Redesigning

Redesigning is the process in Candy Crush Saga in which the game developers, King, change a level or an in game element in the level. Redesigning can be differentiated into two categories: Nerfing and Buffing. Nerfing is a community name given to the process of which the game developers make a level or an in-game element easier or less powerful. Buffing, on the other hand, is a common term to describe a level or an in-game element being made more difficult or powerful.

Every now and again, when too many people complain that a level is too difficult and many players reach the level and quit, the Candy Crush team will redesign the level to make it a little easier, or a lot easier in some cases. As a result, nerfing is much more common than buffing.

Common Ways of Redesigning Levels

 * Adding or Reducing Moves - sometimes more moves are given to complete the level. Level 167 is an example - the moves were raised from 45 to 50. This can also come in the form of giving bombs more moves before exploding. On the other hand, sometimes less moves are given to complete the level, which can bring more challenge in completing the level.
 * Lowering or Increasing the Target Score - sometimes done if the target score is too difficult to reach. Level 98 and level 183 are good examples. On the other hand, the target score can also be increased if it is too easy to reach.
 * Removing Jelly - sometimes jellies are removed from jelly levels. This can either be reducing double jellies to single jellies (level 65) or removing jellies completely.
 * Removal of blockers - a very common type of redesign. Typically this involves taking layers off icing or removing icing completely. Other blockers can be removed from levels as well. Level 305 is a good example - many layers were taken off the icing and others removed. Level 325's nerf removed the liquorice swirls.
 * Removal of a colour - a very powerful redesign. This usually involves dropping a six-colour level to five colours. As this makes such a difference, this is usually balanced out by lowering the moves and/or adding blockers, but it still makes the level easier. Level 213 and level 311 are very good examples of this type of redesign. The difficulties were lowered from insanely hard to medium or considerably hard following these redesign.
 * Changing structure of board - sometimes a level is redesigned completely in an easier, or a more difficult fashion. This is usually how candy order levels are redesigned. The orders are often changed to easier or more difficult orders. Redesigning can also involve moving components of the level around. Level 347 is an example.
 * Increasing stability of moon scale
 * Increasing moonstruck duration. On the other hand, level 202 is a level which moonstruck duration was decreased after increasing the stability of moon scale.

Jelly Fish redesign
Other elements have been redesigned besides levels. The most notable case is the jelly fish from the Sugar Crush of jelly levels on Facebook. The fish used to give 1020 points each, and still do on iOS, but now only a few fish give 1020 points, the rest giving none. This redesign has been resented by many players.

Toffee Tornado redesign
Toffee Tornadoes were introduced in the 29th episode, Soda Swamp. They were despised by many players. When they first appeared, there was no way of removing them. When the 30th episode, Rainbow Runway, came out, the developers redesigned the tornadoes. If a special candy hit a tornado, it will disappear for 5 moves. Despite this redesign, this still remains one of the most hated blockers.

Trivia

 * Nerfing upsets a lot of players, specifically those that completed the level when it was still hard. Level 147 is a good example, since the nerf from 3-layer icing to 2-layer is very great, and it was previously an insanely hard level.
 * Level redesigning usually occurs at the same time as an episode is released. However, some levels could also be reverted to their previous versions.
 * Level 350 is the latest level to be redesigned. There are now 40 moves and 5 colours.
 * Sometimes levels go through multiple redesigns, usually being nerfs.
 * Level 135, being redesigned three times, is the level with the most redesigns.
 * Levels 65, 147 and 311 were all considered the absolute hardest levels of the game before they all got redesigned. Level 350 has also been redesigned but is still very hard.
 * Level 147 is the only level which both Reality and Dreamworld are nerfed.
 * Level 125 is the only Dreamworld level which has a color removed when the level is redesigned.
 * May 28, 2014 was the biggest nerfage day in Candy Crush history. Six reality levels were nerfed, all of which were the hardest and most complained about levels in the game. The levels included, 323, 350, 421, 425, 461 and 500. Level 181 reality has yet to be nerfed.