Level 277

Level 277 is the second level in Candy Clouds (Episode 20) and the 49th candy order level. To pass this level, you must collect 19 wrapped candies and score at least 20,000 points in 40 moves or fewer. When you complete the level, Sugar Crush is activated.

Difficulty

 * This level has 5 colours, making the creation of special candies easier.
 * The starting board is quite limited.
 * There are chocolate spawners that make this level harder.
 * You are given only 7 of 19 wrapped candies, less than 50% of what is needed.
 * If you have destroyed the wrapped candy at the top, candy bombs are dispensed.
 * The order is worth 19,000 points (19 special candies x 1,000 points per special candy = 19,000 points). Hence, an additional 1,000 points is required to earn one star.

Strategy

 * Focus on making wrapped candies, and ignore the distractions. However, the liquorice locks need to be removed to increase available board space.
 * When the opportunity arises, use a few horizontal striped candies to the isolated column.
 * If you combine 2 wrapped candies in that isolated column, it will detonate all the others, and that will give you the last 7 that you need.
 * The bomb dispenser will drop a maximum of six candy bombs at any one time and each candy bomb detonates after 15 moves, so if you're down to about that many moves anyway, you can pretty much ignore them. On the other hand, you may keep the upmost wrapped candy to stuck the dispenser and prevent bombs from coming out, although you will have to make another wrapped candy for the order.

Difficulty

 * The presence of five colours will cause fewer moves to be spent to create special candies.
 * The order is worth 19,000 points . Hence, an additional 111,000 points for two stars and an additional 141,000 points for three stars have to be earned through matching of candies.
 * Despite the five-layer icings and liquorice locks restricting the available board space, they are not difficult to clear.
 * The chocolate spawner is not much of an obstacle to meeting the three star target score.
 * 40 moves should be sufficient to create a colour bomb. Hence, a colour bomb + candy bomb combination is not too difficult to create.
 * The need to clear the wrapped candies on the left to meet the order drops candy bombs. The candy bombs are not to difficult to clear.

Exception

 * Despite the rating of earning three stars as very easy, there is a way of earning less than three stars. It is not to activate the wrapped candy directly below the bomb dispenser till the last wrapped candy. However, this will increase the difficulty of meeting the order.