In defense of Candy Crush and other casual game

Mystical makes fun of me all the time for playing Candy Crush.  I'm not one of those people who pays to get to other levels or shares on Facebook in hopes of advancing, but it's definitely a fun puzzle game.  I'm also a big fan of Bejeweled Blitz.  Those rare gem bonuses are friggin' hilarious too.

Mystical is always suspect of those games.  He finds them not to be "real games" and always teases me for playing them.  But they are real fun.  They're not anything where I feel like "OH MAN I GOT TO BEAT THIS!"  But these games have legitimate appeal, despite being a bit of a Skinner Box.

1. Quick bursts of entertainment
A lot of people love to focus that people these days do not have the time, nor the attention spans, to do things that involve a lot of time.  I don't know how true that is, the but trend in America is that quick enjoyment is always appreciated.  So it's nice if you are looking to distract yourself while waiting for the doctor, riding the train, or on your lunch break.

2. Thinking without "gamer skill" required.
Everyone likes a puzzle, but with a lot of regular video games, it requires honing skills for years.  There is a reason why I loathe platforming in a video game and Mystical doesn't mind it.  He has about 15 years of practice on it than me.  That with other skills means a lot of video games are building up on what I call "gamer logic", which requires being familiar with how an a-typical game sets up a scenario.  With these games, you don't need that.  Just pick it up and go and still exercise your brain.

3. "Free" until you're okay with paying.
Sure, it's not as easy to win the levels if you don't pay for more lives or special items.  But you don't have to.  You have access to over 300 levels of fun by just downloading.  And if you do decide to pay money, you're less likely to regret it since you know exactly what you're getting into.

4.  Play anytime, anywhere.
Pretty simple--with any mobile game you're going to have that advantage.

5. Well designed puzzles
This isn't like when sudoku got big and every portable device had a version of it available that repeated the same 10 puzzles.  Over time the good games will require a little bit of skill, thought and even preparation.  It's not simply mindless entertainment.  There's strategy!

No, it's not a real video game.  That's not my argument.  But it's not a wimpy game or a dumb way to pass the time.  That's all I ask people to recognize.

P.S. Anyone else stuck on level 181?