Why collectibles matter and how pins "explore details of the Candy Crush world"

• Crush & Tell's third episode features Candy Crush senior narrative designer Catt Mott, who talks about in-game collectible pins.
• We take a deeper dive into crafting pins and why they matter in a title like Candy Crush.

King’s vodcast-style series Crush & Tell continues to highlight design elements behind Candy Crush Saga and the people involved in the match-3 giant’s success.

Today’s episode focuses on Candy Crush pins, an in-game collectible system where fans earn realistic digital pins while playing.

For a deeper dive into the world of collectibles, the history of pins, and why they matter in a title like Candy Crush, we speak with the game’s senior narrative designer Catt Mott.

"Candy Crush pins are a collectible system inside the game where players can earn small digital enamel pins. They feel like real enamel pins, but within the Candy Crush world," they explain.

"Players see their entire collection in a dedicated Pins tab. It shows the pins they have and the ones they are still missing. Although the pins are not customisable yet, the collection itself becomes a moment of pride for players who want to complete a whole set."

Invention and value

In the context of Candy Crush’s 13-year history, its pin system is a relatively new invention.

The collectible was introduced in 2023 following a long period of ideation and testing, from animations and sound design to how pins should be integrated. The latter aspect meant looking at how players should be awarded with pin packs, where they could view their collections, and how many pins should be in each set.

"The team knew players love celebrating their progress and wanted something that felt unique to the game rather than going with cards or stickers. Many concepts were explored, including embroidered patches, figurines and even snow globes, before the team landed on enamel pins as the most desirable and fun choice," Mott shares.

"Pins were a completely new type of collectible for Candy Crush Saga, so the team spent time validating every part of the system."

Mott notes that during their initial conception, the art team and narrative designers spent hundreds of hours exploring how the digital equivalents of real pins should look and feel.

"Because enamel pin details must be simple, clear and instantly recognisable, the team worked through many rounds of iteration from the earliest idea to launch."

Considering this time investment, we ask how important collectibles really are for a game like Candy Crush, where players already have thousands of match-3 puzzles to complete and have done so for many years before pins were introduced. Mott answers that collectibles "appeal to every type of player".

They suggest Candy Crush’s more challenge-oriented players enjoy the race to complete a set within its limited period of availability, while others find collecting the carefully crafted designs a more "meditative" experience. Each set has its own theme and lasts for around 60 days, which Mott believes "adds focus without adding pressure".

"People immediately began sharing screenshots of their collections online. Long-time players treated pins as achievements that represented mastery, while newer players enjoyed discovering something fun and unexpected."

Furthermore, each set offers various rewards - with a grand prize for those who complete the entire collection and smaller rewards when earning groups of pins along the way.

If players get a duplicate pin, they can be converted into ‘pin points’ which can then be spent on treasure chests containing items like boosters, feeding back into the main gameplay loop.

Mott adds that the largest treasure chest also guarantees at least one new pin the player doesn’t yet have.

Teamwork makes the pins work

From the beginning, creating pins has been a joint effort between many Candy Crush departments, including art, narrative design, live ops, game design, UX, UI, audio, and product. Ultimately, they aim to provide something "fun and exciting" for all types of Candy Crush player without "adding too much friction to the game experience".

Two years on from their introduction, teams still work together closely to ensure each set of pins has a cohesive theme and is simple to understand "while still feeling special".

Mott notes how narrative designers come up with concepts, and how artists go through iterations of designs to create artwork which balances realism and simplicity for mobile screen displays.

Meanwhile, translators come up with hundreds of names for the pins in more than twenty languages, and the design and product teams implement everything in-game whilst ensuring the pins work correctly with every other feature.

"Pins give the team and our players a chance to explore details of the Candy Crush world and its characters, like taking a peek into the Candy Town Museum, for example," adds Mott.

Certain themes show Candy Crush’s characters in unique scenarios, like the Hot Fudge Springs set which depicts them on a spa break, or the Career Swap set where they’re seen trying out new jobs. These are among Mott’s personal favourites, as well as the Amazing Azulejos set inspired by Iberian tile work.

Then other themes follow the real-world seasons, such as the Travel Adventures pin collection this summer. This set showcased what the Candy Crush characters might do on holiday.

"The upcoming Winter Wonders shows some events and activities that take place in Candy Town during the winter months," Mott teases.

Overall, players’ reaction to pins has been "extremely positive".

Seeing players show off their completed sets online has confirmed to the King team that this collectible feature is resonating, "connecting with many different types of Candy Crush players".

Alongside Crush & Tell's second episode, we spoke with software engineer Tobi Ibikunle about Saga Adventures.