Level 297

Difficulty

 * Losing is almost impossible because of the provided colour bomb. However, if you try to combine the provided colour bomb with a striped candy, it is ironically much harder to win.
 * The given time limit is very low.
 * The player is required to earn at least 740 points per second.

Strategy

 * Simply free up the colour bomb from the marmalade, use the colour bomb on almost any candy or special candies (except striped candies), and you are guaranteed to pass the level.

Difficulty

 * The presence of five colours makes it easy to create special candies, cascades, and extra time candies. However, it is not that useful due to high two and three star target scores. Moreover, it can be double edged sword.
 * The player is required to earn at least 10,000 points per second for two stars and at least 13,340 points per second for three stars.
 * 15 seconds make it hard for the players to decide the best moves.
 * This level is dependent on tons of luck and cascades. However, cascades will consume time and the player cannot make a match until the cascades end. Hence, cascades alone can result in time up if a minimum of one extra time candy is not collected among the cascades.
 * The use of colour bombs can cause cascades which can last longer than 15 seconds even though five colours can result in a greater concentration of candies being cleared per use. If a minimum of one extra time candy is not collected among the cascades, the time will be up.
 * The open board can help to create special candies and cascades more easily but can cause problems mentioned in point four.
 * The candies do not fill the entire board at the start of the game. This can result in the creation of special candies, if the player is lucky. All these can result in a point boost. However, the high two and three star target scores negate this advantage.

Strategy

 * Create large cascades as fast as possible. Remember, every match which subsequently results in three cascades will drop a extra time candy. If the cascades are still in progress, an extra time candy will come down after every four cascades. While doing that, ensure that at least one extra time candy is matched by those cascades.
 * While colour bombs are key to getting the two and three star target scores quickly, other special candies are needed for even larger combinations. Aside from luck, making quick, accurate, and effective matches is the key for getting a high score.
 * Do not create a colour bomb + striped candy combination or a colour bomb + colour bomb combination. It will take several seconds to detonate the stripes or clear the board, and they give fewer points than combining a colour bomb with a normal candy. Thus, try to create colour bomb + wrapped candy combinations. However, keep the fourth point in the difficulty section in mind.
 * A wrapped candy + striped candy combination clears a large area and scores more points in a move, but usually cannot sustain long cascades and can take a while for the combination to complete. Hence, the probability of spawning extra time candies is decreased.

Trivia

 * This is one of those timed levels where the candies are not in settled position.
 * This is one of the timed levels whose counterpart in Dreamworld is not based on this level design. Its counterpart in Dreamworld has a completely original design, and it is exclusive to Dreamworld.
 * This is one of the few levels which can be completed in zero moves. This can happen if the marmalade has been broken after the initial candies settle, and then detonate during Sugar Crush.
 * This is one of the timed levels known for being extremely difficult to get three stars (others are levels 1198 and 1237). This trend is typical of many later timed levels (after the point which they become rare).