Bejeweled (video game)

PopCap Games

Company type	Private (until acquired by Electronic Arts)
Industry	Video games
Founded	2000
Founder	John Vechey, Brian Fiete, Jason Kapalka
Headquarters	United States
Products	Bejeweled series, Bookworm, Peggle
Owner	Electronic Arts (since 2011)
Website	www.popcap.com

Bejeweled is a match-three puzzle game developed and published by PopCap Games in 2000. The gameplay centers on aligning three or more gems of matching colors to clear them from the playing field. Initially inspired by the browser-based Colors Game, it first appeared under the name Diamond Mine on PopCap’s website before being licensed to MSN Games where it was rebranded as Bejeweled. In May 2001, PopCap launched a retail edition titled Bejeweled Deluxe.

The title has been adapted for a wide range of platforms, particularly mobile devices, and achieved significant commercial success, with sales exceeding 10 million copies and downloads surpassing 150 million. It is widely recognized for popularizing the match-three genre and catalyzing the growth of the casual gaming market into a multibillion-dollar industry within ten years. The franchise later expanded with multiple sequels and derivative titles.

Gameplay

In Bejeweled, players swap adjacent gems within a grid to create horizontal or vertical lines of at least three identical gems, which then vanish to allow new gems to cascade down. If a swap fails to produce a match, the gems return to their original spots. Versions such as Bejeweled Deluxe feature two distinct modes: an untimed mode focused on maximizing score until no further moves are possible, and a timed mode where players accumulate points to keep a countdown from expiring. JAMDAT’s Bejeweled Multiplayer introduces competitive head-to-head timed matches with special gems like bombs that affect opponents’ boards.

Development

Following an unsuccessful venture into online erotic video games with Foxy Poker (2000), Sexy Action Cool shifted its focus toward creating simple games for licensing purposes. The founding team included business manager John Vechey, programmer Brian Fiete, and designer Jason Kapalka. In April 2000, Vechey came across an early browser-based match-three game called Colors Game, which lacked animations and required page reloads after each move. Recognizing the addictive potential of this mechanic, the team decided to develop a more refined version.

Kapalka initially considered using fruit or geometric shapes for the visuals but ultimately selected gems due to their appealing aesthetics and variety. The game was originally called Diamond Mine, inspired by a song from Canadian band Blue Rodeo, and featured a mining theme before adopting the name Bejeweled. The original design was time-based by default, encouraging players to achieve high scores before a timer ran out—a concept supported by input from other developers such as Pogo.com. Later, an untimed mode was introduced as a tutorial but became the primary mode after positive player reception.

The browser version of Diamond Mine launched on Sexy Action Cool’s website in 2000. The developers offered Microsoft the rights for $50,000, but Microsoft declined and instead licensed it for $1,500 per month on MSN Games. Microsoft requested renaming the game to Bejeweled due to title similarities elsewhere. PopCap retained ownership and hosted the game on their site while Microsoft hosted sponsored versions for clients including Tyson Foods and the National Pork Board. Following this partnership, Sexy Action Cool rebranded as PopCap Games to better align with family-friendly markets.

Although Bejeweled thrived on MSN Games, PopCap’s revenue remained limited. To improve profitability, they explored releasing an affordable retail edition. Howard Tomlison of Astraware advised pricing it at $20 as shareware to avoid negative perceptions linked to lower price points. Astraware ported the game to Palm PDAs in March 2001. Subsequently, PopCap released an enhanced retail edition titled Bejeweled Deluxe for Microsoft Windows in May 2001. Their business strategy combined free online play with downloadable retail versions offering trial demos before purchase.

PopCap expanded availability across emerging platforms including mobile devices. Astraware ported Bejeweled to Pocket PC in August 2001 and Windows Mobile in May 2004. MacPlay bundled it with Alchemy for Mac OS X in June 2002. JAMDAT Mobile launched Bejeweled Multiplayer for Java ME and BREW platforms in May 2003. The game appeared on Xbox Live Arcade in November 2004 and was released on the fifth-generation iPod via iTunes in September 2006. Ahead of the Apple App Store debut, PopCap developed an iPhone-compatible version playable through Safari in July 2007.

In February 2006, Electronic Arts acquired JAMDAT, granting EA Mobile rights to distribute Bejeweled on mobile devices through 2010; EA later purchased PopCap itself in July 2011 for $750 million. EA Mobile updated JAMDAT’s mobile version with enhanced graphics and released it in North America in May 2007. In August 2008, EA Mobile partnered with Handango to distribute titles including Bejeweled across Windows Mobile, BlackBerry, and Symbian platforms. The game also launched on BlackBerry App World in August 2009.

Reception

Within just one month of release, Bejeweled became MSN Games’ most popular title, maintaining this position until July 2002 with peak concurrent users estimated between 50,000 and 60,000. Following its retail release, Bejeweled Deluxe generated monthly revenues ranging from $30,000 to $40,000; by 2008 it had been downloaded over 150 million times and sold more than 10 million copies.

Although its straightforward design led some critics to overlook it initially, gaming journalist Harold Goldberg observed that enthusiasts experienced a "Zen-like tranquility" reminiscent of playing Tetris. Staff at Computer Gaming World reportedly became so engrossed with Bejeweled Deluxe that it affected magazine production schedules. PDA versions received favorable reviews from publications like Maximum PC and Hyper. The multiplayer variant garnered praise from outlets such as IGN and GameSpot for adding competitive depth to the original gameplay. While the Xbox Live Arcade version was considered enjoyable yet criticized for lacking multiplayer features, the iPod adaptation faced criticism over control complexity despite being entertaining.

Computer Gaming World honored Bejeweled as the best puzzle game of 2001 and inducted it into their Hall of Fame in 2005—one of only two puzzle games alongside Tetris to receive this distinction. At the 2004 G-Phoria, Bejeweled Multiplayer won "Best Mobile Phone Game," securing half a million online votes. In 2007, GamesRadar+ recognized it as one of the PC games that "shaped a generation," comparing its lasting appeal to that of Tetris. Later rankings by outlets including Gameswelt, Polygon, and Game Informer placed it among all-time greatest video games. In 2020, The Strong National Museum of Play inducted Bejeweled into the World Video Game Hall of Fame.

Legacy

Widely acknowledged as a catalyst for the modern casual gaming industry, Kapalka credits its success largely to removing default timers which allowed gameplay without pressure or skill barriers. The financial achievements of Bejeweled enabled PopCap to produce high-quality casual titles across various platforms such as Bookworm, Peggle, and subsequent entries in the Bejeweled series. This success inspired indie developers to pursue low-cost games with strong profitability potential, contributing to the casual market's growth into a $3 billion sector within ten years. Notably, it was the first mobile game inducted into the World Video Game Hall of Fame.

The game established widespread popularity for match-three puzzles; numerous imitators have been labeled as unoriginal clones lacking innovation. Thousands of match-three titles have since emerged—including over 2,200 available on Apple’s App Store by 2014—with some such as Candy Crush Saga (2012) surpassing its popularity. Developers like King, Playrix, and Demiurge have refined this formula by integrating new elements: Demiurge’s Puzzle Quest (2007) blends role-playing mechanics; King’s Candy Crush Saga introduces power-ups and themed levels; Playrix’s Gardenscapes (2016) incorporates renovation gameplay.

The series itself comprises two main sequels plus several spin-offs focused on evolving core mechanics: while Bejeweled 2 (2004) received mixed reactions, its successor ‘‘Bejeweled 3’’ (2010) earned praise; spin-offs like ‘‘Bejeweled Twist’’ (2008) and ‘‘Bejeweled Blitz’’ (2009) were well regarded; ‘‘Bejeweled Stars’’ (2016) garnered mixed reviews. By 2010 all titles combined had sold approximately 50 million copies.

Outside its own franchise, PopCap licensed a version playable within ‘‘World of Warcraft’’ starting in 2008 and included a mini-game named "Beghouled" in its popular title ‘‘Plants vs. Zombies’’ released in 2009.