Some treasure chests are time-based, meaning you need to wait a few hours to open them.
It’s something that keeps you playing, thinking that the next level you beat might give you “something really good!” 4. Variable rewards are inherently addictive the same way slot machines are addictive - you don’t know what rewards you’ll get, you just know it could be nearly worthless, good, pretty good, or very good. Sometimes you can even get a treasure chest that is filled with more items of varying value. Variable rewards at the end of each levelĪt the end of each level, the game offers some reward items - and you won’t know what all the items are until you’ve beat the level. The increasing difficulty of each level also keeps the game interesting. Perhaps because it’s easy and anyone, even a small child, can pick it up. Why is matching three or more of a kind so addicting? The slow increase in difficulty and reinforcement of game mechanics also appeals to all age ranges. Levels slowly increase in difficulty with the addition of side quests, monsters, or newly discovered items. To beat a level, match items to get access to more items that need to be matched until you get the combination to beat the level. Everything in Merge Dragons is based on matching three or more of the same items. I just use Candy Crush as the baseline because it’s one of the more well-known phone games that pretty much describes the mechanics of Merge Dragons.
Candy Crush game mechanicĬandy Crush isn’t the first game to build puzzle levels based on the “matching” game mechanic - match three or more of the same items to progress in the level. Accompanying the vibrant graphics are sounds and effects that trill pleasurably every time something good happens in game.
#Merge dragons challenge 22 final free
Merge Dragons is at the forefront of free game apps (4.7 out of 5 App Store rating) and exploits the capabilities of retina displays. Beautifully rendered dragons, plants, items, and levels.
Really bright, vivid colors with incredible detail, shading, and animated effects. The quality of the graphics was the main source of the appeal. My first thoughts - “So pretty! and “Yay, dragons!” Merge Dragons caught my eye when I saw their ad on my Instagram feed. Oh, you haven’t heard of Candy Crush? Well, how about Bejeweled? Still no? Well then, clearly you’re not a casual gamer and you’ve got your shit a lot more together than me.įor everyone else in the same boat, similar boat, or relatable boat - this is why Merge Dragons is so addictive and why no one should ever play this game. Have you heard of Candy Crush? It’s like Candy Crush but multiplied and put on steroids. What’s happening here?įor about 2–3 weeks of my life, I was heavily addicted to a smartphone game called Merge Dragons. My life had somehow reached this sad state of affairs within 24 hours. Before bed, I continue tap-tap-tapping I wake in the morning and I’m tap-tap-tapping I continue doing this even as I go to work and intermittently throughout the workday. I keep the app charged next to my laptop as I eat dinner and continue internetting. I have the app open as I turn the keys to my door, put my stuff down, go to the bathroom, and open my laptop to continue looking at a bigger screen. You’d think that I would stop looking at the damn screen when I get off the train, but nope - I have the app open as I walk out onto the platform, down the steps, and even as I cross the street. I’m consuming little dopamine pellets like a hamster nibbling treats in a cage. I’m gorging on colorful visuals and drinking in shimmering sounds of affirmation and new loot. I’m tap-tap-tapping on the screen and pinching and gesturing. Instead, I’m dressed in black and completely engrossed in a screen about half the size of my face. Some of them give Coins instead.Over 60 million tourists come to the city every year just to get views like this. Note: Not all Secret Levels give Stars on Goal completions. Secret: Silence of 2 has been changed into a Challenge Level named Silent Bay 2. Secret: Outskirts 5 has been changed into a Challenge Level named Outskirts 5. This can only be found out by completing the Level. It is also important to note that there is no way of telling how many Stars you have on a Secret Level from the World Map. However, as their name suggests, they are hidden in secret locations on the Map and only show up when tapped. Secret Levels, just like normal Levels, award items and Stars upon completion.