My Little Pony: Puzzle Party

My Little Pony: Puzzle Party is a previously-available Hasbro-licensed mobile app game by Backflip Studios and Genera Games. It is a free-to-play match-three puzzle game featuring gameplay similar to Toy Blast and Candy Crush Saga. The game was released for iOS and Android devices between early and October 13 of 2016, depending on the country.
The most recent version of the game has 143 levels in total.__TOC__
==Development==
A behind-the-scenes video of Andrea Libman recording voiceover for the game was published on the My Little Pony Facebook page on October 10, 2016.
==Gameplay==
Puzzle Party is a level-based puzzle game in which each level is a board of colored cubes. Gameplay consists mainly of tapping sets of two or more adjacent cubes of the same color to remove them from the board. Each level has a "goal" that must be met in order for the level to be cleared, which usually involves removing a specified number of colored cubes but sometimes involves clearing away level-specific obstacles or bringing objects from the top of the screen to the bottom.
The player has a set number of moves to meet the goal requirements and clear the level, and they can hold up to a standard maximum of five lives. If the player runs out of moves, they can attain additional moves with bits (in-game currency). Otherwise, they fail the level and lose a life. Additional lives are gained automatically over time (every thirty minutes in real time) and can be bought through in-app purchases.
Based on the player post-level score, they are rated on a one to three-star scoring system. Higher scores nets the player additional bits.
===Power-ups===
The game features three standard power-ups to assist the player with clearing levels:
*Lightning Jar: Acquired by clearing away five or six adjacent cubes of the same color. When activated, it removes all cubes in a vertical or horizontal line.
*Exploding Cauldron: Acquired by clearing away seven or eight adjacent cubes of the same color. When activated, it removes all surrounding cubes in a 3x3 grid.
*Parasprite Swarm: Acquired by clearing away nine or more adjacent cubes of the same color. When activated, it removes all cubes of the same color on the screen.
Power-ups can also be combined if they are adjacent to each other when activated:
*Lightning Jar + Lightning Jar: Removes all cubes both vertically and horizontally.
*Lightning Jar + Exploding Cauldron: Removes all cubes both vertically and horizontally in rows and columns three cubes wide.
*Lightning Jar + Parasprite Swarm: Converts all cubes of the same color on the screen into a Lightning Jar.
*Exploding Cauldron + Exploding Cauldron: Removes all surrounding cubes in a 9x9 grid.
*Exploding Cauldron + Parasprite Swarm: Converts all cubes of the same color on the screen into an Exploding Cauldron.
*Parasprite Swarm + Parasprite Swarm: Removes every single cube currently on the screen.
If the player has moves remaining when the level is cleared, one cube on the screen converts into a Lightning Jar for each move remaining, netting the player a substantial score bonus.
Additionally, there are six power-ups corresponding to each of the Mane Six that are unlocked at certain levels and are activated by clearing away cubes corresponding to each pony's color:
*Apple Buck: Unlocked at Level 12, and charged by clearing away orange cubes. When activated, it removes any single cube or obstacle of the player's choice from the screen.
*Sonic Rainboom: Unlocked at Level 22, and charged by clearing away blue cubes. When activated, it removes all cubes in a single vertical column.
*Critter Charge: Unlocked at Level 32, and charged by clearing away green cubes. When activated, it removes all cubes in a single horizontal row.
*Party Cannon: Unlocked at Level 43, and charged by clearing away pink cubes. When activated, it removes all cubes in a selected 3x3 grid.
*Diamond Seamstress: Unlocked at Level 53, and charged by clearing away white cubes. When activated, it changes a single selected cube's color.
*Magic Blast: Unlocked at Level 73, and charged by clearing away purple cubes. When activated, it removes all cubes from the screen that are the same color as the cube selected.
===In-app purchases===
Though the game is free-to-play, it is primarily monetized through freemium content and in-app purchases. Purchases include additional lives with which to play levels (plus a permanent six-life cap raise), bits to retry levels after failing, power-ups to use at the beginning of levels, and other bonuses.
===Achievements===
===Infinite Mode===
Infinite Mode is a special Discord-themed challenge mode in Puzzle Party that opens up upon clearing level 81 of the game's main campaign. In this mode, the player takes on a continuous string of randomly-generated levels to get as high a score as possible. After every three moves the player makes, Discord has a chance of changing the colors of three randomly-selected cubes on the screen.
Infinite Mode does not require lives to play, but it does cost a life to retry a failed level.
==Sound and music==
The game features new recorded dialogue for the Mane Six and Spike from Tara Strong, Ashleigh Ball, Andrea Libman, Tabitha St. Germain, and Cathy Weseluck, as well as re-recorded dialogue from series episodes. It also includes instrumental versions of music from the series that plays at key moments:
*The Success Song (level select menu, levels 1-41)
*A True, True Friend (level select menu, levels 42-81)
*Find A Pet Song (level select menu, levels 82-)
*Apples to the Core (mostly Spike-themed levels 1-11, 21, 31, 42, 52, 62-72, Infinite Mode)
*Raise This Barn (Applejack-themed levels 12-20, Infinite Mode)
*Let the Rainbow Remind You (Rainbow Dash-themed levels 22-30, Infinite Mode)
*Music in the Treetops (Fluttershy-themed levels 32-41, Infinite Mode)
*Smile Song (Pinkie Pie-themed levels 43-51, Infinite Mode)
*Generosity (Rarity-themed levels 53-61, Infinite Mode)
*B.B.B.F.F. (Twilight Sparkle-themed levels 73-81, Infinite Mode)
*Glass of Water (Infinite Mode)
*My Little Pony theme song (credits version) (level cleared)
*The Failure Song (level failed)
==Lawsuit and removal==
On October 21, 2016, Turkish mobile game studio Peak Games filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Hasbro and Backflip Studios for allegedly cloning their mobile game Toy Blast. As of May 2017, the case was settled in Peak Games' favor, and in accordance with the settlement, Hasbro and Backflip Studios have agreed to remove Puzzle Party from mobile game stores on May 25.
==Gallery==
Puzzle Party screenshot - Discover the Magic In Equestria.jpg
Puzzle Party screenshot - Make Friends, Unlock Power-Ups!.jpg
Puzzle Party screenshot - Play Amazing Magical Levels!.jpg
Puzzle Party screenshot - Explore Equestria With your Friends!.jpg
Puzzle Party screenshot - Discover our Hidden Secrets in the map!.jpg
Puzzle Party screenshot - Level cleared.png
==References==