To be honest, when I saw the game "Candy Happy Love Match", I was stunned for a moment. It's not because the graphics are so stunning, or the gameplay is so innovative, but it just suddenly reminds me of the days when I was still using the Symbian system many years ago, hiding in bed and playing "Bejeweled".
At that time, the mobile phone screen was pitifully small and the resolution was blurry, but I could play level after level until the early hours of the morning. There are no fancy gift packages, no daily check-ins, and no bunch of red dots forcing you to click. It's pure elimination, pure joy. This game brings that feeling back to me.
Not to brag, but the core of this game is actually a cooking-themed puzzle game, but it's richer than I expected. When turning the machine, I feel like I was playing slot machines when I was a kid. You can really have fun choosing ingredients and combinations of desserts. Marshmallows with potato chips, ice cream with cakes, no matter how outrageous it is, the system actually recognizes it. This kind of freedom is not much in similar games.
The screen is in candy colors, with a full sweetness, but it's not as bright as a cheap web game. It's clean and transparent, and it's quite comfortable to look at. Even though I'm old, I don't feel awkward playing it, but rather it feels quite healing. The finished product of developer Huoyan Internet can get a good score at least from me.
The paid model is completely free, and you can play it with zero money. To be honest, I have seen too many games in the past few years that claim to be free but are actually difficult to play without recharging money. This one does not have those messy routines and is suitable for an old guy like me who just wants to kill time quietly.
Some people may think I'm being pretentious, since a small casual game can talk so much. But to put it bluntly, the game is actually about playing with a feeling until the end. What those classic elimination games taught me is that the simplest and most direct happiness is sometimes the most lasting. This game doesn't teach me any big lessons, it just gives me a place to cut a few pieces of cake, mix a couple of smoothies, and just be quiet for a while after a busy day.
As we get older, there aren't many games that allow us to stop and take a breath. If you have played old games from back then, you should know what I am talking about. Anyway, I think it's nice to look back at this simple sweetness occasionally. 🍬