Stuck Zone

A stuck zone is a certain location on the board where a cherry or a hazelnut in an Ingredients level cannot be dropped via simple matches under the ingredient itself, and must be moved left or right to continue its path to the exit. They can escape from a stuck zone by simple candy matches, or with the help of a conveyor belt, as shown in the example level below.

During gameplay, stuck zones are considered a nuisance for players as they not only delay you from dropping the ingredients, but they also require the correct technique in moving them if conveyor belts are absent. Thus, if the player does not master the correct technique in switching ingredients from one lane to another, it would be almost impossible for a player to pass such level.

Stuck zones are mostly present above unused tiles (they could also appear at the bottom of the board, but only if the ingredient exits are absent there.) or unremovable blockers like chocolate spawners, but not all squares above such blockers are considered stuck zones. In fact, lanes with teleporters or ingredient exits are not stuck zones. If it is possible for a candy to slide from one lane to another without using the technique stated above, then that lane isn't a stuck zone either.

Dead Zones
There are also stuck zones which, when an ingredient reaches it, is impossible to make progress as even candy matches cannot free it from the stuck zone. In such conditions, the level cannot be completed unless you use a Free Switch booster and are normally known as "Dead Zones". Such dead zones mostly appear at peninsulas that even the ingredient itself cannot be switched into it by candy matches itself, but instead by the candy sliding mechanics. One example is Level 137.

Levels with Stuck Zones in Reality

 * Level 72
 * Level 74
 * Level 78
 * Level 90
 * Level 92
 * Level 95
 * Level 117
 * Level 137
 * Level 158
 * Level 164
 * Level 185
 * Level 230
 * Level 238
 * Level 242
 * Level 249
 * Level 253
 * Level 259
 * Level 264
 * Level 287
 * Level 288
 * Level 291
 * Level 296
 * Level 302
 * Level 309
 * Level 315
 * Level 318
 * Level 325
 * Level 331
 * Level 337
 * Level 352
 * Level 361
 * Level 368
 * Level 387
 * Level 395
 * Level 406
 * Level 409
 * Level 413
 * Level 422
 * Level 431
 * Level 436
 * Level 445
 * Level 457
 * Level 474
 * Level 481
 * Level 484
 * Level 495
 * Level 500
 * Level 503
 * Level 509
 * Level 510
 * Level 517
 * Level 521
 * Level 523
 * Level 528
 * Level 537
 * Level 551
 * Level 568
 * Level 586
 * Level 593
 * Level 598
 * Level 620
 * Level 623
 * Level 629
 * Level 635
 * Level 637
 * Level 644
 * Level 645
 * Level 657
 * Level 660
 * Level 671
 * Level 684
 * Level 691
 * Level 742
 * Level 757
 * Level 849