Inside Candy Crush's Success Saga?

More than 12 Years, Candy Crush is still going strong. In 2023, it racked up close to $1 Bn in revenues with ~150+ Mn loyal users.

History

Candy Crush, the brainchild of Riccardo Zacconi got ideated when he was in a bathtub. During 2010-2015, games on Facebook like Farmville were on the rise. Ricardo saw it as an opportunity. He launched Candy Crush, primarily based on matching candies on browser games.?

It started gaining popularity. Within 8 months, it overtook Farmville as the most popular game on Facebook.?

When its app was launched the accolades started coming in, making it the most downloaded app ever on Android & iOS within 6 months.?

As Candy Crush was available on all platforms, switching costs were low. It was coupled with a habit formation loop that increased its addictive nature.

A simple innovation turned into a revolution.

Candies Mint Money

Candy Crush is based on a freemium model.?

Initially, they used advertisements to monetize the app. Within 12 months, they realized that it wouldn’t be sustainable in the long run.?

Candy Crush’s freemium model allows gamers to play it completely free till a certain level.?

The core gameplay of this game is to swap two adjacent candies among several on the gameboard to make one row or column of at least three matching colors.

This is coupled with In-App Purchases (IAPs) which are usually minor enhancements like boosters, weapons, levels unlocking, and chances per day.?

But, how does it trigger a gamer to increase transactions?

The answer: "Compulsion Loop"

It involves a habitual chain of activities that creates a neurochemical reward. The anticipation stage is where the dopamine is created. This drives motivation to continue playing leading to In-App Purchases.

These microtransactions help them progress in the game.

Candy Crush IAPs are priced to appeal to a wider audience. By bundling them, the purchase becomes more meaningful and repetitive

Brand Partnerships are also a revenue model for Candy Crush where they collaborate with franchises to promote new launches like characters, movies, or mascots.?

Gamer’s Behaviour & Usage

A marketer’s gut will never agree that a product can be targeted to everyone on Earth. But, the accessibility and mechanics of Candy Crush are designed for everyone to play.

Currently, the user demographics is 54% titled towards females.

?

A) Core Audience - The primary market centers around women aged 35 or above

B) Average User Age - Candy Crush players are 30 years old

Consumer/User Behaviour of Candy Crush can be summed in the following table:

Financial Milestones

Over the years, Candy Crush's user base has decreased, but its revenue has remained constant.

Candy Crush is a master of In-App Purchases. It has ~14.5k levels & ~950 episodes. Small transactions are clocking ~1 Bn $Mn revenue yearly.?

Providing a superior user experience is the only way to delight your users

The financial prowess of Candy Crush is unparalleled. It's addictive, so you'll keep playing it again and again.

Have you ever played Candy Crush??Comment what according to you makes it interesting.

#CandyCrush #Game #ConsumerBehaviour #BusinessStrategy