We spoke to a handful of friends and family to find out what’s feeding the sugar addiction for the free game Candy Crush Saga

1. Expe
Candy
Crush
Saga:
Why
are
we
hooked?

2. Expe
Sweet
tooth
2
Candy
Crush
Saga
has
topped
iOS
and
Android
app
charts,
and
become
the
most
played
game
on
Facebook.
With
this
in
mind,
we
spoke
to
a
handful
of
friends
and
family
to
find
out
what’s
feeding
this
sugar
addicDon...

3. Expe
3
Female,
24
years
old
Female,
18
years
old
Female,
53
years
old
Male,
38
years
old
Who
we
spoke
to
Male,
32
years
old
“I
go
through
obsessive
phases”
“It’s
very
addicDve”
“I
like
this
one
best
”
“I
enjoy
it”

4. Expe
4
What
we
found
out

5. Expe
5
“Playing
aQer
a
few
games,
you
figure
it
out”
I
just
skipped
[the
tutorials].
Long
tutorials,
I
just
skip
-­‐
I’m
geVng
used
to
how
these
games
work
“I
just
started
playing”

6. Expe
Our
players
were
drawn
in
by
how
easy
it
was
to
pick-­‐up
the
basics
Quick
&
easy
to
learn
6
“Playing
aQer
a
few
games,
you
figure
it
out”
I
just
skipped
[the
tutorials].
Long
tutorials,
I
just
skip
-­‐
I’m
geVng
used
to
how
these
games
work
“I
just
started
playing”

7. Expe
“Each
and
every
level
-­‐
it’s
something
different.
Some
levels
it’s
jelly,
some
levels
you
have
to
get
things
down...”
“The
levels
keep
me
interested”
7

8. Expe
...But
the
challenge
rises
And
these
incremental
challenges
keep
our
players
interested
“Each
and
every
level
-­‐
it’s
something
different.
Some
levels
it’s
jelly,
some
levels
you
have
to
get
things
down...”
“The
levels
keep
me
interested”

9. Expe
9
“When
I
can’t
be
bothered
to
read,
I’ll
play
on
the
bus”

10. Expe
Candy
Crush
is
always
on
hand,
which
makes
it
perfect
for
those
‘in-­‐between’
Dmes
of
day;
commuDng,
queueing,
waiDng
for
the
kecle
to
boil
10
It’s
in
your
pocket
“When
I
can’t
be
bothered
to
read,
I’ll
play
on
the
bus”

11. Expe
11
“Just
chilling
on
the
sofa”

12. Expe
The
short
levels
-­‐
over
in
a
macer
of
minutes
-­‐
also
make
it
easy
to
‘snack’
on
levels,
for
example
during
TV
ad
breaks
12
Second
Screen
“Just
chilling
on
the
sofa”

13. Expe
13
“It’s
cringe,
isn’t
it?
I
never
would
[play
on
Facebook],
but
I
know
lots
of
people
do”
“To
be
honest,
I
haven’t
really
noDced
it
much
on
Facebook”
“I’m
always
asking
for
more
lives”

14. Expe
14
There’s
plenty
of
discussion
in
the
media
about
the
social
network
success
of
Candy
Crush
-­‐
and
the
role
this
has
played
its
growth
But
only
one
of
the
people
we
spoke
to
used
this
plahorm;
perhaps
this
isn’t
the
magic
ingredient
Social
“It’s
cringe,
isn’t
it?
I
never
would
[play
on
Facebook],
but
I
know
lots
of
people
do”
“To
be
honest,
I
haven’t
really
noDced
it
much
on
Facebook”
“I’m
always
asking
for
more
lives”

15. Expe
15
“Word
got
around,
so
I
just
downloaded
it”
“We
talk
about
how
addicted
we
are”
“I
rang
my
sister
to
say
I’m
on
level
27,
but
turns
out
she’s
on,
like,
127!”

16. Expe
16
But
real
life
conversaDons
were
rife
-­‐
comparing
levels,
and
chaVng
about
the
game’s
addicDveness
did
help
recommend
the
game
to
new
players,
and
remind
others
to
play
Game
talk
“Word
got
around,
so
I
just
downloaded
it”
“We
talk
about
how
addicted
we
are”
“I
rang
my
sister
to
say
I’m
on
level
27,
but
turns
out
she’s
on,
like,
127!”

17. Expe
“I
got
stuck
on
a
level.
I’m
actually
debaDng
geVng
someone
to
complete
it
for
me”
17
“I’m
stuck
at
33
and
I’m
not
happy”
“I’m
on
level
23,
bit
put-­‐off
as
I
can’t
get
past
it”

18. Expe
“I
got
stuck
on
a
level.
I’m
actually
debaDng
geVng
someone
to
complete
it
for
me”
18
For
some,
a
tricky
level
leaves
them
stuck,
and
some
players
lose
interest
trying
to
overcome
the
same
challenges
SDcking
Points
“I’m
on
level
23,
bit
put-­‐off
as
I
can’t
get
past
it”
“I’m
stuck
at
33
and
I’m
not
happy”

19. Expe
AQer
the
sugar
rush
19

20. Expe
20
But
nothing
lasts
forever.
This
could
just
be
the
natural
conclusion
in
the
gameplay
lifecycle.
The
quesDon
is,
how
can
players
be
enDced
by
the
next
challenge,
and
moved
onto
another
game
that
gets
them
as
hooked?
AQer
the
sugar
rush

21. Expe
21
Sweet
success
• Be
quick
&
easy
to
learn
• Raise
the
challenge
&
complexity
with
levels
• Make
levels
short
enough
to
fit
‘in-­‐between’
Dmes
• Be
easy
to
talk
freely
about
(socially
acceptable
content)
• Work
as
a
second
screen
• Support
social
De-­‐ins
• Help
overcome
‘sDcking’
points

22. Expe
22
“Thank
you!”
ExperienceLab
have
been
helping
to
drive
innovaDon,
shape
new
products
and
services,
and
direct
strategic
thinking
for
more
than
forty
years,
and
we
are
proud
to
have
some
of
the
best
researchers
in
the
business
Our
staff
are
skilled
at
gathering
rich
insights,
based
both
on
people’s
real
life
experiences,
as
well
as
the
views
and
preferences
they
express
in
a
lab
environment
serco.com/experiencelab
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