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Special candies: every combo explained.
Striped, wrapped and rainbow candies are what turn a slow match 3 level into a big win. Here is how to make each one, what every combo does, and which special to use for each goal.
In Instant Candy Pop, match four in a line for a Striped Candy, an L or T shape for a Wrapped Candy and five in a line for a Rainbow Candy. Striped candies clear a row or column, wrapped candies blast a 3 by 3 area and rainbow candies clear every candy of one kind. Swapping two specials together makes an even bigger combo, up to clearing the whole board with two rainbows.
The six candies
Every board in Instant Candy Pop uses up to six candies, and each has its own shape as well as its own color, so you can tell them apart even if colors are hard to see: the Strawberry Heart, the Citrus Star, the Ocean Drop gumdrop, the Mint Swirl peppermint, the Grape Bloom flower gummy and the Orange Sun lollipop. In Settings, Candy Symbols adds a bold white symbol to each one for extra contrast.
How to make special candies
| Striped Candy | Match 4 in a line. The stripes run the same way as your match: a horizontal four clears its whole row, a vertical four its whole column. |
|---|---|
| Wrapped Candy | Match in an L or T shape (a row and a column of the same candy crossing). It blasts the 3 × 3 area around it. |
| Rainbow Candy | Match 5 in a line. Swap it with any candy to clear every candy of that kind on the board. |
A special candy is made where you moved the candy that completed the match, so you can often choose where it lands. Special candies also go off when another effect hits them, which is how chain reactions start.
Every special candy combo
Swap two special candies with each other and they combine into something bigger than both:
| Striped + Striped | Clears a full row and a full column |
|---|---|
| Striped + Wrapped | Clears three rows and three columns |
| Wrapped + Wrapped | A big 5 × 5 blast |
| Rainbow + any candy | Clears every candy of that kind |
| Rainbow + Striped | Turns every candy of that color into a striped candy and sets them all off |
| Rainbow + Wrapped | Turns every candy of that color into a wrapped candy and sets them all off |
| Rainbow + Rainbow | Clears the whole board |
Which special candy to use for each goal
- Collect a candy color: Rainbow + that candy is the fastest way, often 8 to 12 at once.
- Clear jelly: Striped candies reach corners and edges that normal matches cannot.
- Break crates and chocolate: Wrapped candies hit every blocker in a 3 × 3 area.
- Bring cherries down: a vertical striped candy in the cherry's column clears everything below it.
- Make special candies: some levels count the specials you create, so set up fours and L shapes on purpose.
Try them in a free candy game
You can practise every combo in Instant Candy Pop, a free candy puzzle game that runs in your browser. Starting boosters (Striped, Wrapped and Rainbow Start) put a special candy on the board before your first move, so you can test combos from the start.
Frequently asked questions
How do you make a striped candy?
Match four candies of the same kind in a straight line. In Instant Candy Pop a horizontal four makes a candy that clears its row and a vertical four makes one that clears its column.
How do you make a wrapped candy?
Make a match where a row and a column of the same candy cross, in an L or T shape. The wrapped candy blasts the 3 by 3 area around it.
How do you make a rainbow candy?
Match five candies of the same kind in a straight line. Swap the rainbow candy with any candy to clear every candy of that kind.
What happens when you swap two special candies?
They combine. Striped + striped clears a row and a column, wrapped + wrapped makes a 5 by 5 blast, striped + wrapped clears three rows and three columns, and two rainbow candies clear the whole board.
Where can I play a free candy game with special candies online?
Instant Candy Pop on InstantGames.in is free, runs in the browser with no download, and has striped, wrapped and rainbow candies and all their combos.
Sources
- Tile-matching video game — Wikipedia, background on match 3 and other tile-matching games.
Related reading: play Instant Candy Pop free · match 3 tips · Candy Crush alternatives · free candy puzzle games · all guides