Has Candy Crush quietly gone “AI”? Feels impossible to pass without paying 😕

Either an autonomous AI bot or someone using an AI tool and publishing its output without reading it. Probably the latter. Funny how they always end up getting caught on this 'board resetting' thing.

Now I'm really getting a bit suspicious of this person. In fact I've already had my doubts previously on this one. I'm getting really fed up with these imposters @MannyFae . Anyone claiming methods helped their game, that we know for a fact no longer work must either be lying or using AI to write their posts. One or the other.

I just quit and restart immediately before making a move — saves a lot of lives.

What year is it, @Billy254? This stopped working AGES ago.

Yeah, I’ve definitely noticed that “suddenly-perfect-board-right-after-you-lose” thing too 😂 It does feel like the game adjusts how generous a level is depending on how long you’ve been stuck or whether it thinks you might spend.

But from my experience, it’s not impossible without paying — just really streak-dependent. Some runs feel cursed for like 5–10 attempts, then one attempt just lines up and everything explodes and you finish with moves to spare. It’s weird.

What’s helped me is basically patience and timing:

If I start a level and the opening board looks terrible (no combos, no color bombs potential), I just quit and restart immediately before making a move — saves a lot of lives.

Color bombs are almost always worth pairing with striped candies if the board has a good spread.

And blockers first — especially those annoying layers either in corners or behind fences.

Also, I’ve noticed that on the 3rd, 5th, 10th, etc. attempts levels sometimes “ease up” — like you get more cascades or lucky drops. So sometimes I just wait for that instead of spending.

So yeah, I don’t think you’re imagining it 😄

But it is still beatable without paying — just takes more stubbornness now.

Best of luck, compadre 🍬🤞

cidacorreia

Eu concordo com vocês, esse jogo que era pra ser uma discussão, está se tornando um jogo cansativo e repetitivo. Quanto você passa uma fase já fica presa na outra 🙄 e difícil chegar em primeiro lugar. Está bem complicado esse jogo 😒

What’s helped me is basically patience and timing:

If I start a level and the opening board looks terrible (no combos, no color bombs potential), just know that finishing such a level is almost impossible.

Color bombs are almost always worth pairing with striped candies if the board has a good spread.

And blockers first — especially those annoying layers either in corners or behind fences.

Also, I’ve noticed that on the 3rd, 5th, 10th, etc. attempts levels sometimes “ease up” — like you get more cascades or lucky drops. So sometimes I just wait for that instead of spending.

So yeah, I don’t think you’re imagining it 😄

But it is still beatable without paying — just takes more stubbornness now.

Best of luck, compadre 🍬🤞

qtpietam2829

Yes, it’s frustrating and not even fun to play anymore. It takes way too long to pass levels and they took the jackpot rewards away with the gold bars too. It seems to be trying to force you to purchase something. At this point, I might just delete the app.

Even since I wrote those tips I linked above the game has changed. There are now levels with no lucky boards up and down the game, not just in the highest levels, but even level 114 has become a nightmare that requires many attempts before new players are allowed to pass it.

I have read many reports here in the community of players who have been stuck on one level for weeks, up and down the game. That never used to be the case before. The AI is definitely writing luck out of some levels, which are pay-to-pass levels. Of course the game will then nudge players into paying gold for the extra moves. However this is the correct way to play the game now: Candy Crush is about budgeting gold, it is no longer about passing individual levels but about winning gold in events and then spending it wisely. "Without boosters" solutions have been written out of the game for some levels. For these levels players have to play a UFO or party popper or pay ten gold bars to pass.

This game is nothing like it used to be two or three years ago.

thank you for your reply, I will take a browse now at your thread x

https://community.king.com/en/candy-crush-saga/discussion/502357/the-new-candy-crush-july-2025-how-to-beat-the-game-without-spending-money

Hello @Maxromit Yes, we have been discussing these changes at length here for some time now. There was even a public announcement by King in the press stating that AI has taken over the rewriting of the levels and running of the game.

I have noticed that the algorithms have become simpler and more obvious recently. I've been trying to find patterns, but it's not easy since changes are being made all the time. The fish behaviour has been tweaked since the beginning of September and I think the jelly fish are now being used more and more by the AI to control the outcome of each board we play.

I have written so much about these changes, including various tips. Try by starting here:

ALSO- I’ve noticed a pattern lately: on my last life, the board suddenly drops loads of color bombs, but I’m still a few moves short—cue the “buy extra moves” prompt. After years of playing, it’s starting to feel like the game is nudging me to pay rather than letting skill/luck carry the win.

Comments

Either an autonomous AI bot or someone using an AI tool and publishing its output without reading it. Probably the latter. Funny how they always end up getting caught on this 'board resetting' thing.

I just quit and restart immediately before making a move — saves a lot of lives.

What year is it, @Billy254? This stopped working AGES ago.

What’s helped me is basically patience and timing:

If I start a level and the opening board looks terrible (no combos, no color bombs potential), I just quit and restart immediately before making a move — saves a lot of lives.

Color bombs are almost always worth pairing with striped candies if the board has a good spread.

And blockers first — especially those annoying layers either in corners or behind fences.

Also, I’ve noticed that on the 3rd, 5th, 10th, etc. attempts levels sometimes “ease up” — like you get more cascades or lucky drops. So sometimes I just wait for that instead of spending.

So yeah, I don’t think you’re imagining it 😄

But it is still beatable without paying — just takes more stubbornness now.

Best of luck, compadre 🍬🤞

cidacorreia

What’s helped me is basically patience and timing:

If I start a level and the opening board looks terrible (no combos, no color bombs potential), just know that finishing such a level is almost impossible.

Color bombs are almost always worth pairing with striped candies if the board has a good spread.

And blockers first — especially those annoying layers either in corners or behind fences.

Also, I’ve noticed that on the 3rd, 5th, 10th, etc. attempts levels sometimes “ease up” — like you get more cascades or lucky drops. So sometimes I just wait for that instead of spending.

So yeah, I don’t think you’re imagining it 😄

But it is still beatable without paying — just takes more stubbornness now.

Best of luck, compadre 🍬🤞

qtpietam2829

This game is nothing like it used to be two or three years ago.

thank you for your reply, I will take a browse now at your thread x

https://community.king.com/en/candy-crush-saga/discussion/502357/the-new-candy-crush-july-2025-how-to-beat-the-game-without-spending-money

I have written so much about these changes, including various tips. Try by starting here: