Line #45 VideoGame/Bejeweled


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_2unnamed_9973.png]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:'''GO!'''[[note]] Gameplay of Classic mode from ''Bejeweled 3''[[/note]]]]
3
4	->''"But, dad, I'm Bejeweling!"''
5	-->-- '''Jesus''', ''Webcomic/PennyArcade''
6
7	Crystalline meth in video game form.
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9	Seriously, it's a puzzle game you've probably heard of. Click on jewels in a field of jewels. Two adjacent jewels are switched. If you get a row (or column) of at least three of the same jewels together, your score goes up.
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11	This was originally called ''Diamond Mine'', until Microsoft suggested the new name to avoid confusion with another flash game ''Diamond Mines''. The game was (and still is) very successful, and it was so successful that numerous ProductPlacement versions of the game were created.
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13	Renowned as one of the greatest casual games ever; it is constantly ripped off and constantly played. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3dqWt1AkMk Has officially been completed]], because someone finally ''legitimately'' hit the {{Cap}}.[[note]][[UsefulNotes/PowersOfTwoMinusOne the score of 2,147,483,647]], though the game continues on.[[/note]]
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15	Sequels include:
16	* ''Bejeweled 2'': marks the debut of special gems, a universal space exploration theme, several different gameplay modes, unlockables and more.
17	* ''Bejeweled Twist'': uses a different method to move gems (you "twist" a square of four gems) but is no less addictive.
18	* ''Bejeweled Blitz'': is played like the regular game, but you only have one minute to score as many points as you can.
19	* ''Bejeweled 3'': has 8 different modes, as well as a bunch of Quest submodes.
20	** ''Bejeweled 3'' (Chinese release): An UpdatedReRelease of 3 with two new game modes and some slight gameplay changes to make the game easier.
21	* ''Bejeweled Stars'': implements ''VideoGame/CandyCrushSaga''-like objective-based gameplay with crystals and gravels that need to be cleared and skygems that can be collected to craft power-ups.
22	* And see also: ''VideoGame/{{Gyromancer}}'', while not formally a Bejeweled game, is basically ''Bejeweled Twist'' embedded in a RolePlayingGame by Creator/SquareEnix (who co-developed it with [=PopCap=]).
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24	Compare but not to be confused with the trope GemEncrusted, or the index BejeweledTropes.
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26	The game was largely inspired by an old online game called ''The Colors Game'', but The Colors Game had several differences: it didn't have instructions, it didn't have credits, it didn't have sound, and you had to refresh your screen after every move.
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29	!!Tropes:
30	* AntiFrustrationFeatures: Wall Blast in ''3'' requires the player to destroy a wall that can only be torn down with special gems. Fortunately, the RandomNumberGod favors drops that can easily be turned into special gems in this mode more than any other, making creating them less of a hassle.
31	* AwesomeButImpractical: Supernova and Fruit gems in ''Twist''. Supernovas require to get 6 in a row, which is very difficult to set up without breaking your multiplier, and Fruit gems only appear if you've gotten enough moves in a row to get a ×10 multiplier and then fill the meter ''again'' (this time with colour-cycling indicators instead of yellow ones), which is not only difficult but fruit gems aren't powerful enough to justify it. Doesn't stop [[https://youtu.be/zyDhkDqM3X0 the Fruit Gem Bonus dance animation]] from being wicked cool, though.
32	** The Supernova gems return in ''3''.
33	* BlinkingLightsOfVictory: Played with in ''3'' as part of the casino theming of Poker. Making a Full House causes a sequence of lights to flash around the border and a sound to play akin to winning big on a slot machine, even though a Full House is actually only the third best hand you can make.
34	* BribingYourWayToVictory:
35	** You can link your ''Blitz'' game to your Website/{{Facebook}} account and earn coins as you play, which was used to purchase in-game boosts (which are now free and have stronger effects) and is still used to buy (much more expensive) gems; you can also use Facebook credits to purchase coins. The iOS version links to the iTunes Store, and the Android version links to Google Play. The new version also adds shards and diamonds to upgrade boosts, the former of which can be obtained only by using ''some'' gems, and the latter is only obtainable by upgrading boosts, and once you exhausted that option, you need to open chests, some of which require credits to purchase.
36	** ''Stars'' implements a similar Facebook-linking and coin-paying system, although the coins don't ''directly'' purchase you in-game boosts but instead lets you speed up crafting of them or get extra moves in levels. Fortunately, unlike ''Candy Crush Saga'', you ''don't'' have to pester Facebook friends to unlock later levels.
37	* CasualVideoGame: One of the most well-known tile-matching games.
38	* ClusterFBomb: part of the background music for the first game. Probably accidental.
39	* ControllableHelplessness: You're playing Ice Storm in ''Bejeweled 3''. An ice column has reached the top of the play field. You look around for find a match that could lower or shatter it only to realize [[OhCrap there are none]]. As you watch the ice column slowly "powering up" for the [[GameOver big freeze]], you frantically try to make other matches, hoping the RandomNumberGod will favour you with the right jewels, [[FailureIsTheOnlyOption but it doesn't]]. Also, bombs in ''Twist''.
40	** Played more straight in the same game mode, as while it seems you can keep going even though the columns are rising faster, the game mode takes a drastic turn 7 minutes and 30 seconds in. If ANY column reaches the top and you can't clear it through a gem cascade, the game will end there and then.
41	* DifficultButAwesome: Matching two Hypercubes together in ''3'' and ''Blitz''. However, in Classic (in Bejeweled 3), it commonly falls under SimpleYetAwesome territory. Averted in ''2'', [[BigNo because they destroy every Hypercube on the board]].
42	* DolledUpInstallment: The first game received a candy-themed version called ''Sweet Tooth To Go'', which also has an additional endless mode.
43	* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: The first game lacks any kind of Endless/Zen mode.
44	* EasterEgg:
45	** If you mouse over the mode buttons clockwise a few times on the mode selection screen in ''Twist'', you get to see the credits.
46	** Type in "snackers" without the rotator on the board and all Coal on screen are changed to Snackers the cat.
47	** ''Bejeweled 2'' has a LOT of these, unlocked by typing in certain keywords:
48	*** "OLDSKOOL" - Changes the gems to the ones from the original Diamond Mine.
49	*** "NOFRAME" - Removes the frames from UI elements (the purple Menu/Hint balls, the board, and the score bar, but not the level progress bar)
50	*** "COLORSWAP" - Changes the colors of the gems. Can be repeated up to three times to cycle between different color schemes.
51	*** "GREENSCREEN" and "AMBERSCREEN" - Changes the colors of the game to green or amber, respectively.
52	*** "BLACKANDWHITE" - Changes the colors of the game to grayscale.
53	*** "XMAS" - Causes snow to fall on the gameboard, and changes the background to that of Ceti Alpha V. Stacks with NETWORK and STARFIELD.
54	*** "NETWORK" - Changes the background to a rain of 1s and 0s. Stacks with XMAS.
55	*** "STARFIELD" - Changes the background to a deep, purple void. Stacks with XMAS.
56	*** "NORMAL" - Cancels out the effects of the other keywords, returning the game to its original state.
57	*** In the main menu, moving your mouse over the mode buttons clockwise a few times unlocks Original Mode, which is identical to Bejeweled 1 in that it lacks Power Gems and Hypercubes. Other hidden modes (Twilight, Hyper, Cognito, Finity) also count, as there are no clear instructions on how to get them in the game itself--you just know it when you have them.
58	* EndlessGame: Virtually any game mode will continue for as long as ''you'' continue to be lucky. Zen Mode from ''3'' and ''Twist'' and Endless Mode from ''2'' plays the Trope literally - you ''can't'' lose. It's strictly for relaxation.
59	* EnergyWeapon: The Cat's Eye rare gem in ''Blitz''. Snackers (the cat in the Facebook game) looks normal except for that he shoots lasers out of his eyes. Anchovy (the cat in the portable version) looks like he was assimilated by the Borg.
60	* EverythingsSparklyWithJewelry: Hey, any objects could have been (and have been since) done with this game, but gems were of course the prettiest.
61	* FireworksOfVictory: In ''3'', background fireworks exploding in the shapes of the gems, planets and a golden crown are your reward for achieving HundredPercentCompletion in Quest Mode.
62	* FormulaBreakingEpisode: Both ''2'' and ''Twist'' have an "exploring space" theme to them. Then comes ''3'', with an "ancient world" theme. ''Twist'' is especially notable for changing the traditional match-3 gameplay and adding clockwise moves instead of regular swaps.
63	* GenderFlip: Unlike literally all the other games, the narrator in ''Blitz [=LIVE=]'' is ''female''.
64	* GottaCatchEmAll: Charms in ''Stars'', which you get from opening chests that randomly appear when you complete levels. The stars themselves also have an element of this, as collecting them fills in constellations that give you skygems, coins, and great power-ups.
65	* HellIsThatNoise: The turn right before the Doom Gem appears in ''Twist''. Destroying one causes it to make a sinister-sounding chittering noise as it dies, followed by a sound not unlike that of a train horn.
66	* HintSystem: If you stall for too long during a game, a hint will appear showing you a gem that can make a match. Also, every game (except ''Twist'' and ''Stars'') has a Hint button that you can click at any time to request a hint (which, in the first two games, also afflicts a score and progress penalty).
67	* LuckBasedMission: You have a diminishing chance to continue your game every time a bomb ticks to 0 (via a Disarm Spinner[[note]]which, contrary to popular belief, will have already decided if the Disarm Spinner will land on gems or skulls even ''before'' the player clicks the stop button[[/note]]): 3/4, then 1/2, then 1/4 onwards. Also, in ''Bejeweled 3'''s Poker mode, you have a 1/2 chance to continue your game (via a flipping coin[[note]]with a "safe" four-leaf clover on one side and a [[GameOver skull on the other]][[/note]]) every time you make a poker hand that's marked with a skull.
68	** Also the whole game in general. Sure, careful planning can help you avoid falling into {{Unwinnable}} situations, but in the end, if the RandomNumberGod decides that he hates your guts, then you ''will'' [[FailureIsTheOnlyOption fail]].
69	* MadBomber: Should you plan to craft as many exploding gems as possible, you can bombard the whole puzzle over and over again. In ''Stars'', combining Hypercube and Flame Gem turns every gem of that color into a bomb.
70	* MatchThreeGame: The TropeCodifier.
71	* NoFairCheating: If you swap two Hypercubes in ''Bejeweled Blitz/3'', since they have all the colors, [[LogicBomb the game gets confused]] and the [[RocksFallEveryoneDies whole board explodes]] - you even get an Elite Badge the first time you do so (in ''3''). But in ''Bejeweled 2'', every Hypercube you own dies. Causes quite a few BigNo moments from people who played ''3'' first.
72	** Pausing during any time-critical game modes hides the board during the pause.
73	* NonIndicativeName: Hyper ''Cubes'' in ''Bejeweled 2'' are either spherical (with Hardware Acceleration off) or swirling globs (with it on) of energy. Averted as of ''3'' and ''Blitz'', where the Hyper Cube now looks like an actual cube (unless you're Italian, in which case it was called a Hyper''sphere'', and thus was correct for the first time, ''2''.)
74	* NoSmoking: ''Bejeweled 3'''s Zen mode was apparently originally intended to help players quit smoking, but was changed to helping get rid of bad habits in general, because any reference ''at all'' to smoking would have given it a high Entertainment Software Rating Board rating.
75	* PowerCreep: ''Blitz'' got hit pretty hard over time with this:
76	** Gems, the first version of which did basic stuff like adding three star gems at the start of the game, but over the time they were more and more powerful up to the version that allows you to nuke the whole board, over and over again.
77	** Upgradable boosts are also this compared to original version. For example Mystery Gem Boost added, before upgrade, one special gem at the board at the start of the game. Now, it causes that ''every match'' done on the board has a chance to add a special gem, with starting probability of 20%, and it goes up as it is upgraded.
78	* PowerUp: ''Blitz'' has many different power-up "rare gems", some that change depending on the current holiday season, and a special version as a reward for completing a list of tasks. These change the mode of play for a single game (usually you can get a "rare gem streak" where you can buy up to three in a row for a discount). Some of these power-up gems are: Moonstone (you start with 3 Star Gems on the field), Cat's Eye (a cat zaps the field 14 times at game's end), and Phoenix Prism (gives you a chance of getting a wild card gem).
79	** ''Stars'' lets you craft your own power-ups with skygems you collect in levels. They include Flame Swappers that swap any gem with a flame counterpart, Scramblers that remix the entire board, Hammers that smash any gem, and much more.
80	* PrettyButterflies: Bejeweled 3's Butterflies mode/minigame, where the goal is to liberate the butterflies by matching the gems and making sure none of them reach the top of the playfield where an evil spider awaits to eat them.
81	** ''Stars'' brings them back in several levels. Sometimes you need to collect a certain number of them; other times they're just there to make completing the level's objective more difficult.
82	* ProductionThrowback: As stated in the introduction above, Bejeweled was once called ''Diamond Mine''. In ''Bejeweled 3'', there is a game mode with the same name.
83	* RandomlyGeneratedLevels: Every game/level begins with a random combination of different colors of gems. Except in most Classic/Normal modes (where you have to score as high as you can until there are no possible moves), an algorithm is applied to the board so that there is at least one legal move at any time.
84	* SadisticChoice: In ''Twist'' -- do you try to keep the multiplier on 10 (and earn fruit gems) by never making non-matching moves, or do you deal with that bomb that just ticked down to 3?
85	** Similarly in ''Bejeweled 3'''s Ice Storm mode -- do you try to keep the column combo going by continuing to make vertical matches overlapping ice columns, or do you make a horizontal match to reset the timer on that one column you can't destroy and may end your game if left unchecked?
86	* SceneryPorn: Especially prevalent in the second game.
87	* ScoreMultiplier:
88	** ''Bejeweled Twist'' incorporates a common one in every mode except Challenge. Each multiplier level from 1 to 10 has an increasing number of notches that can be filled by consecutive matches. Completely filling a level moves you up to the next. A non-match resets the current level, or moves you down one level if it is already empty. The 10th level has two halves, the second of which is decorated with cycling rainbow patterns. Maxing that out gives you a Fruit Gem that replaces a random bad gem on the board (or if there aren't any, a random gem).
89	** ''Bejeweled 3'':
90	*** Classic mode: The level value is basically the score multiplier.
91	*** Lightning mode: You start with the first round (×1) with 60 seconds. Try to match Time Gems (+5 and +10 variants) to add time to the Time Extension tank (holding a maximum of 60 seconds) for the next round (where the multiplier value is increased by 1; unused +5 and +10 gems turn into Flame and Star Gems respectively). Comes the next round, and Time Gems are becoming harder to find. Continue until you are out of time without any extra in the tank.
92	*** Ice Storm mode: The "Ice Wall" multiplies your points as many times in a row as you clear ice columns with vertical matches. Also, to the left of the board is a water tank. Clearing ice columns fills the tank with more water. When the tank is full, it drains the water, the multiplier increases by one, and the top of the board releases steam, pushing the columns down. Higher multipliers require clearing more ice.
93	* ScoringPoints:
94	** ''Twist'' has the formula 25 × simultaneous bonus (if two matches are made at the same time, each is worth twice as much, for a total of four times the points) × line bonus (1 for 3 in a row, 2 for 4 in a row, 4 for 5 in a row, unknown for 6 in a row) × cascade bonus (each cascade multiplies score--the third will multiply it by 3, the fourth by 4, and so on) + special gem bonus (Fire 100, Lightning 250, Fruit 500, Supernova unknown) + geode bonus (50 + 50 more for each geode bonus [the first in one move gives 100, the second 150, up to a maximum of 350]. This is only if there are geode bonuses in a move) with all that × multiplier (maximum 10) × game type bonus (Zen = 1, Classic = 2, Blitz = 5).
95	** Other games have different scoring schemes for different game modes. For instance, in ''3'''s Diamond Mine mode, you only receive points (complete with currency signs, depending on the version's language) from the treasure you "excavate".
96	* SeriesMascot: Pretty much every title in the franchise has been represented by the blue diamond, both on cover arts and as the game icon.
97	** In ''Stars'', Felis the purple cat and Corvis the crow are both introduced.
98	* SongsInTheKeyOfPanic:
99	** ''Bejeweled Twist'':
100	*** Classic mode: If one of the bomb gems count down to 5, the music will change into a more panicked variant in response. Once all the bomb gem counters are higher than 5 again, the music will go back to normal.
101	*** Challenge mode: Puzzles Stratamax[[note]](clear a number of gems with a given number of moves)[[/note]] and Survivor[[note]](survive a number of moves with Bomb, Doom and Lock Gems on the board)[[/note]] share a unique music piece, to which more panicked instrumentation is added when the player has 4 moves remaining. In the Survivor Eclipse puzzle[[note]](survive as many moves as possible)[[/note]], the instrumentation is added after the 8th move.
102	** ''Bejeweled 3'':
103	*** Lightning mode: The music changes into a more panicked variant once the player has 10 seconds left on the clock without any time in the Time Extension tank (which adds bonus time for the next multiplier round), and goes back to normal once a Time Gem is matched.
104	*** Ice Storm mode: As a secondary ice column approaches the top of the board, additional instrumentation is added (along with a warning sound, the background darkening, snow starting to fall, etc.) to intensify the situation.
105	* SoundtrackDissonance: For a game with so many explosions, the cheerful and calm music playing for the ''whole time'' is prone to this.
106	** Averted in ''Bejeweled Blitz'' (iOS version).
107	* StuffBlowingUp: The various ways jewels can explode.
108	* TooDumbToLive: The butterfly gems in ''Bejeweled 3'' fly up towards the spider, even though they seem to know it can and will eat them. The player is forced to try to save them by matching them with gems of the same colour.
109	* UnintentionallyUnwinnable: If a player wins and loses at the same time in a Butterflies Quest mode, the game doesn't let the player do anything else other than force exit.
110	* VerbedTitle: Obviously.
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Context VideoGame / Bejeweled