Developer(s) PopCap Games Designer(s) Jason Kapalka Engine PopCap Games Framework | Publisher(s) PopCap Games Series Bejeweled | |
Platform(s) Windows
Mac OS X
Flash
HTML5
Palm OS
Windows Mobile
BlackBerry 10
Java ME
iOS
Android
Windows Phone
Xbox
Facebook
Nintendo DS | ||
Bejeweled is a tile-matching puzzle video game by PopCap Games, first developed for browsers in 2001. Three follow-ups to this game have been released. More than 75 million copies of Bejeweled have been sold, and the game has been downloaded more than 150 million times. Although the game is no longer downloadable through PopCap's website, the installer can be downloaded via the Wayback Machine.
Contents
History
The game was initially created by PopCap Games as a web-based Flash game called Diamond Mine, inspired by the gameplay of Columns and Shariki. It was reportedly successful for PopCap—a company formed in 2000. PopCap created partnerships with established Internet gaming sites such as Microsoft Zone to host Bejeweled as well. The name Bejeweled was suggested by Microsoft, who thought the original name Diamond Mine was too similar to that of an existing game, Diamond Mines.
The game has also been ported to other platforms, including Microsoft Windows, where it was called Bejeweled Deluxe, and iOS devices. Astraware produced versions for PDAs on the BlackBerry, iPhone, Palm OS, and Windows Mobile smartphone platforms. They also released Bejeweled Deluxe on the Xbox as a downloadable Xbox Live Arcade game. On September 12, 2006, it was released as one of the first games downloadable from the iTunes Store for the Apple iPod. PopCap also released a web app version of the game for iOS on October 11, 2007. On December 13, 2011, PopCap released a HTML5 version of the game, which is available on the Google Chrome Web Store for free. A HD version for iPad debuted in May 2012.
In 2013, the derivative Candy Crush Saga became the most popular game on Facebook.
In 2014 Bejeweled and Candy Crush Saga (along with many other similar match three games) were proved to be NP-hard.
Gameplay
The objective of this game is to swap one gem with an adjacent gem to form a horizontal or vertical chain of three or more gems of the same color. Bonus points are given when chains of more than three identical gems are formed and when two chains are formed in one swap. Gems disappear when chains are formed and gems fall from the top to fill in gaps. Sometimes chain reactions, called cascades, are triggered, where chains are formed by the falling gems. Cascades are awarded with bonus points. There are two variations of the game to choose from.
Although normally the player gets only three in a row for gems, sometimes they can get four or five in a row. And in rare conditions, they can get six, seven, and even eight in a row. But some versions of the engine do not register it. The player gets more points and sometimes special powerups from more than three gems in a row.