Mundane Mondays, Vol. III: Candy Crush Saga

Monday, March 25, 2013

A few weeks ago we were watching Netflix (finishing up season three of Lie to Me, if you must know) when Morgan noticed that I was not actually watching but was intently staring at the iPad in my lap. "It's called Candy Crush," I explained. "Kinda like Bejewled but with objectives and levels. Also you can't play forever continuously, if you mess up it costs lives." I told him that I had seen screen shots of the game on Instagram of people who were stuck on levels.

He told me that it was just about the stupidest thing he had ever heard. However, when I came back from a trip to the bathroom, I noticed he was swiping at the iPad's screen. "It's fun, isn't it?" I asked him. He nodded sheepishly and proceeded to download the game on his own phone.

2 DAYS LATER

Morgan: What level are you on? I'm on 23.

Me: 26.

Morgan: Rats, you're ahead of me.

At this point, I start catching him playing the game everywhere. While waiting for lunch, while lounging around before bedtime. He's trying to out level me. It's not going to happen. He's absolutely terrible at those early timed levels and you only get five lives at a time. Eat my dust, Morgan.

2 MORE DAYS LATER

Ok, things are getting serious. I have the game on my phone, he has it on his phone and there's one more Candy Crush on the iPad so that we can play when we're out of lives on our phones.

Morgan: Drat, I'm out of lives.

Me: Why don't you sign in with Facebook so that I can send you some?

Morgan: Won't do it. I have dignity. I don't want other people to know that I play.

2 MORE DAYS LATER

This is ridiculously addicting. At our lowest point, we found ourselves in our parked car in a parking lot trying to beat level 29 together. We were there for like an hour, didn't want to drive home until we finished. Morgan looked over to me mournfully and asked where I had heard of this Candy Crack. "Who told you about this? WHO DID THIS TO OUR FAMILY?"

I know we're not the only people who have a serious problem with this game.

See this? This is someone I know asking me for more lives. Five requests over the last 13 hours... sleeping hours, mind you. This guy is hardcore. Engineer by day, debilitating Candy Crush addict by night. I don't know if I should be enabling him by sending him more lives. But he sends me some too, so I guess it's alright.

Luckily at level 36 the game stops being free. Morgan, on principle won't pay the damn $.99 to continue. I had iTunes store credit, so unfortunately I'm still at it. I can go a few days without playing, actually. I CAN STOP ANYTIME.

Basically the moral of today's story is that friends don't let friends start playing Candy Crush. Unless you're willing to send them lives.