Candy Crush Saga overtook Zynga's FarmVille 2 as Facebook's top-played game in January 2013.
The milestone marked a rapid rise for King's match-three game. Candy Crush Saga launched on Facebook in April 2012 with 65 levels, then expanded to iOS and Android later that year. Its mobile-friendly design and synchronized progress helped it reach a much broader audience.
FarmVille 2 was a sequel to Zynga's enormously successful farming game, FarmVille. It relied on the familiar social-game formula of tending crops, managing a virtual farm, and interacting with Facebook friends. Candy Crush instead offered short, level-based sessions, which made it easier to play repeatedly in brief bursts.
The four choices can be confusing because Words With Friends, Mafia Wars, and CityVille were also prominent social games associated with Zynga or Facebook. However, none of them is the game named in the January 2013 ranking. Candy Crush's Facebook success also helped King build momentum for its mobile business.