JP2017510321A - Control the user interface of computer devices - Google Patents

Abstract

A computer device displays a game element that can be operated by a user, a user interface configured to detect a user input when the user operates a game element, and a detected user A processor configured to receive the input and control the user interface to delete at least three game elements from the display upon detecting a match game state and to provide a replacement game element on the user interface operable by the user And providing each replacement game element has a graphical representation determined by the tile associated with each game element, each tile having a selectable physical property, which physical property is ( i) Move to replenish empty space caused by erased user game elements And (ii) at least one of the speed of movement to replenish the empty space. [Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to controlling a user interface in response to a user operation on an element displayed on the interface of a computing device.

  In the field of computer-implemented gaming, there are many technical challenges facing game designers when considering how to control the user interface of a computing device available for game play. is there.

  One technical challenge is to create a fun and engaging game, even when available display resources are limited, such as when playing a game on a smartphone, tablet, or other minicomputer. Is mentioned. Another major issue is the user's game engagement issue. To immerse yourself in the game, you need to design a gameplay that is attractive and rewarding for the player. For this reason, games usually have to be easy to understand at the simplest level, i.e. the introductory level, and gradually increase the difficulty while providing challenging game play with extremely simple game mechanics. Therefore, it is also necessary for the player to continue to be immersed in the game without getting bored and to develop useful skills. In order to be immersed in an effective game, it is necessary to give various forms of feedback to enhance the player's sense of success and achievement.

  An existing type of match-three game is a so-called “switcher” game. The match three game is a kind of casual puzzle game, and a player is required to find a pattern on a board that looks chaotic. The player needs to match three or more game elements of the same type on the game board, and these matched elements disappear. In a switcher game, the player switches (replaces) the positions of adjacent game elements on the game board, thereby generating a chain of at least three adjacent game elements of the same type by one or both of them. To do. Then these matched game elements disappear. Next, the game object is again input to the game board.

  One such known match three type game is known under the trade name Candy Crush. In this game, game elements that are re-entered on the game board appear to fall on the game board from the top edge of the screen on which the game is played.

  Aspects of the present invention provide an improved method of controlling a user interface in a match-three game type computer-implemented game. These methods provide a solution to the technical problem of user game immersion in situations where screen resources are limited and / or improve user game immersion.

  One aspect of the invention provides a computing device. The computer device displays game elements operable by a user, receives a user interface configured to detect a user input when the user operates a game element, receives the detected user input, and matches A processor configured to control the user interface to erase at least three game elements from the display upon detection of a game state and to provide a replacement game element on the user interface operable by the user, The manner in which replacement game elements are provided uses a graphical representation that is determined by the tiles associated with each game element, each tile having a selectable physical property that is (i) deleted Direction to move to replenish the space created by the game element (Ii) controlling at least one of the speed of moving to replenish empty.

  In one embodiment of the game, the processor is configured to select a physical property for each tile based on user input at the user interface.

  The user input may be a user input intentionally made to change the physical properties of the tile, which determines how to replace the game element. Alternatively, the user input may form part of the game play described in more detail below.

  In the embodiments described below, the physical properties of the tile are adjusted as the direction in which the replacement tile moves. However, it is also possible to adjust the speed at which the tile moves by intentional user input or by player intervention in the game. For this reason, tiles can be replenished at various speeds depending on how the player has played the game. That is, the game element can arrive very quickly or more slowly in association with the visual animation representing the arrival.

  The processor can be configured to select a physical property for each tile based on a display position at which at least three game elements are erased. That is, a part of the displayed game board is supplemented with a game element according to a certain physical characteristic, and another part is supplemented with a game element with another physical characteristic.

  The computing device may comprise a graphics controller connected to receive information for a processor that defines the graphical representation and to provide the graphical representation to the user interface in the form of a video sequence based on the physical characteristics of the tiles. . For example, it may be perceived that a game element falls downward or moves upward.

  The user interface can be configured to display each tile with a visual feature indicative of a selected physical property, such as a color.

  The user interface may be configured to display a separator between the first physical property tile and the second physical property tile. In this case, the displayed portion of the game board can be shown in two colors that represent two different physical properties. In the described embodiment, the first physical property tile moves downward from the top of the display to fill up the empty space, and the second physical property tile moves up from the bottom of the display to fill up the empty space. To do. The lower portion of the display is purple, referred to herein as “lemonade”. This may be given the name of water or soda or some fluid. More generally, any term to emphasize can be used. The tile moves upward in the lemonade. The selectable physics control the direction for refilling the tiles from the outer part of the game board to the inner part of the game board, with the orientation of either the orthogonal coordinate axis or the polar coordinate axis. In one game mechanic, the user interface is configured to display a balloon game element that detects the match game state of the game element associated therewith and displays the physics of the displayed tile set. Change the characteristics. It is not essential that the balloon element takes the form of a balloon, and any container type icon such as a bottle is suitable. Balloons “explode”, giving more game elements “lemonade” physics. A game element is associated with a balloon element by having a color that matches the balloon element. For example, when a red game element match is detected, the red balloon “explodes” and raises the level of “Lemonade”. That is, the separator moves up one or more lines at the displayed portion of the game board. In one version of the game, tiles are arranged in rows and columns. The separator extends across the game board between two rows of tiles.

  In the lattice type arrangement, the tile set whose physical characteristics change depending on the balloon game element is one row of tiles. Any other type of set can also be selected, for example, three rows, one column from top to bottom, and the like.

  In order to visually show different physical properties to the user, the user interface can sequentially control the tile set to provide visual effects to the tile set, thereby indicating the physical properties of the tile. The visual effect can be a highlight or a sparkling effect, in which case the game element is temporarily enlarged or brightened.

  In the grid arrangement, visual effects are sequentially applied to adjacent rows. In order to distinguish different game elements, visual effects are given in the first direction on each line above the separator and not on each line below the separator.

  In one version of the game, the number of replacement game elements is the same as the number of match game elements. However, this number may be different. That is, the position of the spawner can be set to replenish the space according to the selected tile physical characteristic.

  As an optional feature that is quite unique, the game element game board is generated by the processor, but only a portion of the game board is displayed to the user and the rest of the game board is displayed on the user interface. Displayed as a result of scrolling.

  Another aspect of the present invention provides a user interface that responds to user operations on game elements displayed on the user interface. The method includes the following steps performed by a processor of a computing device: detecting a match game state of at least three game elements in response to user input, and replacing game elements each associated with a tile. Generating and displaying; selecting a physical property for each tile; and controlling a graphical representation on a user interface that replaces game elements based on the selected tile physical property, wherein the tile physical property is , (I) controlling at least one of the direction of movement to replenish empty space created by the erased user game element and (ii) speed of movement to replenish empty space.

  In a grid type arrangement, the user interface displays a game board of game elements in multiple rows, with visual features that indicate the tile physics associated with each tile in a row. All tiles in the same row have the same physical properties. When separators are displayed between adjacent rows of different tile physics on the user interface, the position of the separator on the game board is adjusted by user input, and the user input activates the “balloon” element to separate the separators. The number of tiles below can be increased.

  In one game mechanic, a game character is displayed on a tile having a first type of physical characteristics, and the movement of the character on the game board is affected by the tile physical characteristics of the tile set surrounding the game character. . For example, when a game element above the character is deleted, the character moves upward in the “lemonade”. A target row is identified on the display (eg, by a visual target such as a float), and one game objective is to raise the game character to the target row.

  If the entire game board is not displayed on the user interface, a portion of the game board is displayed on the user interface, and the displayed portion changes as a result of a scroll operation to display a different portion of the game board on the display. To do.

  When the first part of the game board is displayed on the display, the target line is not visible to the player, and when the second part of the game board is displayed on the display as a result of the scroll operation, the target line is It appears to the player.

  Another aspect of the present invention provides a computing device. The computer device is configured to generate and display a game board having a game element operated by a user, and display when a match game state is detected in response to a user operation on the game element. A processor configured to control the user interface to erase the game element and to provide the replacement game element on the user interface, and displaying a portion of the game board that includes the replacement game element, The game board is controlled to be changed by a scroll operation, so that the enabling portion of the game board is newly displayed and the previously displayed portion of the game board is erased from the display.

  Another aspect is to control a user interface at a computing device to display a portion of a match three game board and to display different portions by scrolling the game board in response to user input at the user interface to match A method for detecting and activating activated game elements is provided.

  Another embodiment provides a computing device. The computer device displays a user game element, receives a user interface configured to detect a user input when the user operates the game element, receives the detected user input, and detects a game state. Selectable physics having a processor configured to control a user interface to provide a graphical representation of the one or more game elements, wherein movement of the one or more game elements controls the direction of the movement Controlled by properties.

Another embodiment provides a computer-implemented method for controlling a user interface in response to a user operation on a game element displayed on the user interface. The method comprises the following steps performed by the processor of the computing device:
Detecting a game state in response to user input;
Generating and displaying game elements;
Selecting physical properties;
Controlling the graphical representation on the user interface of the one or more game elements, the movement of the one or more game elements is controlled by selectable physical characteristics that control the direction of the movement.

  Yet another aspect provides a computer program product for performing the method defined above.

  For a better understanding of the present invention and to show how it can be implemented, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings.

It is the schematic which shows the game board of the existing version of a certain match three game. It is a schematic diagram explaining how to replace a game element with a game board. It is a flowchart which shows the replacement operation | movement of FIG. It is a figure of the scroll-type game board which characterized the tile visually by the difference in a physical characteristic. It is a figure explaining the action | operation of a certain balloon element. It is a figure explaining the action | operation of a certain balloon element. It is a figure where a character has reached a target line and a certain game level has been successfully cleared. It is a figure which shows the example of operation | movement of a scroll game board. It is a figure which shows the example of operation | movement of a scroll game board. It is a flowchart explaining the method of controlling the interface for scroll game boards. It is a figure explaining operation | movement of the side kick (sidekick) operated by manual input. It is a figure explaining the operation | movement of the side kick operated by manual input. It is a figure explaining the operation | movement of the side kick operated by manual input. It is a figure explaining the operation | movement of the side kick operated by manual input. It is a figure explaining operation | movement of a new game element. It is a figure explaining operation | movement of a new game element. Demonstrates a new game mechanic that swaps multicolor boosters with wrapping game elements. Demonstrates a new game mechanic that swaps multicolor boosters with wrapping game elements. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an array of tiles having different physical properties (upper and lower). 1 is a schematic diagram showing an array of tiles having different physical properties (lateral direction). The data structure for managing a tile physical characteristic is shown. 1 is a schematic diagram of a computer device. FIG. 2 is an architectural schematic of a situation where a game can be played using a computing device. Show various match possibilities. Fig. 3 shows a replacement tile having a lateral physical property. Fig. 3 shows a replacement tile having a lateral physical property. Figure 2 shows a novel characteristic object with a chocolate block. Shows the implementation of a new game mode. One implementation of a new game mode is shown. One implementation of a new game mode is shown. Fig. 5 illustrates an alternative implementation of a falling game element flow. Fig. 5 illustrates an alternative implementation of a falling game element flow.

  The terms user and player are used interchangeably throughout this specification and are not intended to use one or the other to denote a specific meaning, unless the context indicates otherwise.

  In the following description of various implementations of the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof. In the accompanying drawings, various implementations in which the invention may be utilized are shown by way of example. It will be appreciated that other implementations may be utilized and structural and functional variations may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

  FIG. 1 shows a known version of a display of a match 3 switch game called Candy Crush Saga ™. FIG. 1 shows a game board 2 having a plurality of game elements 20. The game element has one of six types of shapes and colors. Each game element is placed on a tile 22. Tiles are not easily seen by game players. It is game elements that the player mainly pays attention to. However, the tile determines the characteristics of the game elements that are visible to the player, as described in detail below.

  In known versions of the match 3 switcher game, the goal of the game is to swap candy-shaped game elements with each other and move them on the game board. To gain points, the player must move to match at least three of the same candy. By doing so, the player gains points and the matched candy is erased. As a result, a new candy falls from the upper part of the game board to a predetermined position to fill the empty space. In FIG. 1, it is assumed that one game element 20c is moved to the right to form three matches with the game elements 20a and 20b. Turning to FIG. 2, this has the effect that the game board elements 20a, 20b, and 20c “disappear”, such as a visual effect that indicates this disappearance on the screen, such as the minimal explosion effect shown at 24 in FIG. Animation). Then, the two game elements immediately above the game element 20a fall into a space that is freed by erasing the game elements 20a, 20b, and 20c. For this reason, the game element 20e becomes the position of the tile 22c, and the game element 20d becomes the position of the tile 22b. In addition, three new tiles, each with a game element, are “generated” and fall into the game board, filling the remaining three spaces on the tile 22b. Game elements on newly generated tiles falling into the game board are randomly generated. Thus, a new game board for performing the next movement operation is given to the user. FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating the process performed by software in a processor to perform the basic game mechanics described so far. In step S1, the input made by the player on the screen is analyzed. In step S2, it is checked whether or not at least one three-element match has been generated by applying a game rule. If not, in step S3, the screen indicates to the user an unauthorized move operation and the player must try again. If a match is detected, an appropriate visual effect is generated on the display in step S4 to display this match and indicate that the matched game element disappears. In step S5, a new game element is generated on the display. These game elements fall from the top and fill the display. The so-called physical properties of the tiles relating to the generation of new game boards after each move operation are always the same as those of the existing version of the game called Candy Crush. That is, the tile falls from the upper side of the game board at a set speed.

(Tile physical properties)
In the improved version of the game described herein, the physical characteristics of each individual tile can be changed based on the user's game play or based on instructions from the game software. By playing the game, both the speed at which the tile can move and the direction in which the tile can move can be determined. FIG. 4 shows a game board according to an embodiment of the present invention. This game board has two sections divided by a dividing line 40. In the upper section, the game mechanics are as described with reference to FIG. When a match is made, those game elements are erased and the replacement tile falls from the top of the screen along with its associated game element to become a new game board. However, if the game elements match in the area below the dividing line 40 and are therefore deleted, the game elements appear in the direction of the arrow 42 in FIG. 4 from the bottom of the screen to generate a new game board. Thus, the physical properties of the tiles below the dividing line 40 are moved upward rather than downward in the upper section to complete the display. The physical characteristics of the tile are determined by the position of the tile with respect to the dividing line 40. The reason why the dividing line is visible to the player is that tiles above the dividing line are indicated by a certain color and tiles below the dividing line are indicated by another color. The tiles below the dividing line form a continuous background called “lemonade” in this game. This is simply a continuous color designation formed by tiles below the dividing line 40. Game elements cannot fall into the “Lemonade” from above the dividing line. The dividing line 40 becomes a barrier against the game element moving further upward or downward.

(Game character release)
The player can control the position of the dividing line 40 with respect to the display area of the game board. That is, the player can move the dividing line 40 upward on the screen according to a specific game mechanic accompanied by a burst of a balloon-shaped game element. FIG. 5 shows this game mechanics. Since the balloon 50 appears on the game board, it can be ruptured. In order to rupture a balloon, it is necessary to form a game element match of the same color as the balloon. In this case, an L-shaped match of the red element formed at the left corner of the display is shown at 52. This match is indicated by a visual effect on the screen and these game elements disappear. This is shown in FIG. Here, the balloon 50 is ruptured, the game element of the match 52 disappears, and the “Lemonade” level is raised. For this reason, the dividing line 40 is at a new position one row higher than the previous position in FIG. This movement is indicated by an arrow 43 in FIG. In this way, the player can influence the number of tiles having changed physical characteristics. In this case, it is the number of tiles with physical properties that move from the bottom of the screen to the top to replenish the game board as opposed to moving from the top to the bottom of the screen. See Figure 16a.

  In the alternative embodiment shown in FIGS. 16b, 20 and 21, the game element is moved from the side to replace the matched game element. FIG. 20 shows that five game elements move from the left side as new replacement elements.

  FIG. 16 c shows a data structure for managing tile physical properties and schematically illustrates the interaction between the data structure 1603 and the rendering engine 1600 of the graphics controller 180. The graphic controller 180 is shown in FIG. Data structure 1603 can be maintained in any suitable storage circuit, such as memory 174 shown in FIG. The rendering engine 1600 drives a display on a user interface 1602 that receives video output from the graphic controller 180 shown in FIG.

  As described above, the tile physical characteristics can be changed by the activity in the user interface 1602. The data structure 1603 is responsible for managing the method of sending replacement tiles to the user interface. Each tile has a tile ID 1605. The tile ID 1605 can define a position on the user interface where a tile determined by a space generated for game play should be replenished. This allows the rendering engine 1600 to generate the tile at an appropriate location on the user interface display 1602. Each tile ID 1605 is associated with tile data 1607 that defines a tile display method. The display method is to which game element the tile is associated, whether it has a “blocker” in addition to or instead of the game element, or whether it has any foreground or background . Various alternatives for blocker, foreground, and background are described below.

  In addition to the tile data, a tile physical characteristic 1609 is also stored in association with the tile identifier. The tile physical characteristics can be changed based on activity in the user interface 1602 for a particular tile. For this reason, after each game play, the tile identifier that defines the position where the tile should be replenished may be associated with various tile physical characteristics that have been changed by activities in the user interface 1602. The altered tile physics are stored in the data structure 1603 so that if there is a vacancy in the next game play, that particular tile will be replenished using the appropriate tile physics.

  As the “Lemonade” level moves due to activity in the user interface, the tile physical properties associated with all tiles affected by this level move are changed in the data structure 1603.

  In the above-described embodiment, the physical characteristics of the tile are preset by the game software depending on the tile position on the screen (in particular, whether or not it is in “lemonade”). However, the player can use a booster and / or side kick to change the physical properties of the tile in a more general way. For example, providing a side kick and enabling it can change the physical properties of some or all of the tiles. The tiles that change the physical properties can be preselected or determined by the user or depending on the outcome of the game play.

  In the embodiment described above, changing the physical characteristics of the tiles can change the speed or direction in which the game element fills the space created by the “matched” game element. In an alternative embodiment, the physical properties of the tiles can affect how game elements bounce off each other.

  The purpose of one game will now be examined with reference to FIGS. FIG. 4 shows a row of floats 44 across the screen. A teddy bear 46 is also shown. The requirement to clear this level is to release the bear 46 from the foam. This can be achieved by raising the level of lemonade 40 to the line containing the float 44. Due to the “reverse gravity” effect of the game tiles in the lemonade, the player can lift the bear to the buoy. That is, if a bear was previously under a game element, the game element disappears when matched, so the bear 46 moves upward toward the float. In FIG. 4, the bear is shown in the line immediately below the float. In FIG. 7, the bear is shown trapped in the float 44 and thus released from the foam. The transition from FIG. 4 to FIG. 7 is achieved by swapping the game element 20f with the element 20g. FIG. 4 shows the game board 42 immediately after the player has made an input to generate this swap. The game element 20f moves to a position above the level 40, where three rows of green elements are formed. One of the green elements 20h is a balloon, and when matched, the level 40 increases. FIG. 7 shows the game board 42 after a level increase has occurred. The bear rises on the game board, encounters a buoy, and is erased from the game board. The bear deletion is recorded by the bear icon 48 on the left side of the screen. This icon 48 indicates that two or more bears can be used by the player on any particular game board.

  The game software is programmed to visually show the physical properties of the tiles to the player with a sparkling or “wave” effect. The highlighting may include expanding or brightening the game elements in the line for a short time. That is, each row of tiles above the dividing line 40 is sequentially highlighted to indicate that the game element falls down to the dividing line 40. Conversely, a row of game elements below the dividing line is highlighted for a short time in the reverse order to indicate that the game element moves upward below the dividing line. Alternatively, highlighting may not be performed in the lemonade.

(Game board scroll)
Another aspect of the invention relates to a method for displaying game elements as a game board. In a known version of the three match game known as Candy Crush, the game board has a fixed size (8x5 elements in FIG. 1) and is refilled to this fixed size by game elements falling downwards. The fixed size does not need to be 8x5 and does not actually need to be a matrix, but in known games it is a fixed size. According to one embodiment of the present invention, there is an alternative scrolling version of the screen shown in FIGS. 8a and 8b. In FIG. 8a, note that two rows R1 and R2 are shown at the bottom of the display, and that the dividing line 40 is on the bottom six rows of the display. Three rows are visible above the dividing line. Considering now FIG. 8b, the screen is scrolled upward so that the user can no longer see R1, and only the upper half of row R2 is visible at the bottom of the screen. However, an additional row R3 appears at the top of the screen and half of another row R4 with a float appears at the top of the screen. Thus, the user can confirm the progress of the lemonade in order to raise the bear character 46 and catch it on the floating ring 44. The effect is that when the lemonade rises to more than half of the visible range of the game board, the game board can be moved downward with respect to the background, so the player should reach which he did not see right after the game started The level of the floating ring can be confirmed.

  One aim of scrolling is to follow the bear character 46 as if it is chasing with a camera. As a result, when the character moves to the target, the user's game immersion and interest are strengthened by following the destination. Other modes of camera movement are also available. It is possible to move in any direction within the two-dimensional screen, and it is also possible to control the camera so that any particular tile is centered based on a predetermined condition. For example, a condition can have the same state, achieved goal, user input, booster components. In some embodiments, user input can determine which character or tile to center in the camera view of the screen.

  FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing steps performed by software executed by the processor when realizing the above-described game mechanics. In step S90, the processor receives user input from a user input device and analyzes it. In step S92, a game rule is applied to determine whether a match has been detected. If not detected, it is pointed out in step S94 that the screen is an illegal movement operation. If so, the procedure moves to step S96 and a visual effect indicating the match is generated on the display. Further, in step S96, the position of the match, that is, whether it is above or below the dividing line 40 is detected. In step S98, the tile physical property is identified based on the position (the tile falls or the tile rises). In step S100, a new game element is generated on the display using the tile physics identified in step S98, and arrives on the display. When generating a game element on the display, the color of the game element and the tile below it depends on the position (above or below the dividing line) where the tile should be placed, depending on where the match was generated Determined. In step S102, the position of the bear character is detected, and it is confirmed whether scrolling of the screen is necessary. If scrolling is not required, the screen view remains fixed in step S104. However, if it is necessary to scroll the screen, in step S106, the screen display is scrolled to display a new line of game elements to the player. Screen scrolling is intended to keep the character in the center position.

(Side kick)
FIGS. 10a, 10b, 10c and 11 show the side kick action in the match 3 switcher game. The side kick is indicated by reference numeral 100 and has an animation character in the frame 102. The animation character can be a frog, for example. The charge bar 104 can be visually charged by game activity. That is, the color bar can move from left to right to indicate the degree of charge of the side kick 100. The charge bar changes depending on the match of a particular color candy such as blue. In FIG. 10a, since the candy 20g has moved to the 3-match position, the candy 20g, 20h, and 20i are erased (see FIG. 10b), and the charge on the charge bar 104 increases correspondingly. This is represented by the animation effect shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 11, when the side kick is fully charged, it can be activated by the user (by touch or mouse), and the effect is that a character like the frog 103 jumps out of the frame 102 and Destroy all candy of the same color as the kick. For example, in one embodiment, the frog is yellow and the frog pops out on the board to destroy all yellow candy.

(Chocolate erasure)
FIG. 22 shows a chocolate blocker at 110. The concept of the blocker in the match 3 switcher game will be described later. The purpose of the new game is to destroy all chocolate blocks on the game board. This is different from the existing version of Candy Crush where no such game purpose exists.

(Exposure of jelly bear (uncover))
In known versions of Candy Crush Saga, some levels have special game elements known as “jelly blocks”. As will be described later, the jelly block is arranged below the game element on the game tile. By performing a match on the tile where the jelly block is placed, the jelly block can be erased. FIG. 23 shows a game board on which jelly blocks are arranged. On this game board, there are tiles 231 with jelly and tiles 232 without jelly.

  FIG. 24 shows the game board of FIG. 23 after some of the jelly blocks at the top of the screen have been erased. Behind the erased jelly block is another pair of game objects 241a, 241b, each of which spans several tiles. In one embodiment, these game objects 241a, 241b may be in the form of jelly bears.

  The purpose of one new game that can be presented to the player is to collect all the jelly bears by erasing all the jelly blocks covering these jelly bears. FIG. 25 shows the game board after all the jelly blocks covering the jelly bear 241b have been erased. As a result, the jelly bear 241b no longer exists on the game board, and the value of the counter 251 is incremented by one. To clear this level, the player must erase all jelly bears from the game board. Thus, it is not necessary to erase all the jelly blocks as in previous implementations of the game, only the ones that cover the jelly bears.

(Coloring candy booster)
Below, the concept of a booster will be described. 12 and 13 show a novel booster in the form of a coloring candy. The coloring candy looks like a sweet in the foam, for example as shown at 120 in FIG. In FIG. 12, the sweets are orange sweets. When a colored candy is swapped with one of its adjacent candy, all occurrences of that adjacent candy change to the color of the colored candy. For example, if the orange coloring candy 120 is swapped with a purple candy such as 124, all instances of the purple candy indicated by 124 in FIG. 12 will be converted into orange candy as indicated by 126 in FIG. Change.

(Wrapped candy swap)
According to another embodiment of the present invention, new dynamics are introduced when a color bomb is swapped with a wrapped candy. This has the effect of destroying all candy at that level. For example, in FIG. 14, the color bomb is indicated by 140 and the wrapped candy adjacent thereto is indicated by 142. FIG. 15 shows the effect of swapping the color bomb 140 with the wrapped candy 142. FIG. 15 also shows the numerical score obtained from the destruction of the candy.

(Description of architecture)
FIG. 17 shows a schematic diagram of a computing device that includes a central processing unit 172 and a memory 174. The CPU 172 operates in accordance with an input given via the input unit 176 from the input device 170 such as a keyboard, a mouse, or a touch screen. Computer bus 178 is used to communicate between the input device and the CPU, and between different controllers within the computer device, such as, for example, graphics controller 180 and network controller. These controllers communicate with external devices. For example, the graphic controller communicates with a video output monitor, and the network controller communicates with the Internet via a wired or wireless connection. A user can interact with a computing device via input devices such as a pointing device (eg, a mouse) and a keyboard. The flow diagrams of FIGS. 3 and 9 are implemented with software executed by CPU 172 that can be stored in memory 174. The output screen is supplied to the graphic controller 180, and the game video output is supplied to the user display 1602 (FIG. 16c).

  FIG. 18 represents an example of an overall environment in which the present invention can be utilized. For example, a virtual game is stored on the game server 210. The virtual game is played on a client device, such as a computer 240, 250, or a smartphone, or other handheld device 260. The client device may be a kiosk, game center game station, smart TV, or other device having a computing function, an input device, and a screen capable of presenting a game to the user. The client device communicates with the game server 210 and the social network server 230 via the Internet 220 or other network, for example. It will be appreciated that the social network server 230 and the game server 210 need not be located at different locations, they can be on the same server, or on multiple servers located at different locations. One environment in which the present invention can be implemented is described in PCT / EP2013 / 060641, which is also incorporated herein by reference.

  Those skilled in the art will appreciate that devices other than the exemplary listed can be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

  The techniques described in this patent can be deployed in many different game play architectures. For example, a computer game can be implemented as a computer program stored in a processor of a PC, game console, tablet, or mobile phone, or other computing device, and executed entirely locally. The game can also be implemented as a computer program that is stored entirely on one of the many processors on the remote server and executed all there, supplying a data stream or update to a client device (eg, tablet, smartphone, etc.). Thus, the client can change and display graphics and sounds. This “web service” approach is becoming increasingly common.

  Another approach is hybrid, where the back-end server handles some elements of game play, for example providing a Java game applet to the client device, and a locally executed Java applet is Generates graphics / sound / user interaction to play a game on the player's client device. Part of the data is fed back to the backend server to allow score calculation, interaction with other players, and synchronization between platforms. In general, the techniques described herein are not specific to any one game architecture and can be deployed on any suitable game architecture.

  When performing a game, the user can interact with the game in various ways depending on the capabilities of the device used to access the game. The user can interact with the game using a touch screen, in which case the user can select and / or move elements on the game board with a finger or, for example, with a touch pen. The game can also be played using a pointing device such as a mouse or another interactive device such as a keyboard.

  The mobile device may have a touch screen interface, in which case the player can interact with the game using a pointing device such as a finger or stylus. Some mobile devices may have hard keys that complement the touch screen interface. Such a hard key may be in the form of a button or a joystick type interaction.

  Data is generated while the player plays the game. This data may for example relate to the game performance of the player or to game information relating to the social network to which the game is connected. This data can be collected and stored and used, for example, for game improvements. In one example, a database is used to store the average amount of time that a player challenges and fails to a certain level. This data is then examined and if the amount of time that the player fails before clearing a certain level appears to be significantly greater, the difficulty can be adjusted accordingly. In order to adjust the difficulty level, the target score at that level may be changed, the available time or the number of movements may be increased, or a booster for enhancing game play may be given to the player.

  Some performance indicator can be provided that is used to measure game success. These indicators may be related to, for example, player retention, game virality (popular explosion due to word of mouth), and game revenue.

  Those skilled in the art will recognize that the various techniques for implementing the game are not exhaustive and that what is described herein is some preferred embodiment. Various modifications can be made to the method without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

  The terms user and player are used interchangeably throughout this document and are not intended to use one or the other to denote a specific meaning, unless the context indicates otherwise.

(Match 3 switcher game)
In the following description, additional game components of the match 3 switcher game will be described. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that there are many other ways in which these ideas can be implemented, and that the present description is not limited to only one implementation. The following features can be used in combination with any of the new game components described above.

(Glossary / Terminology)
Game board: An area where elements are matched and swapped. Although the entire game board cannot be seen by the player, the player view can be changed by scrolling.
Game elements: All elements that appear on the game board.
Standard game elements: These are the six basic candies used to perform switch and color matches on the game board. Compared to special game elements, standard game elements do not have extra characteristics or behavior, and are only used to make color combinations or generate new special game elements.
Material: A game element included in a level where one of the goals for clearing the level is to drop the material element below the game board.
Jelly Block: A game element that is placed below other game elements and requires one or two matches on it to disappear.
Special game elements: All elements that appear on the game board and have specific behavior and characteristics.
Striped candy: A special candy having a line blast effect that means erasing one row or one column.
Line blast: The effect of erasing one row or one column.
Movement and score level: In this game mode, the number of switches before using up the number of movements is limited. If the score required to win at least one star is not reached, the level is a failure.
Jelly Level: In this game mode, the game board behind the candy is covered with jelly. Match the candy on the jelly to erase the jelly. If the entire jelly cannot be erased before the number of moves is used up, the level is failed.
Material Level: In this game mode, material appears on the game board. Collect these materials by taking them to the delivery point. On the side of the board you can see a recipe that shows how many ingredients you need to collect. If all material cannot be dropped before the number of moves is used up, the level is failure.
Time limit level: In this game mode, there is a time limit. If the score required to win at least one star is not reached before the time expires, the level is a failure.
Candy Order Level: In this game mode, the task of collecting a certain number of candy is imposed. This is done by erasing the desired candy. If you don't collect all the candy you want before you run out of moves, that level is a failure.
Bomb element: A candy wrapped in wrapping paper that erases candy in a 3x3 square area.
Wrapped candy: A candy wrapped in wrapping paper that erases candy in a 3x3 square area.
Color Bomb: Erase all swapped color candy.
Booster: something that enhances gameplay and supports, supports, or increases power or effectiveness.
Blocker: A special game element that cannot be swapped, and requires one or more matches next to be erased, which is an obstacle to dropping candy.

  Candy Crush Saga (trademark) by King (trademark) of game developer is a game that belongs to the category of match-3 games. That is, the basic principle of the game is to match three or more game elements having the same color. In Candy Crush Saga, these game elements are implemented as candy. 1 and 2 illustrate a Candy Crush Saga ™ level 1 implementation. You must match candy to clear this level.

  There are over 350 different levels in the game, but not all of those levels have the same requirements for clearing. Simply matching three or more game elements is not enough to clear all levels of the game, and players must also achieve specific goals. These goals are to reach a certain amount of points before using up the number of moves or time, dropping a particular game element to the bottom of the screen, erasing a certain amount of game elements before using up the number of moves, or It can be to collect certain game elements by a specific match before using up the number of moves.

  If the difficulty of the game goes up, there are various boosters to help the player clear the level. They can be purchased and acquired in-game or received as gifts from Facebook® friends.

  The game has a map view with the theme of Candy Land. The map view shows which levels have been cleared and how many levels remain to be played. Throughout the game and for each level you clear, the player travels through the map and follows the story of a girl traveling through Candyland. The map is divided into various areas, each area having its own candy theme and a small story associated with that area.

  If a player is connected to a social network by entering login details at an in-game prompt, the friend's progress is shown by the face photo displayed next to the highest level currently reached by friends on the same network Can be seen on the map.

  When a player connects to Facebook, a social network, during game play, the game automatically synchronizes and downloads or uploads the latest changes in game progress. For example, if a player can play a game on another computer via the Facebook platform, and the player subsequently decides to play, for example, on an iPhone, the latest update will be sent to this device. The As long as the player is connected to the Internet and logged in to Facebook via the game, the game will automatically synchronize and send data to Facebook, so the player can use any computer, iOS device, or Android It can be played on a (registered trademark) device, and it is not necessary to start the game from the beginning. This makes the place to play extremely flexible.

(rule)
(Basic movement and combination)
(Move)
To play, swap game elements in the shape of candy and move them on the game board. To earn points, the player must make a move that forms at least three matches of the same candy. Then, the player gains points, and the matched candy is erased. As a result, new candy is thrown into the game board to fill the resulting empty space. The game board is inserted according to the physical characteristics of the tile associated with each game element. For every candy erased on the game board, the points are always displayed in the same color as the erased candy. For example, three red candy is displayed with a red point, green candy is displayed with a green point, and so on. If the blocker element is erased, the point displayed is the same color as the match candy from which it was erased.

  Only swap movements that produce at least one combination of at least three game elements of the same type are possible.

(Limited number of moves)
In a typical game mode of Candy Crush Saga, the player is given a limited number of moves to reach the target level.

  In some implementations, an additional number of moves can be obtained with good game play.

(Game board)
The game board is a scrolling game board. The display displays a grid of square tiles, each with game elements, which show some of the levels being played (see FIGS. 5 and 6).

(Various goals to clear the level)
To add more diversity and make Candy Crush Saga (TM) a more dynamic game, players must achieve various criteria to clear different levels. These are called goals. Each level has one or more goals that must be achieved to clear that level.

(Achieving the set score before using up the number of moves)
One of the most common goals of Candy Crush Saga is to collect a certain amount of points before using up the number of moves. Points are collected by creating match combinations on the game board. The more combinations you create, the more points you have.

(Achieving the set score before the time is used up)
There is also a time-set level in the Candy Crush Saga. The goal that must be achieved at these levels is to collect a certain amount of points before time runs out. The more combinations you create, the more points you have.

(Falling material)
Some levels are referred to as material levels. There are two goals at the material level that must be achieved to clear this level.
The player must reach a certain target score before using up the number of moves.
The player must drop a certain number of so-called materials below the game board before using up the number of movements. When the material reaches the bottom of the game board, it disappears and is replaced by the candy above it. The material is a game element in the form of a fruit or nut and exists only for this particular goal. The material cannot be matched with other game elements, but can be switched with other game elements.

(Removal of jelly)
One of the most frequent goal sets in Candy Crush Saga is used at a level that includes a jelly block. A jelly block is a game element that is found under other game elements and requires one or two matches on it to be erased (see description elsewhere). The goals that must be achieved at the jelly block level are:
• Reach the target score before using up the number of moves (as explained elsewhere).
・ Erase all jelly blocks before using up the number of moves.

(Collect specific elements)
Another type of level that Candy Crush Saga introduced in various game modes is the so-called order level. There are two goals at the order level:
• Reach the target score before using up the number of moves (as explained elsewhere).
Collect a certain amount of candy by a specific match and achieve a difficult combo specified at the level you are playing.

(Balance mode)
In this game mode, the player is required to collect an equal number of two-colored candy in order to clear the level. Level goals can be shown on a scale with two different types of candy to collect on each side. When these numbers are unbalanced, one side of the scale begins to tilt, and the greater the difference, the faster the tilting speed. If one end is at the bottom, the level is a failure. A score is given to the player based on the number of moves made to collect the required amounts of the two colors.

(Crescend mode)
The goal of this game mode is to light up all squares / cells on the game board. In some implementations, the requirement to light up a cell is to combine the candy that is in that cell. In other implementations, to illuminate, the player must combine multiple candy in the same cell.

(Excavation mode)
In this game mode, the player is required to combine candy in a cell adjacent to the blocker for “excavation” at that level. Once excavated, the player can expose the object that was initially hidden.

(Multiple game mode)
All the game modes described in this specification can be used in combination with each other. For example, the requirement to clear one level may be to erase all the jelly and drop the material.

(basic rule)
(How to play)
If a player attempts a move with two candy that does not match at least two of the same candy, this move is not possible and the player must find another move.

  If you cannot move on the game board, shuffle all the candy again so that at least one move is always possible. If the player does not know or find a move that can be performed, the game helps the player by giving hints. The hint is displayed when the operation has not been performed for a few seconds, and is shown by brightening and exaggerating the movable candy with a light animation.

(Advanced rules)
Not only can three candy matches be possible, but more candy matches can also be performed. See FIG. 19 for various possible match patterns. More than 4 candy matches will give you more points, so the player should aim for this. The various acceptable matches include:
・ Three matches.
・ Four matches in a row.
・ Four matches side by side.
• 4 matches in a 2x2 square.
・ Five matches lined up vertically.
・ Five matches side by side.
-Five T-shaped matches.
-Five L-shaped matches.
-Match 6 or more candy combined with 4 rows, 5 rows, T-shape and L-shape.

  As can be seen from the list of possible matches, diagonal matches are not allowed. In some implementations of the game, diagonal matches and / or swaps may be possible.

(Combo for receiving special elements)
Matches made with 4 or more candy not only give many points, but also reward players with special game elements. Special game elements received from the combo have various advantageous characteristics that can be used to score many points and easily clear the level. The elements received from the various matches are:
・ 4 rows: striped candy ・ 4 in 2 × 2 blocks: fish ・ L-shaped or T-shaped: wrapped candy ・ 5 rows: colored bomb

When a match is made with seven or more candy, this combo can be a combination of four, five, L-shaped, and T-shaped. In that case, there is a hierarchy of types of special elements to receive.
-When the four lines are combined with the L-shape or T-shape, the special game elements received are the same as those of the L-shape or T-shape. The special game elements provided by the L-shape and the T-shape are the same.
If the five-line and L-shaped or T-shaped are combined, the special game element received is the same as that of the five-lined combo.

(How to trigger special elements)
There are two different ways to use special game elements received from combos:
Some special game elements are triggered by a standard match with two or more candies of the same color as the special game element.
Some special game elements are triggered by swapping any candy and place, regardless of whether match 3 was done or not.

(Combination of special elements)
Special game elements received from matches can be combined with each other to produce various beneficial effects that affect the game board. Striped candy, wrapped candy, and color bombs can all be matched to each other. To trigger these combos, you don't have to match on game elements of the same color, you can trigger them just by swapping them together.

(point)
The points awarded for various combinations and erasures of blocks are as follows.
・ 3 lines: 60 points ・ 4 lines: 120 points ・ 5 lines: 200 points ・ T-shape: 200 points ・ L-shape: 200 points ・ Destruction of jelly blocks: 1000 points ・ Destruction of frost blocks: per block 20 points-Destroying the chocolate block: 20 points per block-Dropping material to the bottom of the screen: 10000 points-Erasing other game elements using special game elements: 60 points for each element erased

(Game element)
(Standard game element)
In Candy Crush Saga, there are six standard game elements (see Figure 15), all of which look like candy.
・ Purple candy in the shape of flowers ・ Spherical blue candy ・ Green candy in the form of square blocks ・ Red candy in the form of tilted beans ・ Yellow candy in the form of drips ・ Oval orange candy

(Special game element)
Special game elements can be received from a special combo or automatically placed on the game board.

(Special game element received from combo)
(Striped candy)
(Method of generating stripe candy)
Striped candy is given by matching four candy of the same color side by side or vertically.
(Appearance)
The shape and color of the stripe candy is the same as the standard game element, but a white vertical or horizontal line is drawn. The color and shape of the striped candy is the same as the candy matched to produce it.
When four candy is matched side by side, a candy with a vertical line is given. When four candy is matched vertically, a candy with a horizontal line is given.
(effect)
A striped candy erases all rows or columns depending on whether it is made from a vertical or horizontal combo. The white line of the candy indicates whether to delete one row or one column. To trigger a striped candy, you need to match two more candies of the same color.
Striped candy erases all candy in one row or column even when the game board is divided into two or more separate areas. The player can thus erase the candy from areas where it is difficult or impossible to find a combination elsewhere. The effects of various game board designs are described elsewhere in this document.
(Animation when using)
When the stripe candy is triggered, the animation pops out from the stripe candy toward the row or column to be erased. This animation looks like a candy stretches into a line and pops out with a spark effect. In all the candy to be erased, the points given to each candy are displayed in the same color as the candy to be erased.

(Wrapped candy)
(Generation method of wrapped candy)
Wrapped candy is given by a combination of L shape or T shape.
(Appearance)
The shape and color of the wrapped candy is the same as the standard game element, but there is wrapping around it. The color and shape of the wrapped candy is the same as the candy matched to produce it.
(effect)
A wrapped candy is triggered by matching two or more candy of the same color. As a result of the trigger, two explosions erase the candy in the 3x3 square around the wrapped candy. The first explosion occurs as soon as the wrapped candy is triggered, and the second explosion occurs after all the candy has been erased and replaced with a new candy in the first explosion. If the wrapped candy is at the edge of the game board, an explosion will occur, but it will have no effect in the explosion area located outside the game board. When swapped with a color bomb, all candy at that level is destroyed.
(Animation when using)
When the wrapped candy explodes, an animation representing a spark effect and a circle of light is displayed around the wrapped candy.

(Color Bomb)
(Generation method of color bomb)
A color bomb is obtained when five candy arranged vertically or horizontally are matched.
(Appearance)
Color balls look like chocolate sweets. A round ball with multicolored sprinkles.
(effect)
To trigger a color bomb, just swap with one of the candy, match 3 is not needed. When a color bomb is triggered, all candy of the same color as the candy used to trigger it is erased.
(Animation when using)
When using a color bomb, blue lightning jumps out of the color bomb toward all candy to be erased.

(Other special game elements)
(Mystery candy)
(Method for generating mystery candy)
Mystery candy is randomly placed on the game board and does not require any special combination to appear.
(Appearance)
The mystery candy is a slightly slanted flat oval with a question mark on it. Mystery candy appears in six standard candy colors.
(effect)
To use a mystery candy, it must be included in a standard match 3 with the same color candy as the mystery candy. The mystery candy is then changed to any game element that can have an advantageous or adverse effect on the player. This may for example change to a striped candy or a color bomb, or it may change to a worse luck. This is, for example, a bomb that expands a chocolate block (see explanation elsewhere) or explodes after a countdown and causes the player to game over.
(Animation when using)
When used in combination with mystery candies, they burst and turn into arbitrary elements.

(Lucky candy)
(Generation method of lucky candy)
Lucky candy is automatically inserted on the game board when a pre-game booster is selected. The pre-game booster specifically adds lucky candy to the candy mix on the game board.
(Appearance)
Lucky candy looks like a flat sphere with a white check mark on top. This candy appears in all six standard candy colors.
(effect)
To use a lucky candy, you need to match two or more candy of the same color. The lucky candy will then turn into any advantageous game element.
(Animation when using)
When you match a lucky candy, it appears that the wrapping has been opened, and a new game element that appears hidden in the wrapping appears.

(fish)
(Method of generating fish)
The fish is placed on the game board by selecting a pre-game booster that specifically generates the fish. Fish can also be generated by making four candy matches in a 2x2 block. As the game progresses, fish may appear randomly on the game board.
(Appearance)
The fish looks like a candy jellyfish. This appears in the same color as the standard six types of candy.
(effect)
Fish are used by matching two candy of the same color. The fish then swims to any element on the game board and erases it. If there are jelly blocks or other blockers, the game will prioritize their elimination and then erase the candy present in the empty square.

(Polka fish)
(Polka fish generation method)
This fish is given when the fish is combined with a striped candy. Striped candy and fish need not be the same color. In addition, polkafish are triggered immediately and cannot be saved for later use.
(Appearance)
Polkafish looks like a standard candy fish, but has the same type of stripes as a striped candy.
(effect)
Polkafish turns any candy into a vertical or horizontal striped candy that is immediately triggered to produce a line blast effect.
(Animation when using)
In one implementation, like standard candy fish and wrapping fish, the generated polkafish swims out of view and returns with two polkafish of the same color to trigger the line Swim to the position of the candy that turns into a blast element. When you reach your destination, Polkafish disappears.

(Color change candy)
(Method for generating color-changing candy)
These candies are automatically placed on the game board. These may be candy that appear as a result when using mystery candy.
(Appearance)
Similar to a standard candy, but with a soft light around it, a rainbow animation passes through the surface of the candy.
(effect)
This candy switches between two colors each time it is switched on the game board.

(Teleporter)
This is a game element that is automatically placed in a fixed position at one end of a game board cell. Teleporters are typically placed in pairs on a game board. One of them functions as an entrance for the candy that falls down the game board through the cell edge where the teleporter is placed. The candy is then inserted into the game board on which the exit teleporter is placed. For this reason, if one candy falls normally in one direction from the top of the game board to the bottom of the game board, the teleporter will move the candy again above the game board or to another area of the game board. Can do.
Teleporters do not fall in the area where switching takes place and do not occupy space. This is not included in the color combination.

(Jelly block)
Jelly blocks are introduced into the game at an early stage. A typical goal to clear a level is to erase all jelly blocks on the game board. Alternatively, the goal to clear a level may be to expose a large game object positioned behind several jelly blocks, as seen in FIG.
The jelly block is disposed behind the candy and is fitted in a predetermined position. They cannot be swapped and will not fall if the candy below them is erased.
To erase a jelly block, you must match on it. A jelly block may consist of two layers, on which two matches are required for erasure.

(Candy Cannon)
This is a visible game mechanic. In one implementation, this can indicate where the appearance of licorice, bombs, and material is set.

(Special game element combinations)
Special game elements can be combined with each other with a simple switch. This creates a powerful effect that helps the player to score more points and easily clear the level. The various combos and received effects include:
• 2 striped candy • 2 wrapped candy • 1 striped candy and 1 wrapped candy • 1 wrapped candy and 1 color bomb • 1 striped candy and 1 color bomb • 2 color bombs • 2 Fish

(Two Striped Candies)
Combining two striped candy triggers two line blasts simultaneously. One row and one column are erased in a cross shape. See FIG. It does not matter whether the striped candy to be combined is horizontal or vertical. Column and row blasting starts from the moved position of the striped candy.

(Two Wrapped Candies)
Swapping two wrapped candy to each other results in two explosions, similar to a standard wrapped candy. The difference is that the area of the effect is much larger, erasing everything in the 6x5 square area or 5x6 square area. This depends on whether the wrapped candy is placed side by side in the horizontal or vertical direction.

(One striped candy and one wrapped candy)
Combining any striped candy with any wrapped candy triggers three line blast effects in the horizontal direction and three line blast effects in the vertical direction. As a result, 3 adjacent rows are erased, and then 3 adjacent columns are erased.

(One Wrapped Candy and one Color Bomb)
When these two are combined, all the candy on the game board is erased first. For example, see FIG. In FIG. 14, the color bomb is indicated by 140, and the wrapped candy adjacent to this is indicated by 142. FIG. 15 shows the effect of swapping the color bomb 140 with the wrapped candy 142.

(One striped candy and one color bomb)
When these two special candies are combined, all candy of the same color as the striped candy will be randomly turned into vertical or horizontal striped candy and then triggered immediately, filling the game board with line blasts.

(2 color bombs)
Combining two color bombs erases all game elements on the game board. However, the case where the game element is a multi-layer blocker is excluded (see the explanation elsewhere). If the game element has more than one layer, one of those layers is erased.

(Two Fish)
When two fish are combined, three fish swim from the position of this combination to three random positions on the game board. These fish erase the game elements at the three positions where they have swam.

(Coconut wheel and color bomb)
First, all candy that is almost on the game board is erased. After these candy is erased, the coconut wheel rolls on the board and turns all the candy underneath into stripes.

(Coconut wheel and striped candy)
With this combination, the coconut wheel rolls over the board, turning all the underlying candy into a striped candy that is immediately triggered.

(Coconut wheel and wrapped candy)
With this combination, the coconut wheel rolls, turning all the candy underneath into wrapped candy, which are immediately triggered and explode.

(blocker)
The game implements several different types of so-called blockers. Blockers are an adverse game element and get in the way when players want to match in various areas of the game board. The games described herein have new game objectives associated with chocolate blockers.

  The chocolate blocker not only blocks the space on the game board, but also proliferates to block a larger area of the game board. If a color combination is made next to the chocolate blocker, the chocolate block will not grow and the chocolate block will be erased. However, if a color match is made at a location that is not next to the chocolate block, one of the chocolate blocks on the game board grows and another space on the game board is filled with chocolate blockers. The space for receiving a new chocolate block is always adjacent to the existing chocolate block. However, which chocolate block comes on the game board looks random. If all the chocolate blocks on the game board are erased, no new chocolate blocks will appear. The chocolate blocker cannot be swapped, cannot change location, and is already in place. Chocolate blockers can only grow in cells on game boards where candy is present.

(booster)
The novel booster described herein includes a coloring candy and a side kick operated manually.

(In-Game)
(Game board)
A part of the game board is presented to the player during the play of each level of the Candy Crush Saga. The term game board refers to an area containing candy and other elements such as ingredients, jelly, and frost, and not a surrounding landscape such as a score meter or a heart indicating the amount of life left. The player cannot see the entire game board. Instead, the CPU can control the user interface to scroll the service board for the player.

  On the user interface is a voice control used for music and sound effects. The amount of movement left for the player to clear the level is displayed. Since the player's current score is expressed in absolute points and presented, the player can follow the game play. The star meter displays how many points the player has in relation to the default goal required to achieve a certain amount of stars. The game board is filled with regular candy in regular cells and / or tiles. The number of lives left for the player is displayed. Both the current level of the game and a symbol indicating what the level goal is are displayed in association with the game board. The physical properties of the tiles determine where on the board the new candy will enter if the existing candy is erased. In a part of the game board (upper part of FIG. 16), a new candy is generated from above and falls downward as indicated by an arrow. In the lower part of FIG. 16, the candy is generated from below and moves upward to reach a predetermined position.

  The player cannot see the entire game board. Instead, as described above, it can be scrolled up or down depending on how the game is progressing.

(Star Meter)
In the most basic version, this feature serves the purpose of informing the player during the game play by indicating the score level reached by the player. The score level is determined by the amount of points collected and compared to a predetermined level that earns one, two, or three stars. A star represents how good the player's performance at a certain level is. To complete a level requires achievement of at least one star. Achievement of two or more stars indicates that the player's performance is superior to the minimum necessary, and is a factor that helps promote the immersion of the game by making the player feel the improvement in skill. The amount of points required to achieve one, two, or three stars is predetermined and usually does not change at any level. However, in some implementations, the score required for different star quantities can be variable. For example, it may be correlated with the average score of all the players who are playing the game.

  In some implementations, the performance of other players is displayed during certain levels of play. In many cases this information is based on data from previously cleared levels, but can also be associated with levels that other players have tried but failed. The performance information can be obtained, for example, from a social network connected to the game, or more directly from a database associated with the game. In some implementations, players can see other players' scores in real time, increasing the competitive element of the game. Other players whose performance is displayed may be selected by the player, may be automatically obtained from the player's social network, and are based on other factors such as the performance of all players in the game There is also.

  In some implementations, the player can see an indication of a previous high score achieved at a certain level during play. It is also possible not to display the player's previous score.

  In some implementations, the performance of other players is displayed in association with the score meter. This can be both an absolute value display and a relative value display. The display can be in the form of a picture associated with the player. If a player exceeds another player's score or a previous best score achieved by the player himself, a message can be displayed to inspire the player and indicate this achievement.

  It will be appreciated that the present invention is not limited to displaying the performance of other players using stored scores. In one implementation, the player can see the scores of other players who are currently playing the same level while playing, and the display of the other players' scores can be changed in real time during game play. .

  The comparison of scores presented to the players can be given in percentages or points, and other indicators, such as play time or number of trials at a certain level, where applicable.

  The appearance of the level and the overall appearance of the virtual landscape can change as the player's performance improves. For example, after achieving one star during a level of play, the number displayed in the point score may change to a different color. The appearance of the virtual landscape can become more warm and colorful as you get more stars. The appearance of the game can change according to other variables, for example, the in-game view changes according to the remaining number of moves to convey a sense of urgency.

  The star meter also has other important functions. One is to show the social network friend's score on the meter, which is possible if there is data available. This increases competition and gives players the incentive to replay levels to win their friends' scores.

  Another function is to display the amount of stars achieved at each level next to the level in the map view. This gives the user an overview of the overall performance in the game. Also, in order to clear a level, the player must reach the point amount necessary to achieve at least one star.

(Soda crash end game)
At the end of a level, Candy Crush Saga can display the word “Sugar Crush” and output it in voice. In one embodiment, the first thing that happens after this display is that all special candies trigger each other to erase other game elements and earn points. Second, special game elements such as wrapped candy, striped candy, etc. are placed at random locations on the game board and can be triggered immediately to earn additional game elements and earn points . The number of game elements arranged on the board can be made equal to the number of movements remaining in the player when the level is cleared.

(Candy Fish)
In some game modes, the player is given a number of candy fish children for the remaining number of moves. Fish is proportional to the amount of movement remaining. The fish comes from outside the game board, finds the candy randomly, hits them, and erases them. The player receives a bonus score when each fish collides with the candy.

(Conversion of wrapped candy)
At a level where the amount of time for the player is limited, there are some candy with a “+5” mark, meaning that 5 seconds are added when popped. If any of these candies remain when time is used up, they are converted to wrapped candies and subsequently triggered.

(Before starting the level (pre-level))
Before starting a level, the player must select which level to play from the map view. An exception is when playing Candy Crush Saga for the first time, in which case level 1 starts immediately. When selecting a certain level, the player is shown information about the level. This is, for example, the amount of points required, the available boosters that can be used, the goal of the level, and the high score of friends who have previously played that level.

  The difference between playing a level first and playing a previously cleared level is that the player's previous best score is displayed along with the amount of stars achieved. Also, the character that tells the player what the target goal is by point changes according to the number of stars that the player has previously achieved. By setting the game in this way, you can enjoy it repeatedly, and the player always concentrates on improving, but not always too much at once. If the first goal presented is related to three stars, the player may feel that if the earned points are lower than this, even if the level is cleared, it is not enough is there.

  The player can select a booster that affects game play in some way before starting a certain level. Boosters are unlocked and acquired as the player progresses throughout the game, but more boosters can be purchased.

  You can also help them by sending life to friends.

(Post-level)
(Clear level)
When a certain level is cleared, the player is presented with a screen showing the amount of points earned, the number of stars achieved, and the previous high score of the friend.

  After the screen is closed after the level is finished, the player can be presented with another screen related to the performance of the level that has just been cleared.

  The player is presented with an option to share this information both on the screen after the level and on the screen showing that he has won a friend. The share portion is performed on a social network to which the game is connected. By sharing information such as which friends the player has won, virality is increased because those who inspire competition and who are not playing the game can see such messages.

  You can also help your friends by sending life from this screen. This can be done by clicking on the heart and letter icon next to the friend's name. A check mark indicates that the player has already transmitted life to the friend. The player can transmit life to any one friend only once within a certain time period, for example, once a day.

(Level clear failure)
If clearing the level fails, a screen similar to that shown when clearing the level is displayed. The difference is that on the screen when the level fails, a broken heart is displayed with information indicating the reason for the level failure. Level failures can occur for a number of reasons. For example, the minimum score for one star has not been reached, the goal has not been achieved, or a bomb has exploded. The player is notified of the reason for failure at that level. Understanding why a level has failed increases the likelihood that the player will try again to reach that goal. If you want to play the same level again, there is an option for that. In one implementation, the option to replay a failed level is presented by a visually prominent large button.

(Level progress and how to play the game)
(How to play the game)
Games generated using the techniques described herein can be played locally on the player's computer or on a handheld device. The game can also be played via the Internet. In this case, the whole or part of the game is downloaded and executed on the local machine, or is executed on the remote computer or server. The progress and results of the user's game can be stored locally and compared with the user and other players on the local computer. In alternative embodiments, progress and results can be synchronized directly with other players or via a server or social network or gaming platform.

(Cross device and cross game function)
In particular, the three platforms have changed the way people play games. These three platforms are growing simultaneously and offer new input possibilities. To date, the game has not absorbed all of the new input possibilities.

  The first platform is Facebook. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that other social networks may be used when referring to Facebook in this document. The Facebook game can be a social game, that is, a game played with a friend. On Facebook, it is rare or unthinkable to launch a paid game (ie play first). This is because people who play the game on Facebook expect to be able to access the game without paying money. The Facebook game can be played on the Internet after logging in to Facebook from a personal computer (automatically or manually), for example.

  The second platform is a smartphone. Smartphone usage is not always continuous. For example, a smartphone may be used for 5 minutes on a bus and then for 20 minutes on a connecting train. Use can start and stop over and over, and is different from people who work at a desk at work or at a desk at home. The smartphone can be of, for example, an iOS platform or an Android platform.

  The third platform is a tablet. The tablet can function as a mobile device and as a non-mobile device. A tablet can replace a personal computer. A user may desire a seamless experience of playing games using personal computers, tablets, and other mobile devices. The tablet may be of the iOS platform or the Android platform, for example.

  Games that run on multiple platforms, such as all (or more) of the above three platforms, can provide a seamless experience that is connected and fully synchronized. Multi-platform games are therefore important. The key criteria for multi-platform games are that they are free, social, stop-start repeatable, and provide a seamless experience. Such games can be “played anywhere”, eg, played in a mobile environment or in a non-mobile environment. Such games can be played online or offline.

  The game must be fun even when it is used repeatedly for stop-start or only for a short time. In one example, the game is composed of multiple parts or levels, each of which runs for about 3 minutes, for example 1 to 5 minutes. In one example, the game is organized into a plurality of levels, and when a certain game level is successful, such as by scoring a minimum score, the user can proceed from that level to the next level. In one example, the game has about 200 levels.

  The game can be optimized after release. For example, if it is clear that too many users are unable to advance beyond a certain level, the minimum score to clear that level can be lowered. Optimized games can be provided as application updates from an application store. Alternatively, if the user's game state is synchronized with the server, the server optimizes the game by sending to the mobile device a revised data file with the scores necessary to clear each game level Can do. In this case, the application running on the device can use the previous score file stored on the device with the score required to clear each level, or the revised score file required to clear each level. replace.

  Further, the progress of the player is synchronized between the devices, for example, between the handheld device and the computer. This is described in more detail in Appendix A. After the player plays on one platform and saves the progress, the player can continue to play seamlessly on another platform. The player can also play on an offline device and synchronize the game when a connection is possible.

  In some implementations, the player can be rewarded for playing the game on multiple platforms. For example, a player active on a computer-based platform can earn a bonus by installing the game on a handheld device.

  Also, the player can be rewarded for playing a number of related games, such as games from the same developer. If a new game play is selected, the player can receive a bonus in another game. This can be triggered by automatically detecting players playing two or more games by using a link from one game to another, or by sharing information between each other. Can be rewarded.

  In addition, games can share elements that allow a particular object, such as a booster, to be used in many games. These games may be on the same server or on different servers. In some implementations, boosters purchased at Candy Crush Saga can be used in other games that share certain features.

An example of performing synchronization between platforms is as follows.
For example, a first server, such as a social network host, has a first data store that stores data relating to the state of the game. The first server is configured to communicate with a first plurality of devices such as a mobile phone or a personal computer via a first application programming interface. The first plurality of devices is associated with the first computing platform.
For example, a second server, such as a game platform host, has a second data store that stores data relating to the state of the game. The second server is configured to communicate with a second plurality of devices such as a mobile phone or a personal computer via a second application programming interface. The second plurality of devices is associated with the second computing platform.
A third server having a third data store is configured to communicate with the first and second servers. These three servers are configured to synchronize the first, second, and third data stores, in which case all of those data stores are associated with the synchronized game state.

(Localization and updates)
The implementation of the game can vary depending on the area where the player is. For example, the language can be adapted and translated into various languages. Game updates can also be incorporated at different times in different regions to avoid interference with the time when the player is most active.

  When attempting to access the game online, unlike the start of the local version saved on the device, during the update, the player is informed by a message that the game is not immediately accessible at that time. Such a message is displayed instead of the game as a placeholder when the game is offline, during which the game can be updated with new features and software, for example.

(Some levels of progress)
The game can be implemented so that the player progresses through a number of levels that usually change so that the difficulty level gradually increases. The user interface can present a virtual map layout of the game environment and display it on a computing device used by the game player. As the player progresses through the game levels, the progress is expressed as a journey that follows a path in the virtual map. By expressing the progress state in this way, the player is provided with a further stage of game immersion, and an opportunity for virality and monetization.

  The virtual map is composed of a plurality of stages having various numbers of levels. The user travels between levels and clears the levels one by one along the route by playing the associated game. When the player reaches a certain level goal, the next level is unlocked and the player can play that level of the game. The number of stages and levels can vary depending on the implementation. It will also be appreciated that levels can be numbered consecutively throughout the game, or numbered within a single stage, but other ways of identifying the stage and level are possible. New stages for the virtual map 12 can be added at any time by the game designer. For this reason, a game may be released at, for example, 20 levels, and 50 or 60 levels may exist after several weeks.

  One way to unlock the new stage is to clear the last level of the latest stage. The user may encounter a challenge to unlock the next stage in the virtual map.

  In one implementation, helping three friends, for example, is needed to move from one stage to another after clearing all levels on a stage. The player can ask for help from a friend by sending an in-game message within the game environment or via a social network to which the game is connected, for example. The friend may already be playing the game and need not be a “new” player, but may be a friend who is not yet on the same social network.

  The player can also immediately access the locked stage by paying a fee. The player may use a combination of help from friends and payment of fees to unlock the new stage. In some implementations, when help is received from some but not all of the required friends, the cost of unlocking can be reduced depending on its ratio to the total number of friends required.

  When a request for help is sent to a friend, the friend has the option to approve the help. In some implementations, the request for help can be sent using a social network to which the game is connected. Alternative implementations send this request to someone outside the game (eg, via email, text message, instant message). The person must participate in the game to respond to the help request. This is one of the virality techniques implemented in this game.

  In addition to the virtual map layout, there may be other levels or stages that are not part of the progress along the path in the virtual map. Such a stage or level can always exist in the game in association with a virtual map, or can be unlocked if the user has made certain achievements in the game. This in-game achievement can be achieved by, for example, clearing a certain level, reaching a predetermined high score (for example, collecting a certain number of stars when a certain level is cleared, The user can earn 3 stars), or pay virtual money to unlock the stage or level.

  Map layouts can be used in games connected to or linked to social networks. It is common for a user on such a network to have an avatar, for example using the user's photo and / or the user's name. Such an avatar can be, for example, a sign or a portrait. It will be appreciated that there are various implementations to indicate where the user is currently on the map. This can be, for example, the latest level cleared by the user, the highest score level, or the last level cleared along the route traveled.

  In some embodiments, the user can be given the option of selecting which users to display on the virtual map. The user can select a user from friends on the social network, or the user can receive suggestions to display friends that meet certain criteria. This criterion is, for example, a friend that the player has interacted with most in the past, or a friend who lives in the same geographical area as the player. The user may have the option to make a selection from other people who are not friends on the social network but who meet certain other criteria.

  The user can play any of the unlocked levels on the map, so the user can go back and replay the already cleared level to get a better score or a friend's higher score Or can win.

  In some implementations of the game, a player will be rewarded for an excellent game play at a certain level, such as reaching a target score. In some implementations, the user must reach a certain number of points to clear a certain level, and reaching this target score can be represented by a symbol such as a star. In one implementation, a star shines when the user reaches a certain number of points at a certain level. The user can earn more than one star at each level and can replay the level to get a higher score.

  In some implementations, features can be unlocked by the total number of player stars collected in the game. The unlocked feature can be, for example, a power up, an in-game currency, or a bonus level.

  Symbols representing how well the user played at each level can be displayed side-by-side on the map.

  If the game is connected to a social network, or if the user is connected to other players in the game, the level presents a ranking table that shows who has the highest score in the user's connection. In some implementations, notification 11 can be displayed on a map where the user has the highest score among friends connected to the game.

  A certain level of game mode type or game goal can be displayed as a symbol on the map.

(Animation and dialogue on virtual map)
Virtual map landscapes typically have a sequence of animations that give the map a lively and dynamic feel. For example, on a map, a tree sways in the wind, an animal moves around, and a player moving from one level to another can proceed with an animation in which the character associated with the player is moving on the map. .

  In some implementations, the player can interact with an object on the map to trigger an animation. For example, clicking on a bird can cause it to fly in the air, and hovering over water can generate a wave.

  Further, any combination of a static map that responds to player input, a static map that does not respond to player input, a dynamic map that responds to player input, and a dynamic map that does not respond to player input is used. It is also possible to have.

(One-on-one tournament)
The game can be implemented to play through a series of consecutive levels with limited time, limited number of moves, or both. Several levels of scores can be collected to give the player a score of all cleared levels.

  In some implementations, a player can play a game in a one-on-one tournament against one or several other players. The player with the highest cumulative score at those levels is the winner of the tournament. In some implementations, tournaments are played while comparing player scores in real time, and in other implementations, player scores are compared after the level is over.

  The game can also be played in a jackpot tournament. In this case, the player plays the same level using the same type of game element.

  The game can also be played against other players in an elimination competition.

(Rewards and bonuses)
A game can have a scheme for rewarding and bonusing players. One reason for rewarding is to increase the player's immersion in the game and to some extent help monetize. For example, the player can give a reward for continuously playing for many days, that is, for being patiently dedicated. In other implementations, a daily bonus can be awarded, which is given to all players who play the game online on that day, or to players who have passed a certain secret position on that day. . By giving the player a sample of an existing booster, the player is given a free preview of the items that can be purchased. This can lead to sales in the long run, which helps to monetize the game.

(Virtual landscape)
The virtual landscape of Candy Crush Saga is presented to the player between levels. This is also referred to as “map view” or “virtual map” in this document. As the player clears many levels in the game, the player progresses along the virtual path and gets a sense of moving forward.

(Overall appearance)
The map view appearance is a physical foldable game board style, such as that commonly used in board games. However, since Candy Crush Saga is not a physical board game but a virtual one, the board is significantly larger than what can be displayed on a single screen. The player can view all available levels and scroll the entire map board at any time while in the map view. Having such a style gives you a strong sense that you are actually moving forward in the game as many levels are unlocked.

(navigation)
As you progress on the map in a game, for example if the map is too large, it may be difficult to find the desired spot or area on the map. As described above, the game level can be classified as “stage”. In one embodiment, a list of various stages of the game can be presented in an expandable tab. By clicking on one of the stages in the list, the screen jumps to the position of this stage on the main map and the player can quickly move on the main map. In this document, expandable tabs and minimaps are referred to as navigators.

(Hidden navigator)
If the player does not need to use the navigator, it is unnecessary to occupy this valuable screen space. Thus, in one implementation, the navigator appears entirely only when the player needs it. Other times are hidden and only a small part is displayed. When this small part is clicked, the navigator expands and is used by the player. Clicking on the same part again hides the navigator again. In one implementation, when the navigator is hidden, a small tab is placed at the bottom right of the screen that expands the navigator when clicked.

  In one implementation, if the player wants to jump to the farthest reaching position on the map, for example, there is a home button that takes the player directly there. Pressing the home button not only takes the player to the current position, but also hides the navigator so that the player can see the whole. Using the home button, the player can always find the active position in an instant.

  In another implementation, the player can be given filtering and multiple choices as to where to jump on the map. For example, an icon is provided, and the player can select which level to jump to by pressing it. Also, in one alternative, it is possible to receive a list of levels that meet certain criteria, such as all levels at which the number of moves is limited and the material appears, to which the user can jump. Filters can give many kinds of options.

(theme)
(Overall theme)
The whole theme of Candy Crush Saga adds a special atmosphere to the game. Everything is about a bright warm candy used in all animations and pictures. Words used to inspire throughout the game, such as “sweet” and “delicious” are examples of candy themes.

(Each area and level progress)
As the player progresses through the game, new areas / episodes are unlocked. Each episode is associated with a story and often has a mini theme that exists on at least some levels within the area. In the same area, the same background picture is used for all levels. When you reach a new area, the background image changes. Each episode has a specific color, which is used in the virtual landscape view to represent various episodes.

  All episodes have different names and each has a candy theme. For example, Candy Town, Candy Factory, Lemonade Lake, Chocolate Mountains, Lollipop Forest, etc.

  There is a series of levels within each episode. The level split between episodes is not completely linear. The first two episodes are each composed of 10 levels, and episodes 3 and thereafter are each composed of 15 levels. Therefore, the player can easily move forward at the beginning. This can be important to fix the player and immerse himself in the game.

(Route)
In the virtual landscape, the player follows the virtual path as the game progresses. After clearing a level, the next level is unlocked and the player “travels” on the virtual map. There is an indicator that shows what level the player is currently at. In one implementation, the indicator is in the form of an orange arrow that goes up and down.

  The virtual landscape is divided into a plurality of areas, each representing a different episode of the game. Episodes are colored differently, and one color is used consistently throughout an episode / area. The end of an episode is indicated by a special kind of obstacle, which can only be passed with the help of three friends or by purchase. If you pass this kind of obstacle, a blessing animation will appear as you pass, signaling the player to enter a new episode of the game.

(Unreachable area)
In the virtual landscape, the level that the player has not reached is displayed differently from the level that is already accessible. There is also a difference between the unreached level of an unlocked area and the unreached level of an area that has not yet been unlocked. As you can see, areas that have not yet been reached are displayed in gray. This is reflected by the fact that the virtual landscape actually changes slightly when reaching a new area, further increasing the experience for the player to gain a sense of accomplishment.

(Collaboration Blocks)
As already mentioned, there are special obstacles that prevent players from reaching new areas in the game. These obstacles are “cooperation blocks”. This means that the player needs to receive help from friends in order to pass. Help from friends can be requested via social networks, and the new area will not be unlocked until three friends accept the help. This is one method for increasing virality (increasing popularity due to word-of-mouth) and game immersion. By helping each other, the players can get a sense of cooperation, which is a competitive factor that reminds players how far their friends have reached.

  Instead of getting help from a friend, you can also pass to the next area by paying a fee. Even if you don't have the amount of help you need to pass without paying, you can reduce the amount you have to pay by having some friends help you. For example, if one friend helps, the player must charge more than if there is no help from the friend, if two friends help, if one friend helps You only have to charge a smaller amount, and if three friends help, the player doesn't have to charge.

  In the game, when the cooperation block is reached at the end of each episode other than the first two episodes, the player is prompted to select which friend to send the request to. Friends need to install Candy Crush Saga to get help, but can send requests to friends who have not yet installed.

  To move from one stage to another, you need help from three friends after clearing all levels on that stage. These friends may already be playing the game and need not be “new” players. However, it is also possible to purchase immediate access using virtual currency. Help can be requested from a friend by clicking on the “Request Help from Friend” button or by the “+” sign on the right side of the button. If a stage is unlocked by the help of three friends, all levels in that stage are also unlocked.

  The user can choose to request help only from selected friends or send a request to many friends. There may be a limit on the number of friends that a player can send a request, and there may be a limit on the time that a user can send a reminder or similar request.

  When a request for help is sent to a friend, the friend has the option to approve or decline the help. In one implementation, the request can be sent using a social network to which the game is connected. Alternative implementations send this request to someone outside the game (eg, via email, text message, instant message). The person must participate in the game to respond to the help request. This is one of the virality techniques implemented in this game.

(Mystery quests)
The present invention can implement a method of passing through a cooperation block, in addition to asking help from a friend and paying a fee, which is the most common method of passing through a cooperation block. This can be done using “mystery exploration”. This gives the player the option of clearing one or several tasks to unlock the block. Such a challenge can be, for example, playing one or several past levels that changed the goal in order to pass through the cooperation block. This is, for example, three levels, one for each lock.

  These challenges are typically in the form of replaying a previously cleared level, but there are new goals to reach, such as a high target score. In a typical implementation, the score requirement is higher than when playing the level normally, but no other goals must be achieved. For example, if the player replays the jelly level with a new high target score, the player need not erase the specified amount of jelly once the target score is reached.

  In a typical implementation, this option for passing through a cooperating block in a game is available in the following three cases: That is, the player is not connected to the Internet, the player is not connecting the game to a social network, or the player is not connected to the social network or the Internet. If the player is not connected to the social network or the Internet, other options available for passing the block, such as sending a request to a friend, cannot be used. However, this option can be made available to users connected to both social networks and the Internet.

  It is also possible to combine the methods of passing through the cooperation block. For example, if you clear one mystery quest, the player only needs to request help from two friends after the connection to the social network is established, or the player is too much to go through the cooperation block You can avoid having to pay.

  In some implementations, mystery exploration is not tied to a specific cooperation block. For example, if a player reaches a cooperation block, clears one mystery exploration, then connects to a social network and receives help from three friends, the player then chooses that option to pass the cooperation block When selected, clear two mystery quests. If the player clears another mission at that time and then goes ahead and gets help from friends or pays for a fee, the player will be leveled when he chooses a mystery exploration for the third time to go through the cooperation block. Just clear one.

  When the player chooses to play the mystery in order to pass through the cooperation block, the player is led to a screen displaying three symbols representing a task to be cleared. This screen also displays rules regarding which level to play and how much score is needed to break through the first task. In a typical implementation, the game randomly selects a previously cleared level and raises the score required to pass it. In other implementations, the mystery search level may be a new level that the player has not previously cleared.

  If the player chooses to continue exploration, another screen is presented to allow the player to select a booster. This screen is very similar to the normal pre-level start screen, the difference is that “Exploring Mystery” is displayed instead of the number of levels and that this is a Mysterious Exploration instead of three stars. A special padlock is displayed, and a special symbol indicating that this is a mystery search and not a normal level is displayed in front of the target score.

  If the player chooses to play the mystery search, the game proceeds to the game board screen and the player can start playing. If the player cannot achieve the target score, a pop-up displays the reason why the player failed. In some implementations that use a previously cleared level as a mystery quest, the normal goal to clear that level is displayed in the list with the goal score failure as the reason for failure. However, even if this is indicated as the reason for the level failure, as long as the goal score is achieved, the player will clear the mystery quest in a typical implementation, even if no other goal at that level is achieved. In other implementations, the player may need to achieve both a goal score and other goals to clear the mystery quest.

  However, if the player has managed to reach the mystery search target score, the level is cleared. When the mystery search level is cleared, the player is guided to a post-level screen that is similar to the normal post-level screen but has the same differences as the pre-level screen. After this, an animation that is a signal that the player has cleared the level, such as when the padlock changes from the locked state to the unlocked state, is displayed. There may be other ways of displaying the screen after the end of the level after displaying an animation to unlock the padlock.

  After clearing the mystery search and pressing “Done” on the post-level screen, the player is typically directed to the main mystery search screen. This screen then shows the player the overall progress of the mystery exploration, which typically consists of three levels.

  In some implementations, the player needs to wait 24 hours between clearing each of the three levels of mystery exploration. In other implementations, the latency may be shorter or not at all. It is also possible to use other criteria, such as earning more stars at a previously cleared level to access the next mystery quest.

  Typically, the player consumes life whenever an attempt to clear the mystery search level fails, as in the normal level. Also, the mystery search level may not affect the total life of the player, or may consume another type of resource such as a booster.

  It is also possible to use mystery exploration for reasons other than the passage of cooperation blocks. For example, there may be an in-game bonus level that can only be accessed by clearing the mystery quest. In some implementations, mystery exploration can be one way for players to acquire without having to purchase game boosters. Also, mystery exploration may be available only at certain times, such as every day or from 9 pm to 10 pm on certain days.

(Alternative way to connect to other players for help or other requests)
For players who are not connected to friends via social networks, or players who are connected but have a very small social network, one alternative is to connect to other players (if they want) Finding a proxy for the social experience that existing networks provide.

  It is important to allow players who are stuck in a cooperation block or other social interaction tool to advance the game. This is important to minimize the number of cancellations and make the game a fun experience for most players.

  One such implementation is to facilitate the installation of games using new channels, i.e. SMS, e-mail, Twitter, etc. This creates social connections and creates communication channels with those connections, thereby increasing DAU (Daily Active Users, ie, the number of service users per day) and causing game immersion. Also, this can increase profits by keeping the player in the game.

(Overall structure)
This alternative approach can be used for interaction when, for example, the player has reached a cooperation block or has used up his life. The game prompts the player to “seek for help” from other players based on player features obtained from some user, such as the region, the player's gaming experience. The player is given a prompt to get help using the generated but editable alias and "sends" the message. If the player's push notification (PN) setting is set to off, a request to turn on PN is included. The client registers the user ID of the player request with the server. The server randomly generates a response to accept the user request 5 to 55 minutes after the request. Also, PN is transmitted to the player. Thereafter, the player completes the single loop or request-PN-request acceptance. When a game is released, a help request can be received.

(Feature description)
Stand-alone players (players who have no or only a few “friends” connected to the game or social network) reach the blocker in the game and use this alternative technique to expand gameplay by asking for help A way to do is given. The player can select where to ask for help, such as by SMS, email, or Twitter.

  When the loop is complete, it is possible to receive the requested help and continue the game.

  This approach can be used for cooperation blocks, where a player can request life and request other help in the game. In addition, when the player sends an invitation to the game and the recipient joins the game, the invited player can receive a reward.

  A player receiving a request for help can click on a link on, for example, a mobile device or computer.

  The payee is directed to the link where the client device is detected to identify whether the player has already installed the game on the device. This can be done, for example, using a so-called URI (Uniform Resource Identifier) scheme as described below. If the recipient has not yet installed the game, they are directed to the appropriate web page or application store to download or activate the game. This can be, for example, an Apple or Android application store, or a Facebook application page. Different options are available to implement this functionality, and device identification can be performed on a particular device or server.

  The player who has transmitted the help request is notified when the requested help is received.

(Additional explanation)
If the player runs out of life or becomes unable to move in the cooperation block, a help request can be sent via SMS. SMS consists of short messages and links that describe what help is desired. Messages and links can be sent to one or more recipients. The link includes information about the person who sent the request, the purpose of the request, and a time stamp. When the recipient clicks on the link, the necessary help is sent. Since the use of the link is tracked in the database, the same user cannot reuse the link. If the player does not get help within a certain amount of time, he gets help from himself (someone seems to have helped them). This only rewards begging behavior and its use is limited.

The link payload consists of:
5-byte user ID
1-byte transport medium and request type 2-byte arguments (time stamp for life request, episode and level index for cooperation block)

  The data is then encoded in Base64, with “/” replaced by “_” and “=” replaced by an empty string. The link is a normal http link. Nothing is stored on the server side until the recipient clicks on the link.

  Push notifications are used to close the loop and are limited every 24 hours. In some implementations, push notifications are not required to send help.

(7.1 Notification)
The player can choose to receive notification of certain events in the game. The notification is “pushed” and may only be available when the player logs into the game. Notifications can be sent to both stationary computers and mobile devices depending on the platform selected by the player. It is also possible for notifications to span multiple platforms. For example, notifications can pop up simultaneously on both Facebook and mobile devices.

“Push technology” and subsequent “push notification” refer to communications in which a transaction request is initiated by an issuer or central server. This is in contrast to a “pull technique” where a receiver or client initiates a transaction request. Typically, a player can configure how notifications are received, for example, from a range of available options as follows.
Banner: The notification is displayed at the top of the screen, and if the player does not interact with the notification, it will automatically disappear after a time period typically set to a few seconds. The banner notification can display information about the notification or simply indicate which game the notification is coming from. In a typical implementation, a banner notification can be interacted with, for example by clicking. Typically, clicking on a banner notification leads the player into the game.
Alert: A dialogue from the player is required to turn off the notification. It typically appears in the center of the screen.
No notification: The player can choose to turn off all notifications.

In a typical implementation, the player can select which events are notified. In some implementations, the player may choose to be notified when a new mystery quest is available, or when the player has full life. In other implementations, the player can choose to be notified about a wide variety of events such as:
・ If you are overtaken by a friend in level progress.
・ If a score is defeated at a specific level or at any level.
・ When a new level is added to the game.
-When help is received.
• When help is requested.
A new friend from either a social network or game platform starts playing the game.
・ If you have not played for a certain period
・ When the game is updated.
• A new game from the same developer is added to the application store.
・ If there is a special offer in the in-game shop.

In a typical implementation, the player can choose to interact with the notification in various ways, for example:
• Temporarily make the notification silent but leave it available.
• Clear the notification completely so that it cannot be viewed again.
・ Go directly to the game and start playing. This can be done in some implementations, for example, by automatically starting a certain level when a friend loses the player's score at a certain level or when the player is overtaken.
• Respond directly to notifications. For example, when a friend requests help, the player can respond directly by clicking once, and can send help without actually going through the game interface.

  In some implementations where notifications are pushed, the player receives only the first notification in a push, and no further is displayed unless the player chooses to confirm the first notification. This is to prevent the player from getting frustrated with the notification or feeling out of control.

Notifications can also be implemented to synchronize across platforms. For example, when a player is notified of an occurrence, it can be sent to both the mobile device and the Facebook platform, but once the notification is confirmed on one platform, it disappears from the other platform. The notification can be transmitted, for example, by the following various methods.
-E-mail messages-Messages sent over social networks to which the game is connected-By messages sent on the game platform-For example by text messages sent to mobile devices-Telephone

(Stars next to level nodes)
In order to give the player a better overview of the game progress and overall performance, the Candy Crush Saga displays the amount of stars achieved at a level adjacent to the level node. When hovering over a level node, stars will appear next to the thumbnail instead of there.

(Social aspect)
(Connection to social network)
Games generated using the invention described herein connect or link with social networks or game platforms such as Facebook (TM) or Google+ (TM) so that various players can interact with each other. You can see the progress. It is common for a user on such a network to have an avatar using, for example, the user's picture and / or the user's name. Such an avatar can be a code or a portrait, for example.

  The social network can exist on a different server from the server where the game resides. It is also possible for the game and the social network to exist on the same server. In some implementations there is a direct live connection between the continuously synchronized social network and the game platform, and in other implementations the two platforms are spaced at regular intervals, such as when a player logs into the game. Be synchronized. For example, the player's progress when playing in offline mode (eg, clearing the level and score), such as when the player is moving in a tunnel, can be synchronized once the player is connected to the Internet.

  User and friend avatars can be displayed in the game or in association with various levels of the game to indicate the progress of the player. The avatar can also be shown in association with the player's skill level or high score indicator. In some implementations, the avatar can be obtained from the social network to which the game is connected, and in other implementations, the avatar can be obtained from a database associated with the game. The avatar associated with the user can vary depending on the overall progress or performance of the game. For example, an avatar may grow larger or visually advance as the player spends more time playing the game.

  Users can connect with other users of the social network as “friends” on the social network or as “friends” in the gaming environment. Players can interact with other players who are connected on social networks or playing the same game.

  The game can be implemented to synchronize game state information and / or to retrieve and connect to the player's social graph information and user profile on the social network. It is also possible to connect to a dedicated network associated with the game or game developer.

  The game can also be implemented to connect to multiple social networks. The user can be given the option of choosing what information to get and which social network to share it with.

  An example of how a game can be connected to a social network is the Facebook (TM) Open Graph API that allows websites and applications to be more than people, including photos, events, and pages, and their relationships. It is to extract information about many objects and enable sharing. This extends the concept of social graphs to more than just relationships between individuals and applies to objects that are not virtual people between individuals. A game can typically share in-game events such as a certain level being cleared, a player overtaking a friend in the game, or winning a friend's high score at a certain level. The game can also post events such as the player purchasing an object in the game or receiving an object from another player in the game.

(High score list)
When displaying the pre-level start screen, the high score of the friend is presented to the player. This gives you an opportunity to know what you want to do in advance and increases the competitive element in the game. Information about a friend's score is obtained from the social network to which the game is connected. This is important for further increasing the player's immersion in the game and somewhat increasing the virality, as it can always remind the player of other people's performance and provide an incentive for the player to make more efforts.

  In some implementations, each area in the game may have a “candy king”. This means the player who has the best performance in the player's network at the level of the area.

(Display progress of friends and players on virtual route)
Another feature in the game that adds to the competitive element is the display of friends' progress on a virtual map. Even if the player has not unlocked or reached the area in which the friend is playing, by displaying a diagram associated with the player next to the friend's current level, Can show progress.

  New players can be invited to play the game. This invitation can be performed via a game platform or via a social network to which the game is connected. In some implementations, the game suggests which players to invite. This suggestion may be, for example, whether the player has played other games from the same developer, is active on social networks, or is likely to prefer other games in the same genre, Can be based on. The proposal can also be based on data related to the social network, such as how often to interact with other players or how often to log into the social network.

  One aspect of increasing the competitive elements of the game is to be able to send messages to friends, for example regarding winning a friend's score or overtaking with overall level progress. In some implementations, the game prompts the player to send a message telling them that they have defeated a friend. This message can be editable by the player or can be a default version suggested by the game.

  This message can occur on the server that is the host of the game or on the server that is the host of the social network to which the game is connected. The information used in the message can be obtained, for example, from one of the databases to which the game is connected or from a database associated with the network to which the game is connected.

(Send gift)
One aspect of Candy Crush Saga that increases virality and player immersion in the game is that other players can be sent gifts to help them in the game. For example, a specific gift such as one life can be given free of charge. The option of sending free life is available, for example, via a screen before the level start and a screen after the level end. When the game is started, a list of friends sending life is presented to the player.

  After this screen, a new message is presented to the player. Gifts sent from other players are displayed below the message, and certain free gifts such as life can be easily exchanged.

  In some implementations, the game prompts the player to send life to other players that have used up their life. If the player clears the level after receiving help from a friend, a “thank you message” can be sent to the friend automatically or manually. This message can contain valuable items. In some implementations, a player who has helped another player may obtain other benefits, such as a special symbol or mark displayed next to the name. Being evaluated is another merit given to players who have helped others.

  In the mobile version of the game, a message is presented to the player upon login. The presented message may relate to a player receiving life and a friend requesting life. After receiving life from a friend, the player is required to send back life. If you choose to send your life back in response, your first friend who sent your life will not be required to send you another life back. Thus, this chain of events has two steps if the player starts by sending life without request. In step 1, the life is transmitted, and in step 2, the receiving side responds and sends back the life. If the player starts with a life request, the chain of events has three steps. The life is requested in step 1, the life is received in step 2, and the life is returned in response in step 3.

  It is also possible to buy gifts at the Yeti shop and send them to friends. Such gifts are in the form of boosters that can be used either during or before the level.

  An additional number of moves is sent to a player who is stuck at a certain level for a predetermined number of days / number of failed trials.

  Another way to help friends is to send an additional number of moves. This is not always possible for all players and must meet certain criteria. The criteria relate to how long a player has been unable to move at the same level. Selecting the "Play with friends" icon will present a list of friends. If some of these friends are stuck at a certain level for an extended period of time, the player has the option of helping these players by sending 3 additional moves for free. The option to send these moves is different from a booster that sends 5 additional moves. The difference is that the booster can only be used and obtained at a certain level, along with a small number of additional trips. This is one way of facilitating a high level of game difficulty by receiving help from friends.

  The game can also prompt the player to send additional moves to friends who have been unable to move at the same level for a long period of time. In some implementations, this period is two days. In other implementations, the criteria at which a player is stuck is related to the amount of time that a level has been challenged and failed. The player is prompted when the player logs on to the game, for example. This increases the immersion of the game by helping the player when the game is particularly difficult, and increases the cooperation between the players and the sense of the community. If the player receives an additional number of moves, this is indicated by a ribbon wrapping the level of nodes where the number of moves can be used.

  In some implementations, the player can receive help from a large number of friends. Help from multiple friends can be used simultaneously or sequentially. If a player clears a level after receiving help from a friend, a “thank you” message can be sent to the friend. This message may have various implementations, such as those described in the section above for a thank you message related to sending a life.

  Candid Crush Saga has a story that unfolds throughout the game. The main character is a small girl who goes around while helping and defeating various creatures. A sequence of animations appears at the start of the game and at the start of every new episode. These sequences tell the story of how this girl goes around the world of Candy Crush Saga and how to defeat the obstacles that appear in front of her.

  In some implementations, the area begins as a little dirty in a sad atmosphere and becomes colorful as the player's level progresses and fills with love and warmth. If the player gets more stars, the area will be even more happy and colorful, even at previously cleared levels.

(Invite friends)
In some implementations, the player can select a subgroup of all friends that can play, or filter the friends to display only the friends who are playing the game.

Friend selection may occur when a player sends a request to another player or seeks help. Its exemplary implementation may include:
-Pop-up for sending the number of movements-Pop-up for sending life-Pop-up for inviting friends-Other pop-ups prompting the player to select friends

  As one example, one implementation in which a player may select friend filtering may be based on predetermined criteria such as the level of interaction, skill level, or game progress that the friend has made in the past. These various criteria are indicated by pre-filtering in three tabs within the pop-up window in the game. This pop-up window starts automatically by the game or can be requested by the player, for example by pressing a button in the game.

  The list of friends can be populated only from friends of players who are active in the game or from friends on social networks. In one implementation, no friends are selected in the default mode. Clicking on a friend's picture or name selects that friend and a checkmark appears to indicate that the friend has been selected.

  The friends listed can be given priority in the order in which they are presented to the player in the list. One such criterion that the order of friends listed shows may be whether or not you have paid for something in the game. Players in the group can rank higher as the amount of money used increases or as the amount of money used within a specific time period increases. Another criterion may be that the listed friend was active in the game within a certain time period or at a certain activity level. Yet another criterion may be to rank the most people as the first, based on how many times the friends listed have received a total of game invitations so far.

  If the user doesn't have any friends playing this game, this tab can be given a new name "Friends playing other games" and apply the same prioritization to these game network players be able to.

  If the user does not have friends playing a game that meets this filtering criteria, the tab can be prevented from appearing.

  You can prioritize friends listed in different tabs. In the following, reference will be made to the “All Friends” and “Remind Friends” tabs, but those skilled in the art will appreciate that in some implementations this is also applicable to other filtered groups. Let's be done.

Prioritize your friends as follows:
1. A player who is charged by the game buddy network. CLV (customer life time value) order (highest CLV is number 1), then the number of invitations received so far in the current game (most people are numbered 1)
2. A player who has not paid a fee in the game buddy network. Order of CLV (if CLV is> $ x, highest CLV is number 1), then order of invitations received so far in current game (number of people with the most is number 1)
3. Non-users of the game buddy network (in the order of the number of invitations received so far in the current game.

  Ideally, this list should be easily reorganized. For example, in the first month we will focus on virality and give priority to game network players known as viral, but in the second month we will focus on monetization and pay a lot of fees. There is a case where priority is given to a player of a paid game network.

  You can stop urging people to be invited at some point and avoid sending spam emails. For example, a person who receives more than 10 invitations should no longer be on the list.

(Customize friend selection popup)
The friend selection pop-up can be customized according to two factors: That is, (1) the user viewing the pop-up, and (2) the current priority of the gaming environment in which it was implemented.

  For example, since the game team wants to promote monetization, the user's friends are arranged according to the payment of the fee in the “Send number of movements” popup, so that only the friend who pays the most appears in the popup.

The standard practice for pop-up display is to display all friends. There are several reasons for customizing popups:
-Increase fee payments (eg pay higher fees / prioritize CLV friends)
-Increase retention (eg give priority to inactive friends)
-Increase the number of requests sent (e.g. give priority to viral friends)
Increase notification CTR (click rate) by improving targeting (e.g., increase relevance to recipients).

  All of this gives game developers additional tools to optimize game performance.

(What information can be used for a typical implementation?)
Players can be ranked according to a series of scales. For example:
-Payment of fees (eg how much this player spent on in-game items over a period of time)
Virality (eg how active this player is responding to notifications, help requests, and other in-game viral effects)
-Activity (eg how active this player is playing the game, when the player last played, or how many levels the player played)

  It is also possible to combine these. For example, if a game team wishes to allow a payer who has passed a certain period of time to join the game again, the user who wants to display each user's friends in the order of payment in the transfer count pop-up, but has not been active for more than 10 days You may only want to display it.

(Example of implementation in the system)
There are many possible approaches. Customization can be done specifically for a game using only information about a single game (eg, a game can customize pop-ups using only game data). This information is stored in the database of the game itself. However, customization can be much more powerful when using data from all games and using data from the entire game buddy network. That information is typically stored in a database.

  Game specific customization-The server generates a ranking of users based on past behavior in the game, which determines which users the server sends to the client. The client simply displays the selected user.

  Customization based on game buddies network—Generate user rankings based on information obtained from a database covering all activities in the game buddies network. This ranking is stored in the system, updated at least daily and is available to any game using the framework. Each game server pulls the ranking from the system and decides which users to send to the client. The client simply displays the selected user.

(Music, sound and effects)
Candy Crush Saga has both music and other sound effects that are important to the overall atmosphere of the game. All sounds and music have the same warm feeling as color and animation.

(Sound and effect)
As soon as something happens in the game, the sound effect is always played, whether it is due to input from the player or some kind of automated event. For example, an automated event may be when the user starts a game and a pop-up appears and the player suggests sending a gift to a friend. When this pop-up appears, you will hear discontinuous sounds, letting the player know that something has happened. Another automation event can be before the level starts, and a message screen will appear telling you what to do to pass this level and then disappear automatically.

  Every object that can interact in a game always has a visual notification, a sound, or both, informing the player that something in the interface can interact. For example, in one implementation, when the mouse hovers over the shop icon, the icon is highlighted, begins to shake, and emits a short sound.

  The sound that is played to indicate that it is an interactive object is always unobtrusive, and the player will not even think about it unless someone points out.

  Sounds and effects are not only to indicate when an interaction is possible, but also exist when something is or is being interacted with. For example, clicking on a button creates a specific sound and sometimes changes the appearance of some of the available buttons. In one implementation, the play button looks like a wrapped candy and, when pressed, wrinkles on the wrapping paper around the button.

  Clicking on a candy to play a level will also give you a visual notification. In one implementation, the candy is highlighted so that the player knows which candy has been selected. In another implementation, a frame appears around the selected candy.

  When performing different types of switches, different types of sounds and animations associated with them occur. If the player tries to make an invalid move, one sound is produced, another match is produced when three matches are made, and another sound is produced when four matches are made. When the candy is erased, a small star animation appears in the empty space. This increases the visual feel of the game.

  The game inspires the player to make an excellent movement, and the sound that is generated when the special candy is generated is a triumphant sound, which can give satisfaction to the player.

  Triggering a special candy also creates a unique sound and visual effect. Multiple line and star animations are displayed highlighting how good it is to use them in the game and how much they can help the player.

  If you create a cascade of matches and drop them one after another, there will be more sounds depending on how many matches you made with a single move, along with “Delicious”, The messages “Divine”, “Sweet”, and “Tasty” are displayed. Along with these visual messages, a message is uttered in order to motivate the player and consequently increase the game atmosphere. The same thing happens when the level is cleared, and a voice and a message “Sugar crash!” Is issued to make the player feel that he is an excellent player.

Background music Music is always played while displaying a virtual landscape and while displaying a game board. In some implementations, different levels of music can be played during level play than when viewing a virtual landscape.

  Candy Crush Saga implements background music that creates a desirable player mental state to optimize game immersion, virality, and monetization.

Music is waltz.
Dance music-the human body tends to “dance” naturally (even if unconscious)
・ There is a strong beat almost once every second, and it feels that it is in tune with the heartbeat, increasing the sensation that the music is ringing even inside me. ・ Everything works at the subconscious level, and the player sings. / Enthusiastic about the game mentally / unconsciously while dancing • First few levels: whistle • Adding “human” sounds is a smart way. Add some realism to a game that tends to be fantastic / virtual • Acts as a question and answer (Whistles provide answers / answers to questions using the opening instrument)
・ Allows players to unintentionally input answers along with whistle
All of these increase the degree of passion for the game experience

(Music between levels (ie "This is your score" page))
An anomalous and annoying passage in anomalous mode-after gameplay happiness / light / cheerful music, in contrast, creates a somewhat unpleasant and frustrating sensation. Unconsciously speeds up the player and leads to the next game play screen where the “normal” timbre and harmony resume.

(Music speed in game play mode)
・ Waltz has 3 beats in 1 bar ("1", 2, 3 | "1", 2, 3 | "1", 2, 3 etc.)
Waltz's strong beat is once per second, giving a moderate pace impression, but the actual beats (1, 2, 3) are very fast (ie 3 per second). This speed of music puts pressure on the player.
Because of this, players are completely enthusiastic about the game and music, and continue to be rushed at the tempo of the music, so they can be urged to play quickly without knowing it (pressure, challenge, thrill, excitement, whatever they call, Increase). Still, there is a calm feeling.
・ The music experience is subtle, clever and effective.

  See, for example, the method and system described in US application Ser. No. 13 / 479,107, filed May 23, 2012, and incorporated herein.

  The systems and methods described herein can be implemented with games. In this game, players can see the game level location of themselves and their social network friends in a virtual path (or other virtual world), and game state information is via Facebook or other online social networks. Thus, fully synchronized between different platforms such as iOS, desktop, and Android, the player can seamlessly stop and resume the game on any of those different platforms.

(Various devices)
In some implementations of the game, the game can be synchronized across various devices or platforms.

  The game can be played, for example, in offline mode on the handheld device using information stored locally on the handheld device. The device can store all or some of the levels available to the player to play the game. Some of the features of the game can run locally on the device and may depend on the local machine. For example, when a game is executed and a life is recovered after a certain period of time, the time can be determined locally based on a clock on the device. In some implementations, the central game server clock can be prioritized over the local clock when the local device is synchronized with the server.

  The game may allow the player to know whether the available data in that embodiment has been synchronized with one or more central servers. This can be done, for example, by a colored symbol or check mark indicating that the information is current.

  The game can establish a connection with the central server for synchronization, or can also indicate, for example, that the network connection is down. That the device is offline can be indicated by a gray icon, for example.

(Various platforms (FB / Google +))
The game can be implemented to synchronize game state information and / or to retrieve and connect to social graph information and user profiles of players on social networks such as Facebook or Google+.

  The game can also be implemented to connect to multiple social networks. The user can be given the option of choosing what information to get and which social network to share it with.

  An example of how a game can be connected to a social network is the Facebook (TM) Open Graph API that allows websites and applications to be more than people, including photos, events, and pages, and their relationships. It is to extract information about many objects and enable sharing. This extends the concept of social graphs to more than just relationships between individuals and applies to objects that are not virtual people between individuals. A game can typically share in-game events such as a certain level being cleared, a player overtaking a friend in the game, or winning a friend's high score at a certain level. The game can also post events such as the player purchasing an object in the game or receiving an object from another player in the game.

(Features that can be implemented using the invention described herein)
Having various elements to combine in the game.
There are six different game elements (candy). They can be combined in three, four, or five rows or columns, a 2 × 2 square, or a T or L shape.

Have game elements of a certain size.
Each game element has a certain size, all of which are similar but not identical, making it possible to have a certain maximum number of rows and columns of candy.

Have a transparent area on the game board.
The game board is dark, translucent and is placed on a background picture that is tied to the game story.

Each game element has a specific area.
In the game board, each element has a square space. This space is defined by bright horizontal lines and darker vertical lines. These lines do not surround the entire square and there are gaps at all corners.

Add more obstacles and difficulty to clear the level.
Introduce new special game elements throughout the game to increase difficulty. For example, the layer must match and erase the candy covered by this layer (jelly). Or the block which cannot pass must be erased by matching the adjacent candy several times (frost).

Create another challenge for the level.
Most levels have two separate goals. One of them contains certain actions (erase jelly, drop fruit down) and the other is related to the score. This makes the game more challenging.

Reward players with points for combination matches.
The player is given points for each combination of three or more candies, enabling a high score comparison with other players, and challenging to raise his own score.

Show how many points the player has earned.
When the combination is completed, the point amount obtained by the combination is indicated by the same color as the candy used in the combination.

Gain a certain amount of points for erasing a certain amount of game elements.
Scores given to different combinations are not linear, and are designed to encourage longer combinations and more elaborate gameplay techniques.

If a player completes a level earlier than the requirement, the player is given a certain “scheme” form of bonus points.
Bonus points are awarded when the player finishes leaving the number of moves. These bonus points can be awarded by i) triggering the remaining special elements on the game board, and ii) randomly placing special game elements on the board and then triggering them.

Have items to erase 3 columns or 3 rows.
There is a booster that erases three rows by changing three candy to stripe candy. This booster is in the form of a coconut wheel.

Various combinations of game elements return special game elements.
A special game element is generated by combining specific candy combinations. To form these, four candy (striped candy) in one row or column, four candy (fish) in a 2 × 2 lattice, five candy (color bombs) in one row or column, and five candy L Make a combination of letter or T (bomb candy).

(A game element that, when combined with the same color, erases all elements in that row or column)
Color bomb candy is generated by combining five candy in one row or column. This item will erase all candy of a certain color (when combined with a normal candy), or all elements on the game board (when combined with a bomb candy), or the same color All candy is converted to a striped candy that is subsequently triggered (when combined with a striped candy).

(Game element that erases all elements within a given radius)
A bomb candy is produced | generated by combining 5 or 6 candy in L shape or T shape. This erases the elements within the three candy diameter rectangles.

Receive special effects when combining stripe game elements with each other.
Striped candy can be combined, and then one row and one row of candy are erased.

Receive special effects when combining striped game elements with bomb candy.
A striped candy and a bomb candy can be combined, and then the 3 rows and 3 rows of candy are erased from the combination location.

Receive special effects when combining two bombs.
Two bomb candy can be combined with each other. Then, each combined bomb candy erases a rectangle of five candy diameters.

Visualize the effect when combining stripe elements with elements received from L and T shapes.
When a striped candy is combined with a bomb candy, a special visual animation is triggered in the form of a giant candy first moving laterally from the origin and then moving vertically.

Have a combination that transforms other elements.
When a color bomb is combined with a striped candy, all other candies of that color are also converted into striped game elements and automatically triggered.

Have a map of the game and display it.
Players progress through the game levels, which are visually represented on the map. This gives the player a more tangible way to see the progress than if the level was simply represented by numbers.

Having an indicator that indicates what level the player has reached.
The highest level reached by the player is indicated by highlighting the corresponding node in orange. This allows the player to easily find the current level and easily visually recognize how far he has advanced.

Show that the game level or part is not yet available for play.
All levels available in Candy Crush can be seen on the map even if they are not unlocked. However, a padlock symbol is displayed to indicate that the level has not yet been unlocked and that it cannot be played at this time.

Have a welcome message displayed at the start of the game.
At the start of Candy Crush, the player is greeted with a message of encouragement. “Your adventure begins today! Click here to play Level 2!”

Have a tutorial.
Candy Crush gives a tutorial at the beginning of the game to guide players to new concepts. In particular, the basic concepts, possible combinations and various game modes will be described.

(Many game modes)
Various game modes help to make the game more diverse. Candy Crush gives at least 7 different game modes. That is, score, jelly, material, order, time, jelly bear, and lemonade.

Having a block that must be erased to allow the object to pass through.
There is a game element in the Candy Crush that must be erased to be able to pass through the space occupied by the object. These are in the form of frost blocks, and in order to be erased, it is necessary to match the candy next to them within a predetermined time.

Give players information about the chosen level and the option to use additional boosters.
Selecting a level from the map view displays information about that level and a number of boosters that can be purchased and / or activated for that level. The information includes a friend's previous score and instructions specific to the current level.

Display high scores of friends.
You can see a friend's previous high score before playing the level, while playing the level, and after playing the level (if the friend has played the level before). This increases competition and at the same time gives a sense of community.

Give the player the option to use additional boosters.
The player can select a booster before and during the level play. The boosters that can be used in these two situations are different. This makes the game easier and adds more depth to the game.

Share results with friends.
At the end of the level, the player gets feedback on how his score was compared to that of his friends playing the game. You will be given the option to share the results with your friends, which may be accompanied by a message with the words “I won your score”.

Show the player how well the level is cleared.
The player is given real-time feedback regarding the score during level play. This is done as the meter fills up. The meter has three different levels, represented by 1, 2 and 3 stars, respectively.

Have a nice looking icon to show the finished level result.
In the map view, the player can see the results of previously cleared levels in the form of the number of stars achieved at those levels. This is useful for a quick overview of the overall performance of the game.

Give the player the maximum amount of life that heals over time.
The player starts with 5 lives and fails to clear the level if they are used up. These lives are then replenished once every 30 minutes.

Have an algorithm for reshuffling and recognizing when there are no possible moves remaining.
Candy Crush recognizes very quickly that there are no possible moves left. When this happens, reshuffle the candy on the game board. When reshuffling, there is no automatic trigger combination. That is, three or more candies are not arranged adjacent to each other.

(Match 3 game with boosters that can be used across different platforms)
In a match 3 switcher game, players can see the game level location of themselves and their social network friends in a virtual path, and the game is via Facebook, between different platforms such as iOS, desktop, and Android. Fully synchronized, each level of gameplay can be enhanced through the use of acquired items.

  -Acquired items can be synchronized across all platforms on which the user plays the game.

(Match 3 game with object dropping mode)
In a match 3 switcher game, players can see the game level positions of themselves and their social network friends in a virtual path, and the game board can be matched with other switchable elements on the game board. One of the goals for clearing the level includes switchable elements and switchable elements that cannot be matched with other switchable elements, and a predetermined number of non-matchable switchable elements on the game board Interact with the game board to be placed in one of a plurality of predefined areas.

(Match 3 game with many different purposes)
In the match 3 game, the player must satisfy a plurality of criteria within a limited number of movements in order to clear the level. This criterion includes at least one of the following:
Achieving goal scoreElimination of matchable game elements, leaving a path for non-matchable game elements to reach a default area on the game boardA predetermined number of specific types stacked on the game board Erase game items. The game board has game elements that can be matched with each of the stacked game items. Each of the stacked game items can be erased by erasing game elements that can be matched at the same position as the stacked game items.
-Move the game object (bear in the bubble) to the default level on the game board.
-This game object is exposed by erasing a jelly block overlying a game object (jelly bear) that spans two or more tiles.

  FIG. 26 shows an alternative implementation. In this case, the new candy falls from the top of the game board, then changes direction to the right and then begins to fall upward again. The arrows in FIG. 26 indicate the direction of the falling candy.

  FIG. 27 shows another alternative implementation of a falling candy flow. The arrow indicates the direction of the candy.

Claims (30)

A user interface configured to display game elements operable by a user and detect user input when the user operates a game element;
Receiving the detected user input, controlling the user interface to delete at least three game elements from the display upon detecting a match game state, and providing a replacement game element on the user interface operable by the user And a processor configured as follows:
The aspect of providing each replacement game element uses a graphical representation determined by the tile associated with each game element, each tile having a selectable physical property, the physical property comprising: A computer device that controls at least one of a direction of movement to replenish empty space created by an erased game element and (ii) speed of movement to replenish the empty space.   The computing device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to select the physical property for each tile based on user input at the user interface.   The computing device of claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to select the physical property for each tile based on the display location from which the at least three game elements are erased.   A graphic controller connected to receive information from the processor defining the graphical representation and to supply the graphical representation to the user interface in the form of a video sequence based on the physical characteristics of the tile. The computer device according to any one of 1 to 3.   5. A computing device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the user interface is configured to display each tile with a visual characteristic indicative of a selected physical property.   The computing device of claim 5, wherein the visual feature is a color.   7. A computing device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the user interface is configured to display a separator between a first physical property tile and a second physical property tile. .   The tile of the first physical property moves downward from the top of the display to replenish a vacancy, and the tile of second physical property moves upward from the bottom of the display to replenish a vacancy. 8. The computer device according to 7.   9. The selectable physical property controls the direction for replenishing tiles from an outer portion of the game board to an inner portion of the game board, with either an orthogonal coordinate axis or a polar coordinate axis orientation. The computer device according to any one of the above.   The user interface is configured to display a container game element that changes the physical property of the displayed tile set, and the change in the physical property is detected by a match game state of a game element associated with the container element The computing device of claim 2, wherein the computing device is performed when performed.   The computing device of claim 10, wherein a game element is associated with the container element by having the same color as the container element.   The tile set in which the tiles are arranged in rows and columns, the separator extends across the game board between two rows of tiles, and the physical property changes according to the container game element is a tile for one row The computing device according to claim 7.   13. A computing device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the user interface is controlled by the processor to sequentially provide a visual effect to a tile set, thereby indicating physical properties of the tile.   The computing device of claim 13, wherein the visual effect is a highlighted or glittering effect.   15. A computing device according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the tiles are arranged in rows and columns and the visual effect is applied sequentially to adjacent rows.   16. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the visual effect is provided in a first direction for each row above the separator and not provided for each row below the separator.   The computing device according to claim 1, wherein the number of replacement game elements is the same as the number of game elements in the match state.   A game board of the game element is generated by the processor, but only a portion of the game board is displayed to the user, and subsequent portions of the game board are the result of a scrolling action displayed on the user interface. 18. A computing device according to any one of the preceding claims, displayed. A computer-implemented method for controlling a user interface in response to a user operation on a game element displayed on a user interface, the following steps being performed by a processor of a computing device:
Detecting a match game state of at least three game elements in response to user input;
Generating and displaying replacement game elements, each associated with a tile;
Selecting physical properties for each tile;
Controlling a graphical representation on the user interface that replaces the game element based on the selected tile physics characteristic;
The tile physics control at least one of (i) a direction of movement to replenish empty space created by the erased user game element and (ii) a speed of movement to replenish the empty space; Method.   The user interface displays a game board of game elements in multiple rows, has a visual feature that indicates the tile physics associated with each tile in a row, and all tiles in the same row have the same physics 20. A method according to claim 19, wherein the method has properties.   21. The method of claim 20, wherein a separator is displayed between adjacent rows of different tile physical characteristics on the user interface.   The method of claim 21, wherein a position of the separator on the game board is adjusted by user input, and the user input activates a container element, thereby increasing the number of tiles below the separator.   23. A game character is displayed on a tile having a first type of physical property, and movement of the character on the game board is affected by the tile physical property of a tile set surrounding the game character. The method described in 1.   24. The method of claim 23, wherein a target line is identified on the display and the purpose of the game is to raise the game character to the target line.   25. A portion of the game board is displayed on the user interface, and the displayed portion changes as a result of a scrolling action to display a different portion of the game board on a display. The method according to claim 1.   When the first part of the game board is displayed on the display, the target line is not visible to the player, and the second part of the game board is displayed on the display as a result of the scrolling action. 26. The method of claim 25, wherein the target row is visible to the player. A user interface configured to generate and display a game board having game elements operated by a user;
In response to a user operation on the game element, the user interface is controlled to delete the game element from the display when a match game state is detected, and a replacement game element is provided on the user interface. A processor and
A portion of the game board that includes the replacement game element is displayed, and the portion is controlled to change by a scrolling action, whereby a new enable portion of the game board is displayed and displayed before the game board. A computer device in which the marked part is erased from the display.   28. The computing device of claim 27, wherein the displayed portion of the game board is determined by a predetermined tile or selectable tile location on the game board.   30. The computing device of claim 28, wherein the tile is selectable by a user. A user interface configured to display a user game element and detect a user input when the user operates the game element;
A processor configured to receive the detected user input and to control the user interface to provide a graphical representation of one or more game elements upon detecting a game state;
A computing device in which movement of one or more game elements is controlled by selectable physical properties that control the direction of the movement.