EP3086869A1 - Commande d'interface utilisateur de dispositif informatique - Google Patents

Commande d'interface utilisateur de dispositif informatique

Info

Publication number
EP3086869A1
EP3086869A1 EP15703759.9A EP15703759A EP3086869A1 EP 3086869 A1 EP3086869 A1 EP 3086869A1 EP 15703759 A EP15703759 A EP 15703759A EP 3086869 A1 EP3086869 A1 EP 3086869A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
game
player
physics
user
elements
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP15703759.9A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Magnus Hansson
Niclas Alftberg
Tobias Nyblom
Rikard Jaksch
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
King com Ltd
Original Assignee
King com Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from GB201401717A external-priority patent/GB201401717D0/en
Priority claimed from US14/183,997 external-priority patent/US9592441B2/en
Priority claimed from US14/316,274 external-priority patent/US9079097B2/en
Application filed by King com Ltd filed Critical King com Ltd
Publication of EP3086869A1 publication Critical patent/EP3086869A1/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63F—CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • A63F13/00—Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions
    • A63F13/80—Special adaptations for executing a specific game genre or game mode
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63F—CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • A63F13/00—Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions
    • A63F13/20—Input arrangements for video game devices
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63F—CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • A63F13/00—Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions
    • A63F13/55—Controlling game characters or game objects based on the game progress
    • A63F13/57—Simulating properties, behaviour or motion of objects in the game world, e.g. computing tyre load in a car race game
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63F—CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • A63F2300/00—Features of games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions, e.g. on a television screen, showing representations related to the game
    • A63F2300/30—Features of games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions, e.g. on a television screen, showing representations related to the game characterized by output arrangements for receiving control signals generated by the game device
    • A63F2300/308—Details of the user interface

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to controlling a user interface responsive to user engagement with displayed elements on the interface of a computer device.
  • match-three game An existing type of match-three game is a so-called "switcher" game.
  • a match-three game is a type of casual puzzle game where the player is required to find patterns on a seemingly chaotic board. The player then has to match three or more of the same type of game element on the game board and those matched elements will then disappear.
  • the player switches place onto adjacent game elements on the game board so that one or both of them create a chain of at least three adjacent game elements of the same type. Those matched game elements will then disappear.
  • the game board is then repopulated with game objects.
  • One such known match three-type game is known by the trade name Candy Crush. In that game, the game board is repopulated with game elements which are perceived as falling downwards onto the game board from the top edge of the screen from which the game is played.
  • aspects of the present invention provide improved methods of controlling a user interface in the context of a computer-implemented game of the match three game -type. They provide a solution to the technical problem of user engagement with a limited screen resource and/or improve user engagement.
  • One aspect of the present invention provides a computer device having a user interface configured to display user actuatable game elements and to detect user input when a user engages with a game element a processor configured to receive a detected user input and on detecting a match game condition to control the user interface to remove at least three game elements from the display and to provide on the user interface replacement user actuatable game elements, wherein the manner of providing each replacement game element has a graphical representation governed by a tile associated with each game element, wherein each tile has a selectable physics which controls at least one of (i) the direction in which it moves to replenish a vacancy left by the removed user game elements; and (ii) the speed at which it moves to replenish the vacancy.
  • the processor is configured to select the physics for each tile based on user input at the user interface.
  • the user input can be a deliberately generated user input to alter the physics of tiles which would then govern how game elements are replaced.
  • the user input can form part of the game play as discussed more folly in the following.
  • the physics of the tile which is adjusted as the direction in which a replacement tiles moves.
  • the speed at which a tile moves can also be adjusted, either by deliberate user input or by player involvement in the game.
  • a tile can be replenished at various speeds depending on how a player has played the game. This is, the game element could arrive extremely quickly, or could arrive more slowly associated with visual animations of its arrival.
  • the processor may be configured to select physics for each tile based on the location on the display at which the at least three game elements are removed. That is, part of the displayed game board is replenished with game elements according to one physics, and another part would be replenished with game elements of another physics.
  • the computer device can comprise a graphics controller which is connected to receive information for 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 physics of the tile. For example, the game element can be perceived as falling downwards or moving upwards.
  • the user interface can be configured to display each tile with a visual indication of its selected physics, such as colour.
  • the user interface can be configured to display a separator between tiles of a first physics and tiles of a second physics.
  • the displayed part of the game board may be shown in two colours representing two different physics.
  • the tiles of the first physics move in a direction replenish a vacancy downwards from an upper portion of the screen
  • tiles of the second physics move in the direction to replenish a vacancy upwards from a lower portion of the screen.
  • the lower part of the screen is purple referred to herein as "lemonade”. It could be termed water or soda or any fluid name. More generically, any highlighting nomenclature could be utilised. In the lemonade, the tiles move upwards.
  • the selectable physics controls a direction in any orientation of the Cartesian or polar axes for replenishment of tiles from an outer portion of a game board to an inner portion of a game board.
  • the user interface is configured to display a balloon game element which alters the physics of a set of displayed tiles when a match game condition of game elements associated with the balloon element is detected.
  • the balloon element does not need to take the form of a balloon - any container type icon would be suitable, such as a bottle.
  • the balloon "bursts" and causes more game elements to have the "lemonade” physics.
  • Game elements are associated with the balloon element by virtue of having a matching colour with the balloon element.
  • a red balloon will "burst", increasing the level of the "lemonade”: the separator will rise one or more rows up the displayed parts of the game board.
  • the tiles are arranged in rows and columns in one version of the game.
  • the separator extends laterally across the game board between two rows of lines.
  • the set of tiles whose physics is altered by the balloon game element is a row of tiles. Any other kind of set could be chosen, e.g. three rows, top to bottom, one column etc.
  • the user interface can be controlled by the processor to sequentially apply a visual effect to sets of tiles, thereby indicating physics of the tiles.
  • the visual effect can be a highlighting or shimmer effect, wherein game elements are temporarily enlarged and/or brightened.
  • the visual effect is sequentially applied to adjacent rows.
  • the visual effect is applied in a first direction in a set of rows above the separator and not in a set of rows below the separator.
  • the number of replacement game elements is the same as the number of game elements in the match condition. However, the number could be different - the location of a spawner can be set to replenish vacancies according to selected tile physics.
  • a game board of the game elements is generated by the processor, but only a portion of the game board is displayed to a user, with subsequent portions of the game board being displayed as a result of a scrolling action displayed on the user interface.
  • Another aspect of the invention provides user interface responsive to user engagement with displayed game elements on the interface, the method comprising the following steps implemented by a processor of a computer device; detecting a match game condition of at least three game elements responsive to user input; generating replacement game elements to be displayed, each game element associated with a tile; selecting a physics for each tile; controlling a graphical representation on the user interface of replacing the game element based on the selected tile physics, wherein the tile physics controls at least one of (i) the direction in which it moves to replenish the vacancy left by the removed game elements; and (ii) the speed at which it moves to replenish the vacancy.
  • the user interface displays a game board of game elements in rows, and wherein there is a visual indication of the tile physics associated with each tile in a row. All tiles in the same row have the same physics.
  • a separator is displayed on the user interface between adjacent rows of differing tile physics, the location of the separator on the game board can be adjusted by user input which causes the "balloon" elements to be actuated thereby increasing the number of tiles below the separator.
  • a game character is displayed on a tile having a first kind of physics, and movement of that character over the game board is affected by the tile physics of the set of tiles surrounding the game character. For example, the character moves up in the "lemonade” as game elements above him are removed.
  • a target row is identified on the display (for example, with visual targets such as rubber rings) and one game objective is to cause the game character to move up to the target row.
  • a portion of the game board is displayed on the user interface, the displayed portion varying as a result of a scrolling action to display different portions of the game board on the display.
  • the target row is not visible to a player, and wherein when a second portion of the game board is displayed on the display as a result of said scrolling action, the target row comes into view of the player.
  • Another aspect of the invention provides a computer device having: a user interface configured to generate a game board having game elements for display for engagement by a user; and a processor configured to control the user interface responsive to user engagement with the game element to remove from the display game elements on detection of a match game condition and to provide replacement game elements on the display, wherein a portion of the game board is displayed, including the replacement game elements, said portion being controlled to change by a scrolling action whereby enabling portion of the game board is newly displayed and a previously displayed portion of the game board is removed from the display.
  • Another aspect provides a method of controlling a user interface in a computer device to show a portion of a match three game board and to scroll the game board to show different portions responsive to user input at the user interface to detect and activate matched game elements.
  • Another embodiment provides a computer device having: a user interface configured to display user game elements and to detect user input when a user engages with a game element; and a processor configured to receive a detected user input and on detecting a game condition to control the user interface to provide a graphical representation of one or more game elements, wherein movement of one or more game elements is controlled by a selectable physics which controls the direction in which it moves.
  • Another embodiment provides a computer implemented method of controlling a user interface responsive to user engagement with displayed game elements on the interface, the method comprising the following steps implemented by a processor of a computer device;
  • a further aspect provides computer program products for implementing the afore-defined methods.
  • Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a game board of an existing version of a match three game
  • Figure 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating how a game board is repopulated with replacement game elements
  • Figure 3 is a flow chart indicating the operation of the replacement of Figure 2;
  • Figure 4 is an illustration of a scrolling-type game board with visual indication of different tile physics
  • Figures 5 and 6 are diagrams illustrating actuation of a balloon element
  • Figure 7 is an illustration of the successful completion of a game level wherein a character reaches a target row
  • Figures 8 a and 8b illustrate operation of a scrolling game board
  • Figure 9 is a flow chart illustrating a method of controlling an interface for the scrolling game board
  • Figures 10a, 1 Ob, 10c and 1 1 are diagrams illustrating operation of a manually operated sidekick
  • Figures 12 and 13 are diagrams illustrating operation of a novel game element
  • Figures 14 and 15 illustrate a novel game mechanic of swapping a multi-coloured booster with a wrapped game element
  • Figure 16a is a diagrammatic representation of tiles with different physics (up and down);
  • Figure 16b is a diagrammatic representation of tiles with different physics (sideways);
  • Figure 16c illustrates a data structure for managing the tile physics
  • Figure 17 is a schematic diagram of a computer device
  • Figure 18 is a schematic architecture diagram of a context in which a computer device can be utilised to play the game
  • Figures 20 and 21 show replacement tiles with sideways physics; and Figure 22 shows a novel feature objective with chocolate blockers.
  • Figure 23 shows an implementation of a novel game mode.
  • Figure 24 shows one implementation of a novel game mode.
  • Figure 25 shows one implementation of a novel game mode.
  • Figure 26 shows an alternative implementation of the flow of falling game elements.
  • Figure 27 shows an alternative implementation of the flow of falling game elements. Description of Preferred Embodiments
  • Figure 1 shows a display of a known version of a match 3 switches game called Candy Crush SagaTM.
  • Figure 1 illustrates a game board 2 with a plurality of game elements 20.
  • the game elements are each of six different shapes and colours.
  • Each game element is supported by a tile 22.
  • the tiles are not readily visible to a player of the game - the game elements are the main focus for a player. However, the tiles govern characteristics of the game elements which are visible to a player as will be described in more detail later.
  • the aim of the game is to swop game elements in the shape of candies with each other to make moves on the game board. To gain points the player has to make moves that create matches of at least three of the same candy.
  • FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating a process implemented by software in a processor for executing the basic game mechanic just discussed.
  • step S 1 the input made by a player on the screen is analysed.
  • step S2 the game rules are applied to see whether or not at least a three- element match has been created.
  • step S3 If it has not, at step S3, the screen indicates an illegal move to a user, and the player must try again. If a match has been detected, at step S4 an appropriate visual effect is generated for the display to denote the match and the disappearance of the game elements which have been matched. At step S5, new game elements are generated for the display, these game elements falling downwards to fill up the display from the top.
  • the so-called physics of the tile on generation of a new game board after each move is always the same in the existing version of the game called Candy Crush. That is, tiles drop down from above the game board at a set speed.
  • FIG. 4 illustrates a game board of one embodiment of the present invention.
  • the game board has two sections which are divided by a dividing line 40. In the upper section, the game mechanic is as just described with respect to Figure 1. If a match is made, the game elements are removed and replacement tiles with associated game elements fall down from the top of the screen into the new game board.
  • Players can control the location of the dividing line 40 with respect to the displayed area of the game board. That is, they can move the dividing line 40 upwards on the screen in accordance with a particular game mechanic involving the bursting of balloon-shaped game elements.
  • Figure 5 illustrates this game mechanic.
  • a balloon 50 has arrived on the game board and is thus available for bursting.
  • a match of game board elements of the same colour as the balloon needs to be formed.
  • an L-shaped match of red elements is shown as having been made on the left-hand corner of the display at 52. This match has been shown with a visual effect on the screen, and these game elements will thus disappear.
  • Figure 16c illustrates a data structure for managing the tile physics, and schematically illustrates the interrelation between the data structure 1603 and a rendering engine 1600 of the graphics controller 180.
  • the graphics controller 180 is illustrated in Figure 17.
  • the data structure 1603 can be held in any suitable storage circuitry, such as illustrated by memory 174 in Figure 17.
  • the rendering engine 1600 drives the display on a user interface 1602 which receives the video output from the graphics controller 180 illustrated in Figure 17.
  • the data structure 1603 is responsible for managing how replacement tiles are delivered to the user interface.
  • Each tile has a tile ID 1605.
  • the tile ID 1605 can define the location on the user interface where the tile is to be replenished, that is governed by the vacancy which has been released by gameplay. This allows the rendering engine 1600 to generate that tile at an appropriate location on the user interface display 1602.
  • Each tile ID 1605 is associated with tile data 1607 which defines how the tile is to be displayed, that is what game element it has associated with it, and whether it has any "blockers" in addition to or instead of a game element, or any foreground or background. Different alternatives for blockers, foreground and background are discussed later.
  • the tile physics 1609 is also stored in association with a tile identifier.
  • the tile physics can be modified for a particular tile based on activity at the user interface 1602.
  • the tile identifier which defines the location at which the tile is to be replenished, can have different tile physics associated with it, as modified by activity at the user interface 1602.
  • the modified tile physics is stored in the data structure 1603 so that at the next gameplay the appropriate tile physics is utilised to replenish that particular tile when the vacancy arises.
  • the physics of the tiles are predetermined by the game software in dependence on the location of the tile on the screen (in particular as to whether or not it is in the "lemonade").
  • players can use boosters and/or sidekicks to alter the physics of tiles in a more general way.
  • a sidekick can be provided which when enabled changes the physics of some or all of the tiles.
  • the tiles of whom the physics is changed can be preselected or determined by a user, or the result of game play.
  • altering the physics of a tile can change the speed or direction with which the game element can fill vacancies left by "matched" game elements.
  • the physics of a tile could affect how game elements bounce off one another.
  • Figure 4 illustrates across the screen a row of rubber rings 44. There is also illustrated a teddy bear 46. The requirement to complete this level is to release the teddy bear 46 from its bubble. This can be achieved by raising the level 40 of the lemonade to the row which contains the rubber ring 44. The "reverse gravity" effect of the game tiles in the lemonade enables the player to bring the bear up to the rubber rings. That is, if the bear was formerly below game elements, a match of those game elements would cause them to disappear and the bear 46 would thus move upwardly towards the rubber rings. In Figure 4, it is shown in the row immediately below the rubber rings.
  • Figure 7 it is shown in capture by the rubber rings 44 and thus being released from its bubble.
  • the transition between figures 4 and figures 7 has been achieved by swapping game element 20f with element 20g.
  • Figure 4 shows the gameboard 42 immediately after the player has provided the input to produce this swap.
  • the game element 20f is moving to occupy the position above the level 40 where a row of three green elements will be formed.
  • One of the green elements of this row 20h is a balloon, the matching of which will lead to a rise in the level 40.
  • Figure 7 shows the gameboard 42 after the level rise has occurred.
  • the bear has risen up the gameboard to encounter the rubber rings and be removed from the gameboard.
  • a record of the removal of the bear is made at bear icon on the left-hand side of the screen 48. This icon 48denotes that there may be more than one bear available to a player on any particular game board.
  • the game software is programmed to visually indicate to a player the physics of the tile by a shimmering or "Mexican wave" effect. Highlight could involve briefly enlarging or brightening game elements in the row. That is, the rows of the tiles above the dividing line 40 are each highlighted in sequence, so as to illustrate that game elements fall downwardly to the dividing line. Conversely, rows of game elements below the dividing line are briefly highlighted in a reverse sequence indicating that game elements arrive upwardly below the dividing line. Alternatively, no highlighting can take place in the lemonade. Scrolling Game Board
  • FIG. 8a there are two rows Rl and R2 illustrated at the bottom of the display, and note that the dividing line 40 occurs six rows above the bottom of the display. Above the dividing line there are three visible rows.
  • One aim of the scrolling is to follow the bear character 46 as though he is being followed by a camera. This improves user engagement and interest in following the fate of the character as it moves towards the target.
  • Other modes of moving the camera are available. It is possible to move in any direction in the two dimensional screen and to control the camera to centre on any particular tile based on a predetermined condition. For example, a condition could have the following components: same state; goal met; user input; booster. In some embodiments, user input can thus determine which character or tile to centre the camera view of the screen.
  • FIG 9 is a flow chart illustrating the steps taken by the software executed by a processor in delivering the game mechanics discussed above.
  • the user input is received at the processor from the user input device and analysed.
  • the game rules are applied and it is determined whether or not a match has been detected. If it has not then at Step S94 the screen indicates an illegal move. If it has, then the procedure flows to step S96 to generate a visual effect to the display to indicate a match.
  • the location of the match is detected, that is, whether it is above or below the dividing line 40.
  • the tile physics is identified based on the location (tile fall down or tile rise up).
  • step S 100 new game elements are generated for the display and arrive on the display using the tile physics identified in Step S98.
  • both the game element and the underlying tile colour are generated in dependence on where the tile is to be located (above or below the dividing line), which in turn depending on where the match was created.
  • step SI 02 the location of the bear character is detected to ascertain whether or not a scroll of the screen is required. If no scroll is required then at step SI 04 the screen view remains fixed. If however, a scroll of the screen is required then at step SI 06 the screen display is scrolled to show new rows of game elements to the player. The scroll of the screen is intended to keep the character at a centred location. Sidekick
  • Figures 10a, 10b, 10c and 1 1 illustrate operation of a sidekick in a match 3 switcher game.
  • the sidekick is denoted by reference numeral 100 and has an animated character within a frame 102.
  • the animated character can for example be a frog.
  • a charge bar 104 can be visually charged by game activity. That is, a colour bar can move from left to right indicating the degree of charge of the sidekick 100.
  • the change bar is changed by matching candies of a certain colour, for example, blue.
  • candy 20g has been moved to a 3-match location, causing the removal of candies 20s, 20h, 20i (see Figure 10b) and a corresponding increase in change of the charge bar 104, represented by an animated effect seen in Figure 10b.
  • the sidekick When the sidekick is fully charged as shown in Figure 1 1 , it can be activated by a user (by touch or mouse, etc.) and the effect is that the character, such as the frog 103 jumps out of the frame 102 and destroys all candies of the same colour as the sidekick. For example, in one embodiment the frog is yellow and the frog leaps on to the board and destroys all yellow candies.
  • Figure 22 illustrates chocolate blockers at 110.
  • the concept of blockers in a match 3 switcher game is described later.
  • a novel game objective is to destroy all of the chocolate blocks on the game board. This differs from the existing version of Candy Crush, where no such game objective exists.
  • FIG 25 shows the gameboard after all of the jelly blocks that were covering the jelly bear 241b have been removed. Consequently, the jelly bear 241b is no longer present on the gameboard, and the value of the counter 251 has increased by one. To successfully complete the level, the player must remove all of the jelly bears from the gameboard. There is, therefore, no need for all of the jelly blocks to be removed, as in previous implementations of the game, but only those that cover the jelly bears.
  • FIGs 12 and 13 illustrate a novel booster in the form of colouring candy.
  • the colouring candy looks like a sweet inside a bubble as illustrated for example at 120 in Figure 12.
  • the sweet is an orange sweet. Swopping a colouring candy with one of its adjacent neighbours will cause all occurrences of that neighbour to change into the colour of the colouring candy.
  • swapping the orange colouring candy 120 with a purple candy such as 124 will cause all instances of the purple candy all denoted 124 in Figure 12 to change into orange candies as illustrated at 126 in Figure 13.
  • Swapping Wrapped Candy According to another embodiment of the invention, a new dynamic is introduced when a colour bomb is swapped with a wrapped candy. This has the effect of destroying all the candy on that level.
  • Figure 14 where a colour bomb is denoted 140 and a wrapped candy adjacent it 142.
  • Figure 15 illustrates the effect of swapping the colour bomb 140 with the wrapped candy 142.
  • Figure 15 also illustrates the numerical scores that result from the destruction of the candies.
  • FIG 17 shows a schematic picture of a computing device, containing a Central Processing Unit 172 and Memory 174.
  • the CPU 172 acts according to input given from input devices 170, such as a keyboard, mouse or touchscreen via input parts 176.
  • Computer BUS 178 is used to communicate, both between input devices and the CPU, but also between different controllers within the computer device, such as a graphics controller 180 and a network controller. These controllers in turn communicate with external devices, such as a monitor for video output with which the graphics controller communicates, and the network controller communicates with for instance the internet, through wireless or wired connections.
  • a user can interact with the computing device through input devices, such as a pointing device (e.g. a mouse) and a keyboard.
  • the flow diagrams of Figures 3 and 9 are implemented in software executed by the CPU 172, that can be stored in memory 174.
  • the output screens are supplied to graphics controller 180 for supplying game video output to a user display 1602 ( Figure 16c).
  • FIG 18 portrays an exemplary overall environment in which the present invention can be utilized.
  • a virtual game is stored on for instance a game server 210.
  • the virtual game is to be played on a client device, such as a computer 240, 250 or a smartphone or other handheld device 260.
  • the client device can also be a kiosk, arcade gaming station, smart TV or other device with computing capabilities, input devices and a screen that can present the game to a user.
  • the client device communicates with a game server 210 and a social network server 230, for instance through the Internet 220 or other network.
  • the social network 230 and the game server 210 does not have to be located in different places, they could be on the same server or on a plurality of servers located in different locations.
  • An environment where the invention may be implemented is described in PCT/EP2013/060641 which is hereby incorporated by reference. People skilled in the art will understand that other devices than the exemplary ones listed can be also be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
  • a computer game can be implemented as a computer program that is stored and runs entirely locally on the processor of a PC, games console, tablet or mobile telephone or other computing device.
  • the game can be implemented solely as a computer program that is stored and runs entirely on one of many processors in a remote server, and data streams or updates are supplied to the client device (e.g. tablet, smartphone etc.) to enable the client to render and display graphics and sounds; this 'web services' approach is increasingly common.
  • Another approach is a hybrid one, in which back-end servers handle some elements of the gameplay, and for instance a Java game applet is provided to client devices and it is the locally running Java applet that generates the graphics/sounds/user interaction for gameplay on the player's client device. Some data may be fed back to the back-end servers to enable scoring, interaction with other players and cross-platform synchronisation.
  • the techniques described in this specification are not specific to any one game architecture but can be deployed on any suitable game architecture. The game can be implemented allowing a user to interact with it in different ways depending on the capabilities of the device which the user is accessing the game with.
  • a user can interact with the game through using a touch screen where the user can select and/or move elements on the game board with a finger or for instance with a stylus.
  • the game can also be played with a pointing device such as a mouse or other interaction devices such as a keyboard.
  • Mobile devices may have a touch screen interface where the player can interact with the game using a finger or a pointing device such as a stylus.
  • Some mobile devices have hard keys that complement the touch screen interface. Such hard keys may be in the form of a button or in the form of a joystick type of interaction.
  • This data can for instance be related to a player's game performance or to game information related to a social network to which the game is connected. It is possible to gather this data, store it and make use of it for instance to improve the game.
  • One example is by using a database to store the amount of times players try and fail a level on average. This data can then be reviewed, and if the players seem to fail a substantial amount of times before completing a level, the difficulty can be adjusted accordingly. The difficulty can be adjusted through changing a score target for the level, increasing the available time or moves or giving the player for instance a booster to enhance the gameplay.
  • Game board The area where the matching and swapping of elements occur: Note that the entire game board is not visible to a player but can be scrolled to change the player view.
  • Game elements All elements that appear on the game board.
  • Standard game elements These are the six basic candies used for making switches and colour matches on the game board. Compared to special game elements, the standard game elements have no extra properties or behaviour, they are only used to make colour combinations or to create new special game elements.
  • Ingredients Game elements that are included in levels where one of the goals to complete the level is to bring down ingredient elements to the bottom of the game board.
  • Jelly block A game element that is placed underneath other game elements and need one or two matches on top of them to disappear.
  • Striped candy A special candy with a line blast effect which means it removes one row or one column.
  • Line blast An effect which removes one row or one column.
  • ingredients will appear on the game board. Collect these ingredients by bringing them to their delivery point. On the side of the board you will see a recipe of how many ingredients you need to collect. If you do not bring down all the ingredients before running out of moves then you will fail the level.
  • Time Limited Level In this game mode there is a time limit. If you have not reached the score required to earn at least 1 Star when the time runs out, then you will fail the level.
  • Bomb element a candy in wrapped paper which removes candies in a 3x3 square area.
  • Wrapped candy a candy in wrapped paper which removes candies in a 3x3 square area.
  • Booster Something that enhances the gameplay and that supports, assists, or increases power or effectiveness.
  • Blocker Special game elements that are unswappable, need 1 or more matches next to them to disappear and are in the way for falling candies.
  • Candy Crush SagaTM by the games developer KingTM is a game belonging to the match-3 category of games. This means that the core basic of the game is to match three or more game elements sharing the same colour with each other. In Candy Crush Saga, these game elements are implemented as candies.
  • Figure 1 and Figure 2 shows one implementation of the first level in Candy Crush SagaTM where candies have to be matched to complete the level. The game has more than 350 different levels and not all of those levels have the same requirements to be completed. Simply matching three or more game elements is not enough to complete all levels in the game but the player has to meet certain goals as well. These goals could be to reach a certain amount of points before running out of moves or time; to bring down certain game elements to the bottom of the screen; to remove a certain amount of game elements before running out of moves or to collect certain game elements through specific matches before running out of moves.
  • boosters to help the player pass a level. These can be obtained from in-game purchases or received as gifts from Facebook friends.
  • the game also has a candy land themed map view.
  • the map view shows what levels have been completed as well as how many levels are left to play. Throughout the game and for each level completed, the player journeys across the map and follows the story of a girl who is journeying through the candy land.
  • the map is also divided into different areas where each area has its own candy theme as well as a small story connected to that area.
  • the game will automatically synchronize and either download or upload the latest changes in the progression of the game. For example, the player could have played the game on another computer via Facebook's own platform and if the player then later decides to play on for example their iPhone, the latest updates would be sent to this device. As long as the player is connected to the internet and has logged in to Facebook via the game, then the game will automatically synchronize and send data to Facebook, making it possible for the player to play on any computer, iOS device or Android device without having to start the game over. This makes the place to play very flexible. Rules
  • To play game elements in the shape of candies are swapped with each other to make moves on a game board.
  • new candies populate the game board in order to fill any empty spaces created.
  • the game board is populated depending on the physics of a tile associated with each game element. For all candies that are removed on the game board, points are always shown in the same colour as the candy that was removed, for example three red candies will show red points, green candies green points and so on. If a blocker element would be removed then the points shown would be in the same colour as the candies from the match that removed it.
  • a typical game mode of Candy Crush Saga provides the player with a limited number of moves to reach the level target. In some implementations additional moves can be earned by good gameplay.
  • the game board is a scrolling game board.
  • the display displays a grid of square tiles, each with a game element, showing a portion of the level being played (see Figure 5 and 6).
  • Ingredients levels Some levels are referred to as Ingredients levels.
  • the Ingredients levels have two goals which need to be fulfilled in order to complete the level:
  • the player has to bring down a certain number of so-called ingredients to the bottom of the game board before running out of moves. When the ingredients reach the bottom of the game board they disappear and candies above them take their place.
  • Ingredients are game elements shaped as fruits or nuts and only exist for this specific goal. They are not matchable with other game elements but they can be switched with other game elements.
  • Jelly blocks are game elements that are found underneath other game elements and need one or two matches on top of them to disappear (See description elsewhere).
  • the goals that need to be fulfilled on levels with Jelly blocks are:
  • Order level Another type of level Candy Crush Saga has introduced to their variety of game modes is a so-called Order level. Order levels have two goals:
  • the goal of this game mode is to light up all squares/cells on the game board.
  • the requirement to light up a cell is to combine a candy that is in that cell.
  • the player has to combine multiple candies in the same cell before it lights up.
  • players are required to combine candies in cells adjacent to blockers in order to 'dig' down in the level.
  • the player can uncover objects that are covered initially.
  • Match of five in an L-shape • Match of 6 or more candies in a combination of 4-in-a-row, 5-in-a-row, T- and reshapes.
  • Diagonal matches and/or swaps can be allowed in some implementations of the game.
  • Matches made of four or more candies not only give more points but also reward the player with special game elements.
  • the special game elements received from combos have various positive properties and can be used to gain more points and to easier pass a level.
  • the elements received from different matches are:
  • Special game elements can either be received from special combos or from an automatic placement on the game board.
  • a Striped candy is given by matching four candies of the same colour in a horizontal or vertical line.
  • Striped candies have the same shape and colour as the standard game elements except for that they have white vertical or horizontal lines on them.
  • the colour and the shape of the striped candy will be the same as the candies' which were being matched to create it.
  • Striped candies remove a whole row or column depending on if it was made from a vertical or horizontal combo.
  • the white lines on the candy indicate whether it will remove a row or a column.
  • To trigger a Striped candy it needs to be matched with two more candies of the same colour.
  • Striped candies removes all candies in a row or column also if the game board is divided up in two or more areas that are not connected. The player can this way remove candies from areas that otherwise would be hard or impossible to find combinations in. The impact of different game board designs are described elsewhere in this document. Animation when used
  • a Wrapped candy is given by having an L- or T-shaped combination.
  • the Wrapped candies have the same shape and colour as standard game elements but with a wrapping around them.
  • the colour and the shape of the Wrapped candy will be the same as the candies' which were being matched to create it.
  • the Wrapped candy is triggered by matching it with two more candies of the same colour.
  • the result of the trigger are two explosions removing candies in a 3x3 square around the Wrapped candy.
  • the first explosion occurs instantly when the Wrapped candy is being triggered, the second explosion occurs after all candies from the first explosion have been removed and replaced with new candies. If the Wrapped candy is at the edge of the game board an explosion will happen but there is no effect from the part of the explosion area that is outside of the game board.
  • all candy in the level is destroyed.
  • the Colour ball looks like a chocolate sweet. A round ball with multi coloured sprinkles on it. Effect
  • the Mystery candies have an oval flattened shape which is slightly tilted and with a question mark painted onto it.
  • the Mystery candy comes in the 6 standard candy colours.
  • the Mystery candy will then turn into a random game element which could have either positive or negative impact for the player. It could for example turn into a Striped candy or a Colour bomb, or it could turn into something less fortunate for example a spreading chocolate block (see description elsewhere) or a bomb that counts down and explodes to make the player game over.
  • Lucky candies are inserted on the game board automatically when having selected a pre-game booster which specifically adds Lucky candies to the candy mix on the game board.
  • the Lucky candy looks like a flattened sphere with a white tick mark painted on top of it.
  • the candy comes in all the 6 standard candy colours.
  • the Lucky candy To use the Lucky candy it need to be matched with two more candies of the same colour. The Lucky candy will then turn into a random positive game element.
  • Fishes are placed on the game board by selecting a pre-game booster that specifically does so. They can also be created by creating a match of 4 candies in a 2x2 block. Further ahead in the game the Fish can also appear randomly on the game board.
  • the fish is used by matching it with two more candies of the same colour. Doing so will cause the fish to swims towards a random element on the gameboard and remove it. If there are Jelly blocks or other blockers then the game will prioritize to remove those before removing a candy that stands on an empty square.
  • the Polka fish looks like a standard candy Fish but with the same kind of stripes as the Striped candy.
  • the Polka fish turns a random candy into a vertical or horizontal striped candy which in turn is instantly triggered and creates a line blast effect.
  • the created Polka fish swims out of view and retums with two more Polka fishes of the same colour which then swims to the position of the candies that are to be turned into triggered line blast elements. Having reached their destination the Polka fishes disappear.
  • the candy changes between two colours for every switch made on the game board.
  • the teleporter will typically be placed on the game board in pairs where one of the teleporters act as an entry point for candies falling on the game board across the cell edge where the teleporter sits. The candy will then be introduced on the game board where the exit point teleporter sits. So if a candy is normally falling one way from the top of the game board to the bottom of the game board, the teleporter can move a candy up the game board again or to another area of the game board. The teleporter does not fall down or take space on the area where switching is done and it is never included in any colour combinations.
  • Jelly blocks are introduced early in the game and a typical goal to complete a level is to remove all Jelly blocks on the game board.
  • the goal to complete a level may be to uncover larger game objects that are positioned behind several jelly blocks as seen in figure 17.
  • Jelly blocks are placed behind candies and are stuck into place. They cannot be swapped and they do not fall down if candies below them are being removed. To remove a Jelly block a match has to be made on top of it. Sometimes Jelly blocks consist of two layers and then they need two matches on top of them to be removed.
  • Special game elements can be combined with each other through a simple switch. Doing so creates powerful effects that help the player earn more points and to easier pass a level.
  • Striped candies Combining two Striped candies will trigger two simultaneous line blasts where one row and one column is removed in a cross shaped way, see Figure 24. It does not matter if the Striped candies combined are horizontal or vertical. The column and row blasts will be initiated from the position which the moved striped candy has been moved to.
  • Combing two fish causes three fish to swim out from the position of the combination to three random locations on the gameboard.
  • the fishes remove the game elements at the three position that they swim to.
  • Blockers are negative game elements that are in the way for the player when wanting to make matches on different areas of the game board.
  • the game described herein has a new game objective associated with a Chocolate blocker.
  • the Chocolate blocker not only blocks a space on the game board but also multiplies to block even larger areas of the game board. If a colour combination is made next to a Chocolate blocker then no Chocolate block will multiply and that Chocolate block will be removed. However, if a colour match is made and is not next to a chocolate block then one of the Chocolate blocks on the game board will multiply and another space on the game board will be filled with a Chocolate blocker.
  • Novel boosters discussed herein include the colouring candy and the Manually Operated Sidekick.
  • game board signifies the area that contains candies and other elements such as ingredients, jelly and frosting, not the surrounding landscape such as the score meter and the heart showing the amount of lives left.
  • the entire game board is not visible to a player; instead the CPU can control the user interface to scroll the service board to a player.
  • the amount of moves the player has left to complete the level is shown.
  • the current score of the player, expressed in absolute points is presented so that the player may follow the gameplay.
  • the star meter showing an indication of how much points the player has in relation to the pre-defined goals required for achieving a certain amount of stars.
  • the game board is populated with regular candies in regular cells and or tiles. The number of lives the player has left is shown. Both the current level of the game and a symbol indicating what the goal of the level is are shown in relation to the game board.
  • the physics of a tile governs where new candies enter onto the board when existing ones are removed. For part of the game board (upper part in Figure 16) new candies are generated from the top and fall downwards as shown by the arrows, and for the lower part in Figure 16 candies are generated from the bottom and move into place upwards.
  • the entire game board is not visible to a player: instead it can scroll upwards or downwards depending how the game progresses as described earlier.
  • this feature serves the purpose of letting players know their performance while playing the game by showing which level of score they have accomplished.
  • the level of score is determined by the amount of points gathered and compared against predefined levels that will earn the player one, two or three stars.
  • Stars are a representation of how well a player is performing on a level. Achieving at least one star is required to pass a level. Achieving more than one stars indicates that a player is performing better than the minimum required and is a factor that helps drive engagement by making players feel more skilled.
  • the amount of points required to achieve one, two or three stars is pre-defined and typically does not change for any level.
  • a variable score required for different amounts of stars for instance one that is correlated with the average scores of all players playing the game.
  • the other players whose performance will be displayed is sometimes chosen by the player, sometimes automatically derived from a social network of the player, and other times it can be based on other elements, such as the performance of all players of the game.
  • the player can see indications of the previous high score achieved on a level while playing it. It is also possible that no indication of the player's own previous score is shown.
  • the indications of the performance of other players are shown in relation to the score meter. It can be both absolute and relative indications.
  • the indications can be in the form of pictures associated with the players. When the player passes the score of another player or the previous best score the player has achieved, a message can be shown to encourage the player and denote the accomplishment. It should be understood that the invention is not limited to using stored scores to show the performance of other players.
  • players can see the scores of other players currently playing the same level while they are playing it, making it so that the indications of other players' scores can be moving in real time during the play of a game.
  • the score comparisons presented to the player can be given in percentages, points and when applicable other indicators, for instance time played or number of attempts on a level.
  • the look of a level can change as the player performs better. For instance, after achieving one star during the play of a level, the digits shown when scoring points can turn into a different colour. The lookout of the virtual landscape can become warmer and more vibrant as more stars are gained. The look of the game can change according to other variables as well, such as the in-game view changing depending on how many moves are left in order to convey a sense of urgency.
  • the Star Meter also has other important functions. One is that the score of friends from a social network is shown on the meter, if there is data available. This increases competition and incentivises players to replay levels in order to beat the score of friends.
  • Another function is that the amount of stars achieved on each level is shown next to the levels on the map view. This gives players an overview of their overall performance in the game. Also, in order to complete a level the player needs to reach the amount of points needed to achieve at least one star.
  • Candy Crush Saga may display the words "Sugar Crush” accompanied by audio saying the words.
  • the first thing that happens after this display is that all special candies trigger one after another, removing other game elements and gaining points.
  • the special game elements - such as wrapped candies, stripped candies, etc - may be placed on the gameboard in random position and instantly triggered, removing further game elements and gaining points.
  • the number of game elements placed on the board may be equal to the number of moves that remain to the player upon completion of the level.
  • players are awarded for their remaining moves by a number of candy fish spawning.
  • the fish are proportional to the amount of remaining moves left.
  • the fish come from outside the game board and randomly seek out candies, which are removed upon impact.
  • Players receive bonus score for when each fish hits a candy.
  • a difference between playing a level for the first time and playing a previously completed level is that the previous best score of the player is displayed, together with the amount of stars achieved. Also, the text that is telling the player what the target goal is, in terms of points, is changed depending on how many stars the players has achieved before. Having the game set up in this way increases rep lay ability by making players focus on always improving, but not necessarily too much at a time. If the first goal presented was the one correlating to three stars, players could feel inadequate if they get less points than that, even if the level was completed.
  • boosters that will in some way affect the game play, before starting a level. Boosters are unlocked and gained as the player progresses throughout the game, but it is also possible to purchase more boosters.
  • the player When completing a level, the player is presented with a screen that shows the amount of points gained, the amount of stars achieved and the previous high scores of friends.
  • the player may be presented with yet another screen related to the performance of the just completed level.
  • Both the Post-level screen and the screen that shows when a friend has been beaten present the player with an option to share this information.
  • the sharing part is done on a social network to which the game is connected. By sharing information such as which friends the player has beaten, competition is encouraged and the viralisation of the game is increased, due to people not playing the game also being able to see such messages.
  • a screen similar to the one shown when completing a level is displayed.
  • the difference is that the screen when failing a level has a broken heart on it, together with information stating why the level was failed.
  • Failing a level can happen due to a number of reasons, such as not reaching the minimum score for one star, failing to accomplish the goal or by a bomb exploding. The player is informed of the reason for why he has failed the level. Understanding why you have failed a level increases the likelihood that he player will try to play the level again to reach that target for the level. If wanting to play the same level again there is an option to do so. In one implementation the option to replay the failed level is presented with a large and visually significant button. Level progress and ways of playing the game
  • Games created using the techniques described herein can be played locally on a player's computer or handheld device.
  • the game can also be played over the Internet where the whole game or portions are downloaded and executed on the local machine or run on a remote computer or server.
  • the user's progress in the game and results can be stored locally and compared to the user and other players on the local computer.
  • the progress and results can in an alternative embodiment be synchronised with other players, either directly or through a server or social network or gaming platform.
  • the first platform is Facebook.
  • Facebook The skilled person will understand that where Facebook is referred to in this document, other social network platforms may be used.
  • a Facebook game may be a social game, a game you play with your friends. It is rare or unthinkable to launch a game (i.e. to play for the first time) on Facebook that is a paid game, because people playing games on Facebook expect not to pay to access a game.
  • a Facebook game may be played on the internet, after logging in to Facebook (whether automatically or manually), such as from a personal computer.
  • the second platform is smartphones. Use of smartphones is not always continuous. You may use a smartphone for 5 minutes on a bus, and then for 20 minutes on a connecting train, for example. The use can have many starts and stops, not like someone working at an office desk or at a home desk in a conventional way.
  • a smartphone can be on an iOS platform, or on an Android platform, for example.
  • the third platform is tablets.
  • a tablet can function as a mobile device and as a non-mobile device. The tablet can be a substitute for a personal computer. A user may want a seamless experience between using the game on a personal computer and on a tablet and on another mobile device.
  • a tablet can be on an iOS platform, or on an Android platform, for example.
  • multi-platform games are important. Key criteria for multi-platform games are: they are free, they are social, stop-start use is possible, and seamless experience is provided.
  • Such games may be "played anywhere" e.g. in a mobile environment or in a non-mobile environment. Such games may also be played online or offline.
  • a game must be fun when used in a stop-start way, and when used for even just short intervals.
  • a game consists of parts or levels, each of which runs for about 3 minutes, e.g. between 1 and 5 minutes.
  • a game is structured in levels, so that if successful in a game level, such as by scoring a minimum score, a user can progress from that level to the next level.
  • a game has about 200 levels.
  • a game can be optimized post-launch. For example, if it is clear that too many users are failing to progress past a particular level, the minimum score to pass the level can be lowered.
  • An optimized game may be provided as an application update from an application store.
  • a game may be optimized by a server sending a revised data file of scores required to pass each game level to a mobile device, when a game state of a user is being synchronized with the server, wherein the application running on the device replaces the previous file of scores stored on the device required to pass each level with the revised file of scores required to pass each level.
  • the progress of a player is also synchronised across devices, for instance between a handheld device and a computer. This is described in further detail in Appendix A.
  • the player can play on one platform, have the progress saved and then continue playing seamlessly on another platform. It is also possible for the player to play on offline devices and having the game synchronise when a connection is available.
  • players can be rewarded for playing the game on multiple platforms. For instance, players active on a computer-based platform could get a bonus for also installing the game on a handheld device.
  • Players can also be rewarded for playing multiple games that are related, for instance games from the same developer.
  • the player can receive bonuses in another game. This can be triggered by using a link from one game to the other, or by games sharing information between one another so that it automatically detects a player that is playing more than one game and subsequently rewards them.
  • games can have elements in common that enables certain objects, for instance boosters, to be usable in multiple games. These games can be located on the same or on different servers. In some implementations, a booster bought in Candy Crush Saga can be used in another game that shares certain features with it.
  • a first server for instance one hosting a social network, with a first data store storing data relating to the state of a game.
  • the first server is configured to communicate with a first plurality of devices, such as mobile phones or personal computers, through a first application programming interface, where the first plurality of devices is related to a first computing platform.
  • a second server for instance one hosting a game platform, with a second data store storing data relating to the state of the game.
  • the second server is configured to communicate with a second plurality of devices, such as mobile phones or personal computers, through a second application programming interface, where the second plurality of devices is related to a second computing platform.
  • a third server with a third data store configured to communicate with the first and the second server.
  • the three servers are configured to synchronise the three data stores in such a way that when synchronized, the first, second and third data store all relate to a synchronised game state.
  • the language can be adapted and translated into different languages. It can also be so that updates of the game are incorporated at different times in different locations, in order to avoid interference with the times of the day that players are as most active. If trying to access the game online, as opposed to starting a local version that is saved on the device, while updates are being made, the player can be met by a message saying that the game cannot be accessed right at that moment. Such a message could be displayed instead of the game as a placeholder for when the game is taken offline, for instance so that the game can be updated with new features and software.
  • the game can be implemented so that a player progresses through multiple levels of changing and typically increasing difficulty.
  • the user interface can present a virtual map layout of a game environment, displayed on the computing device used by the game player. As the player travels through the levels in the game, his progress is represented as a journey along a path in the virtual map. Representing progress in this manner provides an additional layer of engagement for players, and also opportunities for viralisation and monetisation.
  • the virtual map consists of stages with varying number of levels.
  • the user travels between levels and completes the levels one by one along a path by playing the associated game. When the player reaches the goal of a level, the next level is unlocked and the player can play that level in the game.
  • the number of stages and levels can vary depending on the implementation. The levels can be numbered consecutively throughout the game or they can be numbered within a stage, it is also understood that other ways of identifying the stages and levels can be implemented. New stages to the virtual map 12 can be added by the game designers at any time - so a game may be launched with say 20 levels, and after a number of weeks, there may be fifty or sixty levels present.
  • traveling from one stage to another once all the levels have been completed on that stage requires the help of for instance three friends.
  • the player can ask friends for help by sending an in-game message within the game environment or for instance through a social network that the game is connected to.
  • the friends can already be playing the game and do not have to be 'new' players, but they can be friends not already on the same social network.
  • the player can also pay to get instant access to the locked stage.
  • the player can use a combination of help from friend and payment to unlock the new stage.
  • the cost for unlocking can in some implementations be lowered as a fraction of the total number of friends needed when help from some but not all needed friends have been received.
  • the request for help is sent to the friend who then has the option to accept to help.
  • the request for help can in some implementations be sent using the social network to which the game is connected; an alternative implementation is to send the request to someone external to the game (via email, text message, instant message for instance) who has to join the game to respond to the help request. This is one of the viralisation techniques implemented in this game.
  • stages or levels can be present in the game associated with the virtual map at all times or can be unlocked when the user reaches a certain in-game achievement.
  • This in-game achievement can for instance be completing a specific level, reaching a predetermined high score (for instance, collecting a specific number of stars when completing a level - highly skilled gameplay can win the user three stars) or paying virtual currency to unlock the stage or level.
  • the map layout can be used in games connected to or linked with a social network. It is common that the users on such networks have avatars with for instance a photo of the user and/or the user's name. Such avatars can for instance also be a sign or a figure. It is understood that there are different implementations of showing where the user currently is on the map. This can for instance be the latest level the user completed, the level with the highest score or the last completed level along the traversed path.
  • the user can in some embodiments be given the option to select which users should be shown on the virtual map.
  • the users to choose from can be friends on a social network, or the user can get suggestions to show friends which meet a certain criteria, for instance friends which the player has interacted with the most in the past or friends living in the same geographic area as the player.
  • the user can get the option to choose from other people not being friends on the social network, but that meet other certain criteria.
  • the user can play any of the unlocked levels on the map, so the user can go back and replay already completed levels to get a better score or beat friends' high scores.
  • the player is in some implementations of the game rewarded for good gameplay of a level, for instance reaching a target score.
  • the user has to reach a certain number of points to complete a level, reaching this target score can be represented with a symbol such as a star.
  • a star is lit when the user reaches a certain number of points in a level. The user can earn more than one star on each level and the levels are re -playable to get a higher score.
  • the player's total number of stars collected in the game can in some embodiments unlock features.
  • the unlocked features can for instance be power-ups, in-game currency or bonus levels.
  • the symbol representing how well the user has played on each level can be displayed alongside the level on the map.
  • the levels will present a leaderboard showing who among the user's connections has the highest score.
  • the type of game mode or game goals for a level can be displayed on the map as a symbol.
  • the landscape of the virtual map will typically have animated sequences which give a feeling of the map being alive and dynamic. For example, trees on the map can sway in the wind, animals can move around and the player progressing from one level to another can be accompanied by an animation of a player-associated character moving on the map.
  • the player can interact with objects on the map in such a way that animations are triggered. For instance, clicking on a bird can make it fly into the air and hovering over water can make waves appear.
  • the game can also be implemented to be played with a limited time or limited number of moves or both over a consecutive set of levels.
  • the score can be collected over the several levels to give the player a score for all the levels completed.
  • the player can in some implementations play the game in head to head tournaments against one or several other players. The player with the highest collective score over the number of levels will be the winner in the tournament.
  • the tournaments are played with real time comparisons of players' scores, in other implementations the scores of players are compared after finishing a level.
  • the game can also be played in tournaments with jackpots where the player plays the same level where the same types of game elements are used.
  • the game can also be played in an elimination competition against other players. Rewards and bonuses
  • the game can have schemes for giving rewards and bonuses to players.
  • One reason for giving out rewards is to increase player engagement, and to some extent to help with monetisation.
  • Players can for instance be rewarded for playing multiple days in a row, something that awards persistence and dedication.
  • there is a daily bonus available that is gained by every player playing the game online during that day., or to players passing a certain secret location during that day.
  • players samples of existing boosters they are given a free preview of purchasable items that potentially can lead to sales in the long run, which helps monetise the game.
  • the virtual landscape of Candy Crush Saga is presented to the player in between levels. This is also referred to as the 'map view' and the 'virtual map' within this document.
  • the player travels along a virtual path as more levels are completed in the game, which gives the feel of moving forward.
  • the looks of the map view is in the style of a physical foldable game board such as one commonly used for board games.
  • a physical foldable game board such as one commonly used for board games.
  • the board is much larger than what can be displayed in a single screen. The player can at any time, while in the map view, look at all available levels and also scroll through the entirety of the map board. Having such a style gives a strong feeling of actually progressing forward in the game as more levels become unlocked.
  • the levels of the game may be grouped together into "stages".
  • a list of the different stages of the game may be present in an expandable tab. By clicking on one of the stages in this list the screen jumps to the location of this stage on the main map, thereby allowing the player to rapidly navigate the main map.
  • the expandable tab and the mini map as the navigator.
  • the navigator is only in full view when the player needs it; the rest of the time it is hidden with only a small part of it showing. Clicking on this small part will expand the navigator and let the player use it. Clicking on the same part again will once more hide the navigator.
  • a small tab is placed at the bottom right edge of the screen which will in turn expand the navigator when clicked on.
  • a home button which will take the player there directly. Pressing the home button will not only take the player to the current location but will also hide the navigator, giving the player a full view. With the home button, the player can always find their active location in the blink of an eye.
  • Another implementation may be to offer the player filtering and multiple choices of where to jump on the map. There could for example be an icon which when pressed lets the player choose exactly which level to jump to. There could also be an alternative to receive a list of levels the player can jump to which satisfy certain criteria, for example all levels with limited moves and ingredients in them.
  • the filter could offer many kinds of choices.
  • Each episode has a related story and often a mini-theme that is present in at least some levels in the area. Also, the same background picture is used in all levels in the same area. When reaching a new are the background image will change. Each episode also has a specific colour which is used in the virtual landscape-view to show the different episodes.
  • each episode there is a set of levels.
  • the division of levels between the episodes is not entirely linear.
  • the first two episodes consist of ten levels each, while episodes three and onward each consists of 15 levels each. This makes it easier for the player to advance in the beginning, something that can be important for player retention and engagement.
  • the player follows a virtual path as the game progresses. After completing a level, the next one becomes unlocked and the player 'travels' there on the virtual map.
  • the virtual landscape is divided into areas, each area representing a different episode of the game. The episodes are also coloured differently, with one colour being used consistently throughout one episode/area.
  • the end of an episode is marked by a special kind of obstacle that can only be passed with the help of three friends, or through a purchase. When passing these kinds of obstacles, there is a celebratory animation accompanying the passage to signal that the player has progressed into a new episode of the game.
  • the user can choose to request help from only selected friends or to send a request to multiple friends. There can be a limit to how many friends the player can send the request to and also a limit in time before the user can send a reminder or similar request.
  • the request for help is sent to the friend who then has the option to accept to help or to decline to help.
  • the request can in one implementation be sent using the social network to which the game is connected; an alternative implementation is to send the request to someone external to the game (via email, text message, instant message for instance) who has to join the game to respond to the help request. This is one of the viralisation techniques implemented in this game.
  • the inventions may be implemented with ways of getting past a collaboration block other than asking friends for help and paying for it, which are the most common ways of passing a collaboration block. This can be done through to use of 'Mystery Quests', which gives the player the option of completing one or several challenges to unlock the block. Such challenge can for instance be to play one or several past levels with modified goals in order to pass the collaboration block, for instance three levels - one for each of the locks.
  • These challenges are typically in the form of replaying a previously completed level but with a new goal to reach, for instance a target high score. In a typical implementation, the score requirement is higher than it is for playing the level regularly, and also no other goals need to be fulfilled. For example, if the player gets to replay a level with jelly with a new target high score, the player would not need to remove the amount of jellies specified as long as the target score was reached.
  • this option to pass a collaboration block in the game is available in three cases; if the player is not connected to the Internet, if the player has not connected the game to a social network, or if the player is not connected to either a social network or to the Internet. If the player is not connected to either a social network or the Internet then the other options available for passing the block, such as sending requests to friends, cannot be used. However, it is possible to have this option available to users connected to both a social network and to the Internet as well.
  • Mystery Quests are not tied to specific collaboration blocks. For example, if the player reaches a collaboration block and completes a Mystery Quest, then connects to a social network and receives help from three friends, the player will only have to complete two Mystery Quests the next time that option is chosen to pass a collaboration block. If the player then only completes one more mission, and then goes on to receive help from friends or purchase a way through, the third time a Mystery Quest is chosen as a way to pass a collaboration block, the player only needs to complete one level.
  • the player will be taken to a screen showing three symbols representing challenges to be completed, as well as specifications regarding which level is to be played and what score is required to pass the first challenge.
  • the game randomly chooses a previously completed level and increases the score required to pass it.
  • the Mystery Quest levels can be new levels that the player has not completed before. If the player chooses to continue with the quest, another screen is presented, allowing the player to choose boosters.
  • This screen is very similar to a regular pre-level screen, with the difference that instead of the level number it says 'Mystery Quest', instead of three stars it shows a special padlock indicating that it is a Mystery Quest, and a special symbol in front of the target score to further indicate that it is a Mystery Quest and not a regular level.
  • the game proceeds to the game board screen and the player can start playing. If the player fails to achieve the target score, a pop-up shows why the player failed.
  • the regular goals for completing the level are listed as a reason for failure as well as failing the target score. However, even though this is shown as a reason for failing the level, the player will in a typical implementation complete the Mystery Quest as long as the target score is achieved, even if the other goals of the level are not. In other implementations, the player can be required to achieve both the target score and other goals for the Mystery Quest to be completed.
  • Completing a Mystery Quest level will take the player to a post-level screen similar to a regular post-level screen but with the same differences as the pre-level screen. After this there will typically be an animation to signal that the player has completed the level, such as the padlock going from being locked to being unlocked. There can be other ways to show a post-level screen after the animation of unlocking the padlock has been shown.
  • the player needs to wait 24 hours between completing each of the three levels of the Mystery Quest. In other implementations, the wait time could be less or none at all. It is also possible to use other criteria for accessing the next Mystery Quest, such as getting more stars on previously completed levels.
  • the player will use a life for each failed attempt of clearing a Mystery Quest level, just as is the case with regular level. It is also possible that the Mystery Quest levels do not affect the player's life total, or that it uses up another kind of resource as such as boosters.
  • Mystery Quests it is possible for Mystery Quests to be used for other reasons than to pass a collaboration block. For instance, there can be bonus levels within the game that can only be accessed through completing Mystery Quests. In some implementations, Mystery Quests can be a way for players to earn boosters in the game without having to purchase them. It is also possible that Mystery Quests are only available at certain times, such as between 9PM and 10PM each day or on specific days. Alternative ways to connect with other players for help or other requests
  • One such implementation is to drive installs of the game using new channels - SMS, E-Mail, Twitter etc. This will boost DAU, create engagement by creating social connections and communication channels with those connections. It may also increase revenue by keeping players in the game.
  • This alternative approach may be used for interaction for instance when a player reaches a collaboration block or runs out of lives.
  • the game prompts player to "ask for help" from other players based on some user derived player characteristics such as location, player game experience.
  • the player gets a prompt to get help with a generated but editable alias and they "send" the message.
  • PN Push Notification
  • the client registers the player request user ID with the server.
  • Server generates a response granting the user request, on a random basis, from 5 to 55 minutes from request. And sends a PN to player. After the player has completed a single loop - request-PN-request grant. They become capable of receiving help requests when they launch the game.
  • This approach can be used for collaboration blocks, that the player can request lives, request other help in the game. It can also be implemented so that the player can send invitations to the game and if the recipient will join the game then the inviting player may get a reward.
  • the player that receives the request for help can click on the link on for instance his mobile device or computer.
  • the recipient will be taken to the link destination where the client device is detected and it is identified whether the player has already installed the game on the device. This can for instance be done using a so called URI scheme as described below. If the recipient does not have the game already installed he is taken to the appropriate webpage or application store to download or activate the game. This can for instance be the Apple or android app stores or to the Facebook app page. There are different options available to implement this functionality and the identification of the device can be done on the specific device or on the server.
  • the SMS consists of a short message describing what help is wanted and a link.
  • the message and link can be sent to one or more receivers.
  • the link contains info on who sent the request, what the request was for and a timestamp.
  • Link usage is kept track of in the database so a link cannot be reused by the same user. If the player does not get help within a certain time span he or she gets help from themselves (looks like someone helped them). This is only to reward the behaviour of asking for things and its use is limited.
  • the linkpayload consists of:
  • Push notifications are used to close the loop and are also limited per 24h period. In some implementations they are not needed for the help to get sent.
  • Players can choose to be notified of certain events in a game.
  • the notifications may be both 'pushed' as well as only available once a player logs into the game.
  • Notifications can be sent on both stationary computers and mobile devices, depending on the player's platform of choice. It is also possible to have notifications that stretch across multiple platforms, for instance they can pop up on both Facebook and on a mobile device at the same time.
  • 'Push technology' and subsequently 'push notifications' describes communications in which transaction requests are initiated by a publisher or central server, as opposed to 'pull technology' in which the receiver or client initiates a transaction requests.
  • the player can configure in which way push notifications should be received from a range of available options, such as: Banners - Notifications are shown at the top of the screen and automatically disappear after a set period of time, typically a few seconds, unless the player interacts with them.
  • Banner notifications can state information regarding the notification, or it can simply state which game the notification is coming from. It is in a typical implementation possible to interact with banner notifications, for instance by clicking on them. Typically clicking on a banner notification will bring the player into the game.
  • Alerts - Notifications require interaction from a player before disappearing, typically they appear in the middle of the screen. No notifications - The player can also choose to turn of notifications altogether. In a typical implementation the player can choose which events to be notified about. In some implementations, the player can be choose to be notified when a new Mystery Quest is available, or when the player has full lives. In other implementations, the player can choose to be notified regarding a variety of different events, such as the following:
  • the player can choose to interact with notifications in various ways, for example:
  • Notifications can also be implemented so that they synchronise across platforms. For instance, if a player has been notified about an occurrence it can be sent to both a mobile device and the Facebook platform, but after acknowledging the notification on one platform it also disappears from other platforms. Notifications can be sent in various ways, for instance:
  • Candy Crush Saga shows the amount of stars achieved on a level adjacent to the level node.
  • the stars are instead displayed adjacent to the thumbnail.
  • Games created using the invention described herein can be connected to or linked with a social network such as FacebookTM or Google+TM or a games platform with different players who can interact and see each other's progress. It is common that the users on such networks have avatars with for instance a photo of the user and/or the user's name. Such avatars can for instance also be a sign or a figure.
  • the social network can be located on a server that is different from the server on which the game is located, the game and the social network can also be located on the same server. In some implementations there is a direct live connection between the social network and the game platform that continuously synchronise them, in other implementations the two platforms synchronise at certain intervals, such as when the player logs into the game.
  • the user and his friends' avatars can be displayed in the game or in relation to different levels in the game to show the player's progress.
  • the avatars can also be shown in relation to indicators of the player's skill level or high score.
  • the avatars can be derived from a social network to which the game is connected, in other implementations they can be derived from a database related to the game. It is possible for the avatars related to users to change depending on the overall progress or performance in the game. For instance, an avatar can become larger or more visually advanced as the player plays the game for a longer time.
  • the user can connect with other users of the social network, either as “friends” on the social network or as “friends” within the game environment.
  • the player can interact with other players he is connected to on the social network or who are playing the same game.
  • the game can be implemented to synchronize game state information and/or retrieve and connect to the social graph information and user profile of the player on a social network. It can also be connected to a proprietary network related to the game or the game developer.
  • the game can also be implemented so that it is connected to a plurality of social networks.
  • the user can be given the option to select what information that can be derived and shared with which social network.
  • One example of how the game can be connected to a social network is the FacebookTM's Open Graph API allows websites and applications to draw and share information about more objects than simply people, including photos, events, and pages, and their relationships between each other. This expands the social graph concept to more than just relationships between individuals and instead applies it to virtual non-human objects between individuals, as well.
  • a game can typically share in-game events such as that a level has been completed, that a player has passed a friend in the game or beaten a friend's high score on a level.
  • the game can also post events, such as that a player has purchased objects in the game or received objects from other players of the game.
  • each area in the game can have a 'Candy King', meaning the player within a network of players that has the best performance on the levels in that area.
  • Another feature in the game that increases the competitive element is that friends' progress on the virtual map is shown. Even if the player has not unlocked or reached the areas in which friends are playing, their progress can still be shown by means of a picture associated with the player being displayed next to the level they are currently at.
  • the game suggests which players to invite. This suggestion can for instance be based on if the players have played other games from the same developer, if they are active on a social network or if they seem to like other games in the same genre. It is also possible for the suggestions to be based from data related to a social network, such as how often they interact with other players or how often they log in to the social network.
  • messages can be sent to friends, for instance related to beating their scores or passing them in terms of overall level progression.
  • the game prompts the player to send a message to signal that a friend has been beaten.
  • This message can be edited by the player, or it can be a pre-defined version suggested by the game.
  • the messages can be generated on a server hosting the game or on a server hosting a social network to which the game is connected. Information used in the message can for instance be derived from one of the databases to which the game is connected or from databases related to networks to which the game is connected.
  • the player is presented with new messages. Gifts sent from other players are displayed under messages, and certain free gifts such as lives can easily be reciprocated.
  • the game prompts players to send lives to other players that have run out of lives. When a player completes a level after receiving help from a friend, a 'thank you'-message can be sent to that friend, either automatically or manually. This message can contain an item of value.
  • the player helping another player can get other benefits, such as special symbols or marks being displayed next to their names. Recognition is another benefit that can be awarded to players who help others.
  • this chain of events has two steps if a player starts out by sending a life without request; step 1 is sending a life and step 2 is the recipient sending a life back in response. If a player starts with requesting a life, the chain of events has three steps; step 1 is requesting a life, step 2 is receiving a life, step 3 is sending a life back in response. It is also possible to buy gifts in the Yeti shop and send these to friends. Such gifts are in the form of boosters that can be used either during a level or before a level.
  • Another way of helping friends is to send extra moves. This is not something that is possible to do to all players at all times, but instead certain criteria must be fulfilled. The criteria are related to how long a player has been stuck on the same level.
  • the criteria are related to how long a player has been stuck on the same level.
  • a list of friends is presented. Some of these friends will have been stuck on a level for an extended period of time, and the player then has an option to help these players by sending three extra moves, free of charge.
  • These moves are different from the booster giving five extra moves, not only because the amount of extra moves is lower, but also because the booster is only usable and available on a specific level. This is a way of facilitating the harder levels of the game by receiving help from friends.
  • the game can also prompt the player to send extra moves to friends that have been stuck on the same level for an extended period of time. In some implementations, this period of time is two days. In other implementations, the criteria for a player being stuck is related to the amount of times they have tried and failed a level. The prompting is for instance done when a player logs onto the game. This increases engagement by helping players when the game is particularly difficult, and also adds a sense of collaboration and community among players. When a player has received extra moves this is indicated by a ribbon enveloping the node of the level in which the moves can be used. In some implementations, the player can receive help from multiple friends. Help from multiple friends can be used at the same time or subsequently.
  • Candy Crush Saga has a storyline that runs through the game. The main character is a little girl that goes around helping and defeating various creatures. At the start of the game, as well as at the start of every new episode, there are animated sequences. These sequences tell the story of how the girl goes around the world of Candy Crush Saga and how she overcomes obstacles that are presented to her.
  • an area will start off as being slightly dirty with a sad atmosphere, to become colorful and full of love and warmth as the player progresses through the levels. Areas become even more happy and lively as the player earns more stars, even on previously completed levels.
  • the player may in some implementations select subgroups of all available friends or filter the friends to only show the friends that also are playing the game.
  • the friend selection may appear when the player is to send requests to other player or ask for help.
  • Exemplary implementations may include:
  • one implementation where the player can select to filter the friends may be based on a certain criteria such as the level of interaction the friends have had in the past or the skill level or progress in the games. These different criteria are illustrated with a pre- filtering in three tabs in a pop-up window in the game. This popup window can be automatically initiated by the game, or requested by the player through for instance pressing a button in the game.
  • the list of friends may be populated from friends of the player that are also active in the game or only from friends on a social network.
  • the default mode is that no friends have been selected. Clicking on a friend's picture or name will select that friend and a tick mar may appear to indicate that it has been selected.
  • Listed friends may be prioritised in the way they are shown in the list to the player.
  • One such criteria in which the order of the listed friends show may be if they have paid for something in the game. Within that group players may be higher ranked if they have spent more money or if they have spent more money within a specific time period.
  • Another criteria may be that the listed friends have been active in the game within a certain time period or with a certain activity level.
  • Another criteria may be that the listed friends are ranked based on how many total game invites they have received to date, highest first.
  • this tab may be renamed 'Friends playing other games' and the same prioritisation may be applied to these game network players. If the user has no friends at all playing games according to the filtering criteria then the tab may not appear.
  • the friends listed in the different tabs may be prioritised further.
  • the following refers to the tabs 'all friends' and 'remind friends' but the person skilled in the art will understand that this may in some implementations also be applied to other filtered groups.
  • this list should be easy to reorganise. E.g. in month 1 the focus might be on virality, so we would prioritise the game network's players known to be viral, but in month 2 we might want to focus on monetisation, so we would want to prioritise the game network's players who spend a lot.
  • Prompting invitees may be stopped at some point so that they are not being spammed. For instance, invitees who have received >10 invites should no longer appear in the list. Customising friend selection pop-ups
  • Friend selector pop-ups may be customized according to two factors: (1) the user who sees them, and (2) the current priorities of the game environment where it has been implemented.
  • the game team wants to push monetization, so in the 'Send moves' pop-up the user's friends are arranged according to their spend, and so only friends with the highest spend appear in the pop-up.
  • the standard implementation for showing popups is to show all friends.
  • Reasons for customizing the popups can be several:
  • the players may be ranked according to a set of measures. For example:
  • Customisation could be approached on a game-specific basis, using only information relating to a single game (e.g. the game could customise pop- ups using only the game's data): This information is stored in the game's own database. But customisation may be much more powerful if it used data from across the games company network, using data from all games. That information is typically stored in a database. Customisation on a game-specific basis - the server creates the user rankings based their past behaviour in the game, and that determines which users the server sends to the client. The client would simply display the users selected.
  • Customisation on a game company network basis we create user rankings based on information taken from a database, covering all their activity within the game company network.
  • the rankings would be stored in a system, would be updated at least on a daily basis, and would be available to all games using that framework.
  • An individual game's servers would pull the rankings out of the system, and determine which users to send to the client. The client would simply display the users selected.
  • Audio effects are always played as soon as something is happening in the game whether it is due to an input from the player or if it's some kind of automated event.
  • an automated event could be when the user starts the game and a pop up appear suggesting that the player should send gifts to friends. When this pop up appear there is a discrete swishing sound to make the player aware that something happened.
  • Another automated event could be before starting a level and a message screen shows up saying what needs to be done to pass the level before it automatically disappears again.
  • the sounds played to give indication of interactable objects are always non-disturbing sounds that the player does not even think about are there unless someone points it out to him.
  • Sounds and effects are not only there to indicate when an interaction is possible. They are also present when something is being or has been interacted with, for example a click on a button would make a certain sound and sometimes change the appearance on some of the buttons available.
  • a play button looks like a wrapped candy and when pressed the wrapper on the button becomes wrinkled.
  • the game encourages players to make good moves, and the sounds made when generating special candies are triumphant-sounding and can give players a feeling of satisfaction. Triggering special candies also have their unique sounds and visual effects. Animations with lines and stars are shown to emphasize how good it is to use these in the game and how much it helps the player.
  • Music is constantly played while displaying the virtual landscape as well as when showing the game board. There can in some implementations be different music playing in a level compared to when viewing the virtual landscape.
  • the system and method described herein can be implemented together with a game, in which players can see their own and also their social network friends' game level position on a virtual path (or other virtual world) and in which game state information is fully synchronised across different platforms, such as iOS, desktop and Android via Facebook or other online social network, so that a player can seamlessly stop and re-start playing the game on any of those different platforms.
  • a game in which players can see their own and also their social network friends' game level position on a virtual path (or other virtual world) and in which game state information is fully synchronised across different platforms, such as iOS, desktop and Android via Facebook or other online social network, so that a player can seamlessly stop and re-start playing the game on any of those different platforms.
  • the game allows for the game to be synchronised between different devices or platforms.
  • the game can for instance be played in an offline mode on a handheld device using locally stored information on the handheld device.
  • the device can store all or some of the levels that are available for the player to play in the game.
  • Some of the features in the game can be locally run on the device and dependent on the local machine. This can for instance be that if the game is implemented to regenerate lives after a certain period of time, then the time can be locally decided based on the clock on the device.
  • the central game server clock can override the local clock when the local device has been synchronised with the server.
  • a game can be implemented so that the player knows if it has synchronised the available data with the central server or servers. This can for instance be through a coloured symbol or a check mark that indicates that the information is up to date.
  • the game can also indicate if it has been able to establish a connection with the central server for synchronisation or if for instance the network connection is down. That the device is offline can for instance be illustrated with a greyed out icon.
  • Different platforms FB/Google+
  • the game can be implemented to synchronize game state information and/or retrieve and connect to the social graph information and user profile of the player on a social network such as Facebook or Google+.
  • the game can also be implemented so that it is connected to a plurality of social networks.
  • the user can be given the option to select what information that can be derived and shared with which social network.
  • One example of how the game can be connected to a social network is the FacebookTM's Open Graph API allows websites and applications to draw and share information about more objects than simply people, including photos, events, and pages, and their relationships between each other. This expands the social graph concept to more than just relationships between individuals and instead applies it to virtual non-human objects between individuals, as well.
  • a game can typically share in-game events such as that a level has been completed, that a player has passed a friend in the game or beaten a friend's high score on a level.
  • the game can also post event such as that a player has purchased objects in the game or received objects from other players of the game.
  • game elements There are six different game elements (candies). They can be combined in series of 3, 4 or 5 in a line, either row or a column, in a 2x2 square, or in combinations in the shape of a T- or L- form.
  • the game elements have certain sizes, all similar but not identical, making it possible to have a specific maximum number of rows and columns with candies.
  • the game board is dark, semi-transparent and placed on top of a background picture which is tied to the story of the game.
  • each element has a square space that is delimited by light horizontal lines and darker vertical lines.
  • the lines do not cover the full square, but leave a gap in all the corners.
  • New special game elements are introduced throughout the game to increase the difficulty. For example a layer which has to be removed by matching a candy covered by the layer (Jelly) or an impassable block that has to be removed by matching candies next to it a number of times (Frosting). Having another challenge for the level.
  • the player is awarded points for each combination of at least 3 candies, enabling high score comparisons with other players as well as a challenge to beat oneself.
  • the score given for different combinations is not linear, but formed in a way to encourage longer combinations and a more thought out approach of playing the game. Give bonus points in the form of certain 'schemes' to player when finishing a level sooner than necessary
  • bonus points are awarded. These bonus points may be awarded by i) triggering any remaining special elements on the gameboard and ii) randomly placing special game elements on the board and then triggering them.
  • This booster is in the form of a coconut wheel.
  • candies By making certain combinations of candies, special game elements will be produced. These are formed by making combinations of 4 candies in a row or column (striped candy) 4 candies in a 2x2 grid (fish), 5 candies in a row or column (colour bomb), L or T-shapes of 5 candies (bomb candy).
  • One game element that when combined with the same colour removes all elements in that row or column.
  • a colour bomb-candy will be produced by combining 5 candies in a row or column. This item will either remove all candies of a certain colour (if combined with a regular candy), or it will remove all elements on the gameboard (if combined with a bomb candy) or it will transform all candies of the same colour into striped candies that subsequently trigger (if combined with a striped candy).
  • One game element removes all elements in a certain radius
  • a bomb candy By combining 5 or 6 candies into a L-shape or a T-shape, a bomb candy will be produced. This removes elements in a rectangle shape with a three-candy diameter.
  • the player progresses through the levels of the game, which is visually represented on a map. This gives the player a more tangible way of seeing progress than if levels were just represented by a number.
  • the highest level reached by a player is indicated by the corresponding node being highlighted orange. This makes it easy for the player to find the current level and also facilitates the visualization of how far he has progressed. To show that a level or part of the game is not yet available to play
  • information about the level is displayed together with an array of boosters that can be purchased and/or activated for that level.
  • Information include previous scores of friends and specific instructions for the current level. To display friends' highscore The previous high score of friends can be seen before playing a level, while playing a level and after a level has been played (provided that friends have played the level before). This increases competition and gives a sense of community at the same time. To give the player the option to use extra boosters
  • the player can select boosters before playing a level as well as during the play of a level.
  • the boosters which can be used in the two situations differ. This facilitates and adds more depth to the game. Share a result with friends
  • the player is provided real-time feedback in relation to the score during play of a level. This is done by a meter being filled, the meter having three different levels represented by one, two and three stars respectively. Have aesthetic icons for showing results of finished levels.
  • the player starts with 5 lives that are used up when failing to complete a level. These lives are then replenished with one life every 30 minutes.
  • a match 3 switcher game in which players can see their own and their social network friends' game level position on a virtual path, in which the game is fully sync'd across different platforms, such as iOS, desktop and Android via Facebook, and, in which the gameplay for each level can be enhanced through the use of an acquired item.
  • the acquired items can be synchronized across all of the platforms where the game is played by the user.
  • a match 3 switcher game in which players can see their own and their social network friends' game level position on a virtual path and, in which the game board contains switchable elements that can be matched with other switchable elements and switchable elements that cannot be matched with other switchable elements on the game board, where one of the goals for completing a level is to interact with the game board in such a way that a predefined number of non-matchable switchable elements are placed in any of a plurality of predefined areas on the game board.
  • a match 3 game in which the player has to satisfy a plurality of criteria within a limited number of moves to complete the level; the criteria include at least one of the following:
  • each layered game item can be removed by removing a matcheable game element in the same position as the layered game item.
  • Figure 26 illustrates an alternative implementation where new candies fall down from the top of the game board and then change direction to the right before starting to fall upwards again.
  • the arrows in Figure 26 indicate the direction of the falling candies.
  • Figure 27 shows another alternative implementation of the flow of falling candies; the arrows indicating the direction of the candies

Landscapes

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  • User Interface Of Digital Computer (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne un dispositif informatique, qui comprend une interface utilisateur configurée pour afficher des éléments de jeu actionnables par l'utilisateur et détecter une entrée d'utilisateur lorsqu'un utilisateur sélectionne un élément de jeu ; et un processeur configuré pour recevoir une entrée d'utilisateur détectée et, lors de la détection d'un état de jeu de correspondance, commander l'interface utilisateur pour éliminer au moins trois éléments de jeu du dispositif d'affichage et fournir, sur l'interface utilisateur, des éléments de jeu de remplacement actionnables par l'utilisateur, la façon de fournir chaque élément de jeu de remplacement ayant une représentation graphique commandée par un carreau associé à chaque élément de jeu, chaque carreau ayant un aspect pouvant être sélectionné, qui commande au moins une de (i) la direction dans laquelle il se déplace pour remplir un vide laissé par les éléments de jeu d'utilisateur éliminés ; et (ii) la vitesse à laquelle il se déplace pour remplir le vide.
EP15703759.9A 2014-01-31 2015-01-30 Commande d'interface utilisateur de dispositif informatique Withdrawn EP3086869A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB201401717A GB201401717D0 (en) 2014-01-31 2014-01-31 Controlling a user interface of a computer device
US14/183,997 US9592441B2 (en) 2013-02-19 2014-02-19 Controlling a user interface of a computer device
US14/316,274 US9079097B2 (en) 2013-02-19 2014-06-26 Video game with replaceable tiles having selectable physics
PCT/EP2015/052000 WO2015114117A1 (fr) 2014-01-31 2015-01-30 Commande d'interface utilisateur de dispositif informatique

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Publication Number Publication Date
EP3086869A1 true EP3086869A1 (fr) 2016-11-02

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EP15703759.9A Withdrawn EP3086869A1 (fr) 2014-01-31 2015-01-30 Commande d'interface utilisateur de dispositif informatique

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EP (1) EP3086869A1 (fr)
JP (1) JP2017510321A (fr)
KR (1) KR20160114649A (fr)
CN (1) CN106163625B (fr)
WO (1) WO2015114117A1 (fr)

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CN106163625A (zh) 2016-11-23
KR20160114649A (ko) 2016-10-05
JP2017510321A (ja) 2017-04-13
CN106163625B (zh) 2020-05-01
WO2015114117A1 (fr) 2015-08-06

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