The first new Candy Crush game in over six years launches today, but it’s not a match 3.
Candy Crush Solitaire marks a genre shift for the series, but that will come as no surprise to regular mobilegamer.biz readers – you already know that King has been testing Candy spin-offs for years.
It has previously soft launched Candy Crush 3D, its take on the ‘match 3D’ genre popularised by Triple Match 3D and latterly Match Factory.
Then there was Candy Crush Blast, King’s spin on games like Peak’s Toon Blast, and a couple more: Candy Crush Cubes and Candy Crush Tales were also briefly tested in a very small number of markets.
There were other, non-Candy titles too. King has launched Crash Bandicoot: On The Run worldwide and had kart racer Rebel Riders in testing, but both have now been cancelled.
And given how much tougher the market is compared to the far frothier days of 2018, when Candy Crush Friends Saga launched, it’s quite a thing for Candy Crush Solitaire to have made it through soft launch at all.
So we had two big questions for King’s Candy Crush general manager Todd Green: why Solitaire, and why now? The below interview was conducted over email and has been edited for readability and length.
Why Candy Solitaire? The solitaire market already seems quite crowded, is market data / research telling you otherwise?
Yes, the popularity of the solitaire market is evident in the variety of great titles out there – it is, after all, one of the most played card games of all time! Through extensive research and testing, we’ve identified a clear market opportunity within the solitaire genre for a game that combines the familiarity of solitaire with the beloved mechanics of the Candy Crush franchise.
Candy Crush Solitaire offers a fresh, visually engaging, and strategically rewarding experience that distinguishes itself from other solitaire games. For those who are familiar with solitaire, Candy Crush Solitaire is TriPeaks solitaire, which lends itself nicely to those players who are used to progressing through the Candy Crush Saga map.
This is the first new Candy game since Friends Saga in 2018…why has there been such a long stretch without any new global launches?
At King, we set a high bar for new game releases. While we’re continuously testing and developing new ideas, we only bring products to market that are truly special and show the potential to succeed.
Candy Crush Solitaire underwent rigorous testing before launch, and the decision to expand the franchise beyond match 3 was made after seeing positive market indicators and player feedback.
Which King studio is making Solitaire, and how many people are working on it? Who is the game lead and what’s their background?
Candy Crush Solitaire has been created by King’s new games team and the development overseen by executive producer, Marta Cortiñas, who has been with King for nearly 13 years and has a great deal of experience with King games.
Our new games team is made up of experienced games-makers, working closely with many other teams in the business including tech and our marketing teams, all who played a key role in the development of the new title. Whilst we won’t share specifics, we’re confident that what the team has delivered is a fantastic new product that new and established solitaire players will enjoy.
What changed most about the game during soft launch, and what did you learn about the market you’re targeting?
We learned that players responded best to TriPeaks-style gameplay, and features like the Hold Slot mechanic and Candy Crush-style boosters helped to create strong engagement and to differentiate the game.
The tests also confirmed a strong market appetite for a solitaire experience blended with the Candy Crush aesthetic and game design principles.
Can you walk us through the factors involved in greenlighting a global launch?
Greenlighting a global launch is a carefully considered process at King, blending data and insights with player feedback and strategic alignment. During the soft launch phase, we assess key performance indicators such as player retention, engagement, and other trends.
We use this time to refine gameplay mechanics, optimizing the balancing of the game, and ensure a smooth experience for our users across all devices and different countries.
The decision to proceed with a global launch is not just based on numbers alone. We also look at player sentiment, content readiness, and alignment with our strategy.
King’s new games team, in collaboration with our wider business, made the call. If the game meets or exceeds our expectations, which Candy Crush Solitaire has, then we move forward to a global launch.
Has this move into Solitaire meant you have brought in talent with experience in that subgenre? Or are your match 3 experts trying something new?
We have a huge breadth of talent at King, and a variety of games in our portfolio, including Pyramid Solitaire Saga. In fact our design director, Marc Pestka, who used to lead Pyramid Solitaire Saga, has helped us build Candy Crush Solitaire.
While the new games team led the development of the game, we have involved talent from many experienced teams and drawn inspiration from a variety of sources. Candy Crush Solitaire is rooted in our match-3 expertise and integrates solitaire-specific insights, ensuring that Candy Crush Solitaire feels like a natural extension of the Candy Crush franchise and a unique game in its own right.
This is about evolving the Candy Crush franchise, not stepping away from what we will continue to do with our match 3 games.
Will you be using your existing games to cross-promote Solitaire? If so, how?
Yes, we’re confident that Candy Crush Solitaire will resonate strongly with existing King audiences, so cross-promotion across our portfolio of games is part of the overall launch plan.
What kind of player are you looking to serve with this game?
Candy Crush Solitaire is similar to our other games – intended for mass appeal. Existing solitaire players will enjoy the new ideas combined with a familiar core. And we think this will be a great game for people who have never played solitaire games before, but do know and love what a Candy Crush game stands for.
Where are those customers? Are they already playing other Candy games or are you seeking them out with UA / other marketing activity?
We’re sure there are many people in our existing audience who will enjoy this game, plus we aim to attract new players who aren’t currently playing our games to join the King network.
