How to Stop Playing Candy Crush for Good

Welcome to our guide on How to Stop Playing Candy Crush. If you find yourself playing Minecraft too much, then we will show you step-by-step how to stop and start being more productive in your life.

Candy Crush Saga is one of the most popular mobile games of all time. Over 250 million people play the game on their phones while commuting or just killing time at home after work.

Candy Crush addiction is a problem that is often overlooked and not spoken about openly. Perhaps that’s because Candy Crush seems like such a harmless app at first glance – but it can quickly become a big problem without you even noticing. Candy Crush is, in fact, a dangerous app, especially for kids.

The game is a mix of Tetris and a Las Vegas slot machine. Completing levels feels satisfying, so you keep going until you realize you’ve spent HOURS playing the game.

This mum was so addicted to Candy Crush she played 18 hours a day. Her play was so excessive that it led to losing her boyfriend, job, and thousands of dollars: “It’s broken up our family, pushed my son’s dad away, and, even then, I couldn’t stop.”

So how do you stop playing Candy Crush and do better things with your time? Keep reading.

The Psychology Behind Why Candy Crush Is so Addictive

Candy Crush Saga is the fifth highest-grossing app on App Store and the third highest-grossing app on Google Play Store. In terms of monthly active users, Candy Crush “crushes it,” placing in the top 10 in almost every possible category.

But why is it so popular and addictive?

Many people play Candy Crush as a temporary escape from reality. The game is simple, easy to learn, and easy to play. This simplicity is also why the game appeals to older demographics who grew up with games such as Tetris and Bejeweled.

Candy Crush is designed to be easy to win at the beginning while becoming more challenging with each new level. Hours seem to pass by as you get so immersed into the game and its progression system that you start to neglect other aspects of your life you should be addressing. Instead of Candy Crush being a fun game to get a break from the day, it’s become a distraction.

There is always another level to complete. And the more you progress, the more difficult it can become to resist the next challenge.

Another problem with Candy Crush addiction is that it seems to afflict young adults and adults of the age over 35 most. So most Candy Crush players see themselves as casual gamers or not even gamers at all. Yet, they may be addicted to the game.

Symptoms of Candy Crush Addiction

So how do you know if you have a Candy Crush addiction? Here are the most common symptoms that you may be seeing or experiencing:

• Preoccupation with Candy Crush – you find it difficult to focus on anything other than the game, including school or work.
• You have withdrawal symptoms when you don’t play, including boredom, mood swings, irritability, and cravings.
• Higher tolerance – you need to play more and more or spend more and more money to satisfy your needs.
• Unsuccessful attempts to stop playing Candy Crush or to moderate your play
• Lying to loved ones or family members
• Loss of interest in other hobbies or activities
• Neglecting relationships with other people or family members
• Playing the game to escape negative feelings

In extreme cases of Candy Crush addiction, you may even experience a severe physical injury. For example, this 29-year-old Candy Crush addict experienced chronic left thumb pain and loss of active motion from playing Candy Crush too much. He had to undergo surgery to repair his thumb!

Suppose you are experiencing five or more of the symptoms above. In that case, you might be suffering from Candy Crush addiction and should seek professional help.

Concerned about your gaming? Take the Video Game Addiction Test.

How to Stop Playing Candy Crush

Follow these steps to gain control of your Candy Crush addiction.

Step 1: Identify Why You Play

Why do you play Candy Crush so much?

Is it because you have nothing else to do and you are bored? Is it because you’re escaping real-life problems and neglecting them? Or it might be because you need the sense of achievement and progress that you get with the game?

Candy Crush addiction (or any video game addiction) is a complex problem that might consist of several reasons why gaming addiction develops in the first place.

The first step is discovering why you play so much and then find replacement activities in your life that help you feel the same (we’ll talk about this later on).

Step 2: Delete Candy Crush

The next step is to delete all instances of Candy Crush (or Candy Crush Saga) from your mobile devices and your social media accounts. Deleting your accounts can feel intimidating, but it will make it much easier to stop playing so much.

• Delete the game from your phone.
• Delete all instances of the game you have on your computer or social media accounts such as Facebook.
• Deactivate your Candy Crush account (if you have one). Here’s how you can do it.

If your partner or child has a problem with Candy Crush, we do not advise deleting it from their mobile devices or social media accounts. However, we can provide you with personalized guidance on speaking to your partner or child about your concerns and working with them to end their problematic playing.

Although deleting the game from your phone and computer will be helpful to stop your Candy Crush addiction, it might not be enough for you to stop playing it.

Step 3: Find Replacement Activities

If you previously spent hours of your day playing Candy Crush, you’ll now need to find a way of how to replace that playtime with real-life activities. New hobbies will help you avoid boredom and cravings. 

To complete this step, you’ll need to go back to step one and consider why you play the game in the first place.

Then, you’ll want to find replacement activities that address the needs of your Candy Crush addiction addressed.

For example, if you play Candy Crush because of its progression system, replace it with a skill-based activity such as learning a new language or musical instrument.

If you can’t think of what to do if you get bored, we’ve prepared an extensive list of hobbies to try out. Alternatively, you can try out our hobby tool and see if you can find something that fits you.

Step 4: Stick to It!

The next step is to stay committed. It might sound easy, and it will probably get tough at some point, but you’ll have to remember why you want to quit playing Candy Crush in the first place.

It might be a bit easier if you stick to a carefully designed program to help gamers just like you quit gaming. You can try a 90-day detox and see how it goes. Ninety days is usually enough to rewire your brain and stop a bad gaming habit.

If you are a parent reading this, a 90-day detox may not be practical for your circumstances or your child. Please book a consultation with our team to build a personalized plan for your family.

Another strategy you may benefit from is creating a schedule for your day to lay the foundation for your recovery. Focus particularly on the times you typically spend playing Candy Crush and make sure you have other things to occupy your time. For example, if you play on a work commute, you will want to be conscious of what you will do instead during that time.

Having a structure can provide you with a way of spending your valuable time sensibly without indulging in activities that lead nowhere, such as playing Candy Crush. 

Need Help to Stop Playing Candy Crush?

If you need help to quit your Candy Crush addiction, we have designed an exceptional program called Respawn. With the help of this program, you will get an actionable step-by-step program to stop gaming and take back control of your life.