Tuesday 10 September 2013

Candy Crush Anonymous

A few days ago a friend introduced me to Candy Crush. I downloaded the app thinking that I could play occasionally in those odd spare moments, like when you're waiting for the kettle to boil. I was wrong. I don't know how the programme writers do it but this game is genuinely addictive and should come with some sort of a health warning.

I can't even begin to explain how satisfying it is when you line up two special tiles [referred to as candies] and watch them explode across the screen because the more candies you destroy, the more likely you are to complete the level and I really want to get to that next level, and the next, and the next... There are, I believe, almost 500 levels. That's masses of 'playing-time' and far too many wasted hours.

To my surprise many of my friends have been playing Candy Crush for some time now. They tell me how they have reached levels in the hundreds. One friend is even on level 300-and-something. They all insist that they never pay for extra goes because here's the other clever thing about Candy Crush. As soon as they get you well and truly hooked they start restricting your access. I've just been told I have to wait 24 hours to try for the next level unless I would like to pay. It's only a small amount but, no, I would not like to pay. I have no intention of paying a  penny to Candy Crush. This is not the first time the game has invited me to pay for 'extra goes' or 'extra lives'. I'm quite sure that some people do pay. It's so easy. Just a click of the mouse. Those Candy Crush writers must be getting rich quick!

So what to do next? I will limit my playing time on the app but I can't bring myself to uninstall it which is what I know I should really do. So if I don't reply to your email/text/tweet/facebook comment then it might just be because I'm playing Candy Crush. If this is the case then I apologise.

Have you been tempted by Candy Crush? Are you addicted to some other game or have you [so far] managed to avoid all such temptations?