Bejeweled

Bejeweled is a puzzle video game developed and published by PopCap Games, first released in 2001. It is played on a grid filled with colored gems. The player swaps adjacent gems to form lines of three or more gems of the same color, horizontally or vertically. When a match is made, the gems disappear and new gems fall from the top to fill the grid. Matches can trigger cascades as new gems align, producing chains that score additional points. The game emphasizes quick pattern recognition and strategic swapping, with higher scores awarded for longer chains and larger matches. Subsequent releases added options such as different play modes and aesthetic themes.

Bejeweled was originally released for Windows and Mac, and was followed by several enhanced editions, including Bejeweled Deluxe and later Bejeweled 2. The franchise later expanded to mobile platforms, consoles, and online services, with releases such as Bejeweled 3 and Bejeweled Blitz. In 2011, PopCap was acquired by Electronic Arts, which continued to publish Bejeweled titles and related content.

Bejeweled is widely recognized for helping to popularize the match-3 puzzle genre in casual gaming. Its simple mechanics and polished presentation influenced numerous imitators and spin-offs, and it remains a notable example of early 2000s casual game design.