Bejeweled is a puzzle game by
PopCap GamesPopCap Games is a leading American casual game developer and publisher, based in Seattle, Washington, United States. It was founded in 2000 by John Vechey, Brian Fiete and Jason Kapalka, and currently employs more than 180 people...
, first developed for the
browserA browser game is a video game that is played on a web browser. It is distinct from other video and computer games in that it typically doesn't require any client-side software to be installed, apart from the web browser...
in
2001-Events:* Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences hosts the 4th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards; inducts John Carmack of id Software to the AIAS Hall of Fame...
. Two sequels to this game have been released,
Bejeweled 2Bejeweled 2 is a free web-based game, sequel to Bejeweled, developed and published by PopCap Games. In 2004, Bejeweled 2 Deluxe was released. They both add extra game modes and features to the game. Bejeweled 2 Deluxe, like all PopCap titles, is available on a "try before you buy" basis...
, by PopCap Games in
2004-Events:*January 20 — Wireds Vaporware Awards gives its first "Lifetime Achievement Award" to recurring winner Duke Nukem Forever.*March 4 — Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences hosts 7th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards; inducts Peter Molyneux into the AIAS Hall of Fame*March 22-26 — Game...
, and
Bejeweled TwistBejeweled Twist is puzzle game created and published PopCap Games, released on October 17, 2008.- Gameplay :The cursor now selects four jewels and rotates them clockwise. Not every move has to form a line of three, but each time a line is formed in one click the player will start a chain which will...
, also by PopCap Games, in
2008Notable events of 2008 in video gaming. See also history of video games. The release dates listed in this article are the games' original release dates.-Events:...
. More than 25 million copies of
Bejeweled have been sold, and the game has been downloaded more than 150 million times.
The game was initially created by PopCap Games as a web-based
FlashAdobe Flash is a multimedia platform originally acquired by Macromedia and currently developed and distributed by Adobe Systems. Since its introduction in 1996, Flash has become a popular method for adding animation and interactivity to web pages...
game called
Diamond Mine.
Bejeweled is a puzzle game by
PopCap GamesPopCap Games is a leading American casual game developer and publisher, based in Seattle, Washington, United States. It was founded in 2000 by John Vechey, Brian Fiete and Jason Kapalka, and currently employs more than 180 people...
, first developed for the
browserA browser game is a video game that is played on a web browser. It is distinct from other video and computer games in that it typically doesn't require any client-side software to be installed, apart from the web browser...
in
2001-Events:* Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences hosts the 4th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards; inducts John Carmack of id Software to the AIAS Hall of Fame...
. Two sequels to this game have been released,
Bejeweled 2Bejeweled 2 is a free web-based game, sequel to Bejeweled, developed and published by PopCap Games. In 2004, Bejeweled 2 Deluxe was released. They both add extra game modes and features to the game. Bejeweled 2 Deluxe, like all PopCap titles, is available on a "try before you buy" basis...
, by PopCap Games in
2004-Events:*January 20 — Wireds Vaporware Awards gives its first "Lifetime Achievement Award" to recurring winner Duke Nukem Forever.*March 4 — Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences hosts 7th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards; inducts Peter Molyneux into the AIAS Hall of Fame*March 22-26 — Game...
, and
Bejeweled TwistBejeweled Twist is puzzle game created and published PopCap Games, released on October 17, 2008.- Gameplay :The cursor now selects four jewels and rotates them clockwise. Not every move has to form a line of three, but each time a line is formed in one click the player will start a chain which will...
, also by PopCap Games, in
2008Notable events of 2008 in video gaming. See also history of video games. The release dates listed in this article are the games' original release dates.-Events:...
. More than 25 million copies of
Bejeweled have been sold, and the game has been downloaded more than 150 million times.
History
The game was initially created by PopCap Games as a web-based
FlashAdobe Flash is a multimedia platform originally acquired by Macromedia and currently developed and distributed by Adobe Systems. Since its introduction in 1996, Flash has become a popular method for adding animation and interactivity to web pages...
game called
Diamond Mine. It was reportedly successful for PopCap—a company formed in 2000. PopCap created partnerships with established
InternetThe Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standardized Internet Protocol Suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
gaming sites such as Microsoft Zone to host
Bejeweled as well. The name
Bejeweled was suggested by
MicrosoftMicrosoft Corporation is a multinational computer technology corporation that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of software products for computing devices...
, who thought that the original name
Diamond Mine was too similar to that of an existing game,
Diamond Mines.
The game has also been
portedIn computer science, porting is the process of adapting software so that an executable program can be created for a computing environment that is different from the one for which it was originally designed...
to other platforms, including
Microsoft WindowsMicrosoft Windows is a series of software operating systems and graphical user interfaces produced by Microsoft. Microsoft first introduced an operating environment named Windows in November 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces...
, where it was called
Bejeweled Deluxe.
AstrawareAstraware creates software for Microsoft Pocket PCs and Smartphones as well as Palm OS PDAs and the Apple iPod. It is based in Keele.Astraware was founded in the United Kingdom by current CEO, and CTO, in 1993. At that time they wrote software for the Atari ST. Their first successful software...
produced versions for
PDAsA personal digital assistant is a handheld computer, also known as a palmtop computer. Newer PDAs commonly have color screens and audio capabilities, enabling them to be used as mobile phones , web browsers, or portable media players. Many PDAs can access the Internet, intranets or extranets...
on the
Palm OSFor the modern smartphone operating system by Palm, see: webOSPalm OS is an embedded operating system initially developed by Palm, Inc. for personal digital assistants in 1996...
,
Windows MobileWindows Mobile is a compact operating system developed by Microsoft, and designed for use in smartphones and mobile devices.It is based on Windows CE, and features a suite of basic applications developed using the Microsoft Win32 API. It is designed to be somewhat similar to desktop versions of...
,
SmartphoneA smartphone is a mobile phone offering advanced capabilities, often with PC-like functionality . There is no industry standard definition of a smartphone. For some, a smartphone is a phone that runs complete operating system software providing a standardized interface and platform for application...
and
PalmFor the modern smartphone operating system by Palm, see: webOSPalm OS is an embedded operating system initially developed by Palm, Inc. for personal digital assistants in 1996...
platforms. They also released
Bejeweled Deluxe on the
XboxThe Xbox is a video game console produced by Microsoft. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console market, and competed with Sony's PlayStation 2, Sega's Dreamcast, and Nintendo's GameCube...
as a downloadable
Xbox Live ArcadeXbox Live Arcade is a term used to refer to a type of video game available primarily in a section of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's digital distribution network for Xbox 360...
game. On September 12, 2006, it was released as one of the first games downloadable from the
iTunes StoreThe iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple Inc. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, it was as of April 2008 the number-one music vendor in the United States. As of January 2009, the store has sold 6 billion songs, accounting for 70% of...
for the Apple iPod.
PopCap Games initially announced a version of Bejeweled for the
iPhoneThe iPhone is an Internet and multimedia enabled smartphone designed and marketed by Apple Inc. Because its minimal hardware interface lacks a physical keyboard, the multi-touch screen renders a virtual keyboard when necessary...
that was not a standalone game but rather a web application playable over the
SafariSafari is a web browser developed by Apple Inc. First released as a public beta on 7 January 2003 on the company's Mac OS X operating system, it became Apple's default browser beginning with Mac OS X v10.3 "Panther". Apple has also made Safari the native browser for the iPhone OS...
browser. A native application for the iPhone has since been made available for purchase in the iTunes store, although the web-based version still exists.
Recently,
skill gamesOnline skill-based games are online games in which the outcome of the game is determined by the player's physical skill or mental skill...
like
Bejeweled have been featured in online competitions for prizes.
Its influence has crossed the virtual divide, as a
scratchcardA scratchcard is a small token, usually made of cardboard, where one or more areas contain concealed information: they are covered by a substance that cannot be seen through, but can be scratched...
based on the game has been issued by
LotterywestLotterywest, formerly the Lotteries Commission of Western Australia, is an Australian lotteries corporation run by the State Government of Western Australia. Lotterywest sells lottery tickets and "instant win" scratchcards through a network of newsagents and other authorised retailers...
.
On October 9, 2007, PopCap Games announced
Bejeweled for the
Playstation 2The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony. The PS2 console is the sequel to the original PlayStation console. The successor to the PlayStation, and the predecessor to the PlayStation 3, the PlayStation 2 forms part of the PlayStation series of video game...
and
Xbox 360The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft, and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles....
platforms in a compilation with other puzzler games.
On September 20, 2008, a
World of WarcraftWorld of Warcraft, often referred to as WoW, is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game by Blizzard Entertainment. It is the fourth released game set in the fantasy Warcraft universe, which was first introduced by Warcraft: Orcs & Humans in 1994...
fansite known as WoW Insider revealed that PopCap Games would be releasing a free version of
Bejeweled as an add-on for World of Warcraft's interface for download the following week.
On October 27, 2008, PopCap released the official third installment in the Bejeweled series:
Bejeweled Twist. It is similar to the classic design, except now instead of swapping two gems, the player rotates clusters of four gems clockwise to make matches. The gems also will not move back if they do not initially match up, unlike in previous games.
On December 20, 2008, Popcap released
Bejeweled Blitz, a plugin version on the
FacebookFacebook is a global social networking website that is operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. Users can add friends and send them messages, and update their personal profiles to notify friends about themselves. Additionally, users can join networks organized by city, workplace, school, and...
social networking site that allows players to compete with other Facebook users in a timed, one minute game.
Gameplay
The objective of this game is to swap one
gemA gemstone or gem is a piece of attractive mineral, which—when cut and polished—is used to make jewelry or other adornments...
with an adjacent gem to form a horizontal or vertical chain of three or more gems. Bonus points are given when more than three identical gems are formed or forms two lines of identical gems in one swap. Gems disappear when chains are formed and gems fall from the top to fill in gaps. Sometimes
chain reactionA chain reaction is a sequence of reactions where a reactive product or by-product causes additional reactions to take place. In a chain reaction, positive feedback leads to a self-amplifying chain of events...
s, called
cascades, are triggered, where chains are formed by the falling gems. Cascades are awarded with bonus points. There are two variations of the game to choose from.
Although normally the player gets only 3 in a row for gems, sometimes they can get 4 or 5 in a row. And rare conditions, they can get 6, 7 and even 8 in a row. However, some versions of the
engineA game engine is a software system designed for the creation and development of video games. There are many game engines that are designed to work on video game consoles and desktop operating systems such as Microsoft Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X...
do not register it.
Normal
- Level up when the player reaches certain score
- Game over when no move can be performed
Timed
- The level up bar starts in the middle, level up when the bar reaches the end.
- Over time, the bar decreases. The bar decreases faster as the stage level increases (and in some versions, the longer the level lasts).
- The game is over when the bar reaches the beginning (if a situation arises where no valid move can be made, the board is cleared and randomly re-filled).
- On September 3, 2009 a record score of 861,400 was set by Dr I. Fist, beating his closest rival by over 40,000 points. On October 9, 2009 Tyler Sesko set a new record of 1,289,600, a score not yet seen in the game.
WoW Edition
Pop Cap games have made a version of Bejeweled for World of Warcraft. The game is run inside WoW as an AddOn.
Influence
Bejeweled was probably influenced by the Scharik game, written in 90x by Eugene Alemzhin, which had nearly identical gameplay, and may have drawn some influence from the game
Puzzle League.
The popularity of
Bejeweled has spawned countless clones. Collectively known as "match three" games, these all revolve around the mechanic of creating a three-in-a-row line of identical pieces. They include:
- Chuzzle
Chuzzle is a computer puzzle game created by Raptisoft Games and PopCap Games, and published by PopCap Games. It is named after the multi-colored fuzzballs around which the game revolves. The gameplay is similar to that of Bejeweled.-Gameplay:...
, named after the fuzzballs around which it revolves. It was developed jointly and published by PopCap GamesPopCap Games is a leading American casual game developer and publisher, based in Seattle, Washington, United States. It was founded in 2000 by John Vechey, Brian Fiete and Jason Kapalka, and currently employs more than 180 people...
.
- Goober's Lab, a clone featured on Webkinz
Webkinz are toy stuffed animals that were originally released by the Ganz company on April 29, 2005. The toys are similar to many other small plush toys, however, each Webkinz toy has an attached tag with a unique "Secret Code" printed on it that allows access to the "Webkinz World" website...
.com.
- Sutek's Tomb, a variant featured on Neopets
Neopets is a virtual pet website launched by Adam Powell and Donna Williams on 15 November 1999. Two years after the web site was launched, Adam Powell and Donna Williams sold a majority share to a consortium of investors led by Doug Dohring. On 20 June 2005, Viacom bought Neopets, Inc...
.com.
- Jewel Quest
Jewel Quest is an Indiana Jones-inspired puzzle game created and published by iWin. First for PC, and later it has been redeveloped for the Xbox 360's Xbox Live Arcade...
- Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords
Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords is a game developed by Australian company Infinite Interactive and published by D3 Publisher. The game combines role-playing with strategy and puzzle elements...
, an RPGA console role-playing game is a video game genre that has its origin rooted in video game consoles and includes game mechanics and, frequently, settings derived from those of traditional role-playing games...
where combat is fought using a match three board
- Zoo Keeper
Zoo Keeper is an online puzzle game developed by Robot Communications that was later ported to the Nintendo DS by Japanese video game publisher Success...
, a Japanese game with an animal theme
- A variety of coin-operated touchscreen game machines also offer a time-limited version of the game
- Three-in-a-Row, a featured minigame and as a sub-game in Strawberry Shortcake: Berry Best Friends for the PC and Macintosh
- Aurora Feint
Aurora Feint is a video game series developed by Danielle Cassley and Jason Citron for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Aurora Feint The Beginning was released in the first wave of iTunes App Store applications in July 2008 and is a free single-player game which combines the geometric shape manipulation...
, an iPhone/iPod Touch game
External links