crush fresh and relevant. From the Jonas Brothers’ in-game appearance to the Candy Crush All Stars Tournament, everything the developer does is to ensure the IP is still at the forefront of people’s minds. A celebrity cameo helps bring new players in with a bit of star power, but Candy Crush is the game that first set the stage for others such as Squad Busters and Merge Mansion to bring in some famous faces for some extra clout.
It’s also clear from Ingvar’s answers that King doesn’t take advantage of its most consistent players. If anything, it seems like that group is the developer’s number one priority, with so much work going into new levels to appease them. Evidently, it’s a tactic that’s fueled the game’s massive profits, with Candy Crush celebrating the milestone of amassing $20 billion in revenue this time last year.
Finally, I have to touch on the answer to our question about AI, given that artificial intelligence is such a hot topic right now. It seems that King is opting to use AI as a means of support to developers rather than a potential replacement, as many fear the technology might be. While journalists like myself might live in fear of robots coming for our jobs, it seems that at least some sections are finding a way to live side-by-side with AI.
However, I still have some concerns, especially with the suggestion of AI helping to “make decisions.” There’s a famous quote from an IBM presentation in 1979 that reads, “A computer can never be held accountable, therefore a computer must never make a management decision.” This quote perfectly captures my opinion; AI is fine as a means of support but shouldn’t be leading the way when there’s so much on the line. Still, I’m not a developer at a mobile game developer worth billions, so what do I know?
There you have it, our discussion with Candy Crush General Manager Paula Ingvar. If all this has got you in the mood for a bit of match-three gaming, check out our guides to the best games like Candy Crush. Or, if you’re more of a word puzzle person, see our list of the best games like Wordle.