Clearing the ice blocks and aiming for the highest possible score on top of that.
This match-3 game was no longer confined to just simple triple matches—the gameplay was starting to expand.
And with this brand new mechanic, Davidson found himself interested again.
The game had begun to offer objectives. First, you had to complete the goal; second, you had to score high.
He originally planned to just play one more level and then stop, but now his curiosity was reignited.
He started to seriously try and clear the level.
But with this new goal in mind, his original purpose began to shift as well.
He had to start thinking more strategically during gameplay—he couldn't approach it as casually as before.
...
...
If he didn't pay attention to strategy, he might either fail to complete the objective or fail to get a three-star score.
Of course, the game didn't stop you from continuing to the next level—it would automatically unlock the next one after you cleared the current one.
So skipping a level wasn't an issue.
But for Davidson, he couldn't accept that.
If he couldn't get a perfect score in a game this childish, then what was even the point?
Without hesitation, he chose to replay the level.
The difficulty really had ramped up—he racked his brain and focused hard, but he still could only manage a two-star rating and barely cleared the objective.
But when he returned to the level selection screen and saw that all the other levels had three stars except this one, it really bothered him.
Now it wasn't just a little discomfort—it was deeply irritating.
What should I do?
How can I get a perfect score?
Davidson began seriously thinking it through.
He just couldn't figure out how to beat the level perfectly.
Then, just as if the game had read his mind, a small notification bubble popped up on the screen:
"If you want a higher score, maybe try using some extra items in the game."
Davidson looked at the tip, initially confused.
Extra items?
Oh… right!
He did have some extra items!
At that moment, he suddenly remembered the in-game bonus items he had received earlier from various promotions.
He had saved them all and never used them. At the time, he thought they might be useful, but didn't take them too seriously.
Back then, the game felt way too easy to need any power-ups.
But now, his goal had changed.
He wasn't just playing to beat the level—he wanted a perfect score.
Only then could he satisfy that internal sense of accomplishment.
(And for the record, this was definitely not OCD.)
Davidson jumped back into the level without hesitation and used one of the bonus items.
This time, the difficulty dropped noticeably thanks to the boost.
A level that had required all his brainpower earlier was now cleared with ease.
When he saw the triple-star rating and the dancing little animal celebrating his success again, he couldn't help but smile.
"Davidson, what are you grinning about?"
A voice interrupted—it was Davidson's coworker.
The two of them managed the warehouse together.
Usually, when Davidson read his books, his coworker would sit and watch sports on a small TV in the office. They didn't talk much beyond work-related matters due to differing interests.
But today, Davidson's coworker had noticed something unusual—Davidson hadn't picked up a book all day and had been glued to his phone screen instead.
Curious, he walked over to see what Davidson was doing.
"Uh, it's nothing. Just playing a silly little game to kill time," Davidson said, a bit awkwardly.
"Huh? A game? You play games?"
His coworker sounded surprised—though also kind of intrigued.
Davidson perked up.
"You play too?"
"I used to love games, though I'm more into console gaming. Is that a mobile game you're playing?"
Davidson nodded.
"Yeah, it's on a Facebook smartphone. They released this free game, and I figured I'd give it a try. Didn't cost anything."
"A free game? That's rare. Is it one of those promotional giveaways?"
"Nope, just straight-up free. I haven't seen any purchase options at all."
"Mind if I take a look?"
Davidson hesitated for a second, then said,
"Sure, go ahead."
He handed over the phone.
"Oh wow! That's the Facebook phone. You just got this? I was thinking of buying it too, but I already have the MK phone. If I bought another phone, my wife would probably kill me."
His coworker sounded genuinely envious.
Davidson looked confused.
"Aren't they all just phones? Why would you need another one?"
"Ah, you don't get it. This Facebook phone has a bunch of games I really like—but they're not available on the MK phones. That's why I've really wanted one."
Davidson still didn't quite understand, but he thought back to how into Candy Fun Match he was. If he had to choose a phone now, even without thinking about money, he'd probably want the one that had this game on it too.
Because the MK phone didn't have Candy Fun Match.
"So how do you play this?"
His coworker looked at the screen, curious.
"You just swipe the screen like this." Davidson demonstrated.
It was simple to understand, with hardly any learning curve. His coworker quickly got the hang of it and was soon happily immersed in the game.
"Wait—hold on. I was just playing Level 40. The difficulty really picks up after that. I think you should start from Level 1 instead—those are easier. You—"
But before Davidson could finish, his coworker had already zipped through Level 41, wiping out icons effortlessly.
Then came the familiar cheering animation and dancing animal, along with the triple-star rating.
Davidson: …
Wait… this is the same level I just struggled with?
He suddenly started questioning everything.
Was the game getting easier after Level 40?
That couldn't be—it didn't make sense. He had already cleared 40 levels and should be far more experienced, and yet his coworker—who just started—had cleared the level with ease.
This didn't add up. At all.