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Best Kept Secrets: 7 Overlooked Candy Crush-Like Games
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We aim to give players all the information they need based on facts. Before we publish anything, we double and triple-check what we're recommending. We want players to feel certain that our comparisons and rankings tell the full truth.
Check out our list of 7 overlooked match-3 style games with gameplay comparable to Candy Crush.
7 Sweetest Candy Crush Slots to Start Playing
| Rank | Slot name | RTP | Special Feature | Where to Play |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reel Rush 2 | 95.53% | Free Spins, Multiplier Boost, Random Wilds | Ladbrokes |
| 2 | Aloha Cluster Pays | 96.42% | Clusters, Free Spins, Re-spins | JeffBet Casino |
| 3 | Candy Tower | 96.73% | Cluster Pays, Expanding Symbols, FreeSpins, Multiplier, | Videoslots |
| 4 | Gemix | 94.78% | Cluster Pays, Multiplier, Wild | Grosvenor |
| 5 | Sugar Rush | 95.5% | Avalanche, Buy Feature, Cluster Pays, FreeSpins, Scatter symbols | Genting Casino |
| 6 | Star Pops | 96.59% | Buy Feature, Cluster Pays, FreeSpins, Symbol Swap | Barz |
| 7 | Chocolates | 96.6% | Additional Free Spins, Additive symbol, Multiplier, Scatter symbols | 777 Casino |
Methodology for Identifying Prospective Slots
- We look for themes with colourful aesthetics, flashy graphics, and puzzle-solving gameplay, very similar to Candy Crush.
- Our review was focused on slots whose backbone of the gameplay is a grid slots mechanic, similar to UK slot sites
- At the top of our screening list are games that offer high RTP, usually above 95%. Our policy is to recommend games that can potentially offer sweet payouts.
- We test slots from licensed software vendors with a reputation in the industry for innovation and providing games with fair outcomes.
- We try to identify new special features that rejuvenate gaming concepts, providing a more fun experience.
- Our contributors manually test all games and attempt to find glitches in the gameplay and verify the RTP.
Although Candy Crush is the basis of comparisons, we like to hold each game to an individual standard and find the unique features that make it a compelling slot title.
(#1) Reel Rush 2
| Technical data | Facts |
|---|---|
| Software provider | NetEnt |
| Released in | 2019 |
| Grid size | 5 x 5 |
| RTP | 95.53% |
| Volatility | Medium-high |
| Max payout | 25,000x |
| Bet range | £0.2 – £40 |
How the game is played
Reel Rush 2 is a dynamic slot rich with features that can appear at any time. There are 3125 bet ways, thanks to the 5 reels and 5 rows.
The symbol is a stylistic representation of fruits, and the pristine graphic and soundtrack create a colourful world.
Particular features of Reel Rush 2
- Multiplier Boost: Increase the progressive multiplier by 1x
- Random Wilds: Randomly, 1 to 3 wild symbols will appear on the reels.
- Second Chance: Makes it possible to re-spin after a losing spin.
(#2) Aloha Cluster Pays
| Technical data | Facts |
|---|---|
| Software provider | NetEnt |
| Release date | 2016 |
| Grid size | 6 x 5 |
| RTP | 96.42% |
| Volatility | Low |
| Max payout | 1,000x |
| Bet range | £0.01 – £200 |
Gameplay Review
The Cluster Pays mechanic requires clusters of the same symbol on the reels. To win, you will need 9 symbols stacked together.
Each symbol has a unique flavour and gets inspired by coconuts, pineapples, seashells, and a pink flower from Hawaii.
Bonus Features
- Wild: The symbol substitutes with icons next to it, increasing grouped symbols.
- Symbol drop: Low-value icons get dropped, and only high-value ones remain.
- Stacked symbols: The symbols cover 2 reel spaces instead of 1 as a standard symbol.
This is a game that you’ll find on most of our NetEnt casinos.
(#3) Candy Tower
| Technical data | Facts |
|---|---|
| Software provider | Habanero |
| Release date | 2021 |
| Grid size | 6 x 5 |
| RTP | 96.73% |
| Volatility | High |
| Max payout | 31,213x |
| Bet range | £0.15 – £3000 |
The premise of the game
The colourful world of sweets gets powered by Cluster Pays mechanics, where you can receive 250 Free Spins for 6 Scatter symbols. There are up to 5 boost features in Free Spins.
Cash boosts grant random cash prizes, while roaming boosts reward a Wild symbol for every Free Spin. The free demo mode makes it possible to explore the land of sweets.
Special features
- Free Spins: Activated when you unlock the entire game area.
- Expanding Symbols: During a bonus round, a specific symbol can trigger a reel expansion and fill available positions on that reel.
- Random Wilds: Around 1 to 3 wild symbols will appear randomly on the reels.
Free spins as a slot particular are different from free spins on sign-up, which is a type of casino bonus offered to newly registered players, which allows them to play slot rounds without a deposit.
(#4) Gemix
| Technical data | Facts |
|---|---|
| Software provider | Play’n GO |
| Release date | 2014 |
| Grid size | 7 x 7 |
| RTP | 94.78% |
| Volatility | Medium |
| Max payout | 6,025x |
| Bet range | £0.5 – £100 |
About the gameplay
The cascading reels get packed full of precious gemstones. To secure a win, the cluster pays engine requires a minimum of 5 matching symbols to land in a cluster. It’s possible to achieve huge wins by creating clusters with over 15 identical symbols.
Various bonus features enhance the gameplay of Gemix. Although it may appear complex, it’s easy to learn, and the symbol design is appealing.
Additional features
- Nova Blast: Exploding symbol eliminates adjacent symbols
- Light Beam: A beam fired from one symbol transforms other symbols
- Crystal Warp: A selected symbol changes into a different symbol
(#5) Sugar Rush
| Technical data | Facts |
|---|---|
| Software provider | Pragmatic Play |
| Release date | 2022 |
| Grid size | 7 x 7 |
| RTP | 95.5% |
| Volatility | High |
| Max payout | 5,000x |
| Bet range | £0.2 – £100 |
Gameplay Review
The playing field contains grid slots of 7×7, and it’s the space where you can win by landing between 5 to 15 identical symbols. More matching symbols translate into higher payouts.
Additionally, there is an arsenal of special features to increase your chances of success, such as the multiplier and bonus buy. You can see this feature on Pragmatic Play casinos that have this slot game in their lobby.
From a visual perspective, Sugar Rush also borrows elements from Sweet Bonanza and other titles with fruity themes in the developer’s portfolio.
Bonus Features
- Free Spins: You receive the bonus when you access the entire game area.
- Bonus Buy: This allows you to take the bonus instantly.
- Scatter symbols: They are the key to unlocking different bonus features in the game.
(#6) Chocolates
| Technical data | Facts |
|---|---|
| Software provider | Big Time Gaming |
| Release date | 2020 |
| Grid size | 4 x 4 |
| RTP | 96.6% |
| Volatility | High |
| Max payout | 65,536x |
| Bet range | £0.2 – £20 |
Gameplay Review
The deliciousness of the gameplay is obvious from the title, but Chocolates also harnesses the mechanic to its full potential with 256 ways to play on a 4 x 4 grid pattern.
The collection of symbols incorporates 10 regular symbols, subdivided into lows and highs. The low-paying ones cash out when you match 4 instances on a line, but you only need 3 with the high-paying symbols.
Bonus Features
- Scatter symbols: They activate various bonus features in the game.
- Free Spins: When you unlock the full game area, you receive the bonus.
- Wild: Substitute for other symbols and complete winning pay lines.
(#7) Star Pops
| Technical data | Facts |
|---|---|
| Software provider | Electric Elephant |
| Release date | 2022 |
| Grid size | 8 x 8 |
| RTP | 96.59% |
| Volatility | High |
| Max payout | 14,165x |
| Bet range | £0.2 – £50 |
Gameplay Review
The colour of the balloons should not confuse you; they pay the same. And the cascading feature also comes with a multiplier which increases by +1 per cascading win. Everything resets between cascading sequences, and the multiplier can rise more than x100 without combining it with other clusters.
The concept is not entirely new, but the design gives it a new twist, with balloons taking the place of candy or other sweets as a decorative motif.
Bonus Features
- Sticky Wild: The symbol is a wild icon that sticks on the reels and can join a winning combination.
- Free Spins: You receive the bonus when you open the whole game area.
- Multiplier: Rises the progressive multiplier
What are Grid Slots?
The genesis of the grid slot format gets traced to the Candy Crush saga, which might have inspired the concept. The difference between grid slots and 3-reel and 5-reel slots is that there are no fixed pay lines. You get a large playing area, typically a grid with symbols that cascade down to form winning clusters.
A winning combination comes with at least 5 identical adjacent symbols, connecting vertically and horizontally but not diagonally. It’s a flexible concept, and most emerging games incorporate new features or gameplay mechanisms. The innovative and entertaining experience is one of the reasons for its growing popularity on our full online casino list.
What should the selection process be like?
- Players’ picks can be subjective, but our tables provide objective data, which can help you make a choice that suits your gaming style.
- Be diligent when reviewing the provided information, and do not skip over details. Every fact can be a crucial piece that can steer you in the right direction.
- Our mini-reviews are comprehensive guides that can serve as benchmarks for evaluating available gaming options and how they stack against the competition.
- When looking for generous payouts, pay attention to parameters like high RTP in tandem with low volatility. One such example is Candy Dreams.
- Take the thematic look into consideration and search for games with similar visual styles, like Candy Boom.
Who Created the First Slots Like Candy Crush?
Developer NetEnt was honoured to introduce the trend of grid slots with its unique game Aloha! Cluster Pays. Candy is not a visual style adopted by the software provider for its popular slot title, but Aloha! Cluster Pays took inspiration from the gameplay of Candy Crush, ushering in a breakthrough concept in the industry.
Play Tips for Candy Crush Casino Games
- Learn the game rules before you start to play.
- Select a game with an entertaining theme for your sessions.
- Have a defined bankroll for each gaming session.
- Choose grid slots from reputable developers and play them on desktop or casino apps.
- Analyse the paytable to verify if the risk is worth the slotted wins.
- Select slots with multiple bonus features.
- Practice with a demo version of the games.
- Evaluate the payout metrics such as RTP and volatility.
What game do you want to try out?
Let us know in the comments if any of the games we’ve presented has caught your attention and remember to play them only on top UK casinos!
