From the company behind the sweets-smashing hit Candy Crush Saga, King brings to us Bubble Witch 3 Saga. This is the 3rd installment to the bubble-shooting puzzle featuring a witch and her familiars.

The player takes on the role of witch Stella, who goes on an adventure to solve the mystery behind the dark bubble magic sweeping the land. You’re also tasked with saving her friends who had the misfortune of being trapped in colored spheres.

Those not new to bubble shooters should expect to easily get a grasp of the game. Playing the game involves popping at least a trio of bubbles. Aim to remove more from the field to get the most of your efforts. Unused bubbles at the end of a level get you a score multiplier, so aim to clear content using the least number of turns possible. You are scored using a star system: a staple of the match-3 and bubble shooter puzzle formats. Going above the 3-star score earns you a Gold Pin, which can be used to purchase in-game shop items.

A mechanic not as commonly seen in other games is the Orb system. Popped bubbles create energy that fills a gauge. Once full, the meter creates a special bubble that destroys everything within its radius.

Content-wise, the game does not make use of a stamina system. You will be burning through Lives instead. Play through as many stages as you want, as long as you don’t fail a level. Giving up on a level costs 1 Life point. There’s a limited amount of Lives to use up before you need to wait for them to be replenished. There are premium consumables that can give you unlimited Lives for a period of time. Apart from obtaining them through in-app purchases, they are quest and achievement rewards won as you play.

Stages are divided into Chapters, where you move from one place to another, gathering Stars as you finish the levels. There are special rewards to get once you’ve cleared all content with the highest possible score. Each Chapter introduces a new mechanic you won’t see in the earlier parts of the game. There’s a brief walkthrough on how to get around it. The rest is up to you.

In case a puzzle is too much to clear the usual way, you can cast a Spell on a select area of the map to clear obstacles faster than the usual way. You get different effects from clearing up to 5 bubbles in a row, to clearing a single bubble color or obstacle from the map. Spells are consumables, making their usage limited. Use them sparingly when the situation calls for it.

And what is a King game without the social aspects? Achievements take the form of Medals. These gain experience points by performing the indicated task as frequently as possible. When a medal receives the maximum EXP requirement, it levels up and you win Star Dust. This is used to rebuild Stella’s home. You can visit other players’ homes and catch fairies for more Star Dust. You can challenge your friends in a scoring battle, as long as they’re online. Linking your Facebook profile lets you see if your friends are into Bubble Witch 3, and add them to your friends in the game.

In conclusion, Bubble Witch 3 Saga is what you’d expect in a social bubble shooter. Try the game by downloading the app.