Bejeweled II, or Bejeweled 2, is an online an downloadable game from PopCap Games, based on the original Bejeweled downloadable and online game. Derivatives of these games include Bejeweled Twist and Bejeweled Blitz, currently available as a Facebook application.
Basics:
Bejeweled 2 is a gem swapping strategy game that is based on both skill and luck. In the game, the player swaps two gems with each other in order to create matches of three or more like gems. When you match three gems that are the same, horizontally or vertically (no diagonal matches are allowed), the three gems disappear and all gems above them slip down to fill the empty spots, with new gems coming onto the board at the tip.
When matches of four gems are made, a special gem is created out of one of them and the other three are then removed as stated above. The special gem explodes when it is matched with two or more gems of the same color, destroying several of the surrounding gems. If two or more exploding gems are near one another, it can set off an explosion chain that has the potential to clear the entire board.
When matches of five gems are made, the resulting special gem is created out of the center gem, and the other four gems disappear as stated above. The special gem is called a hypercube, and when it is swapped with just one other gem, all gems of that gem's color are removed from the game play, and everything on the board slips down and new gems come in at the top. Multiple hypercubes can be used in succession to cause cascade matches and multiply the score exponentially.
The online game versions of Bejeweled II are timed for each level and the player progresses through the levels. The downloadable or full version of BJ2 allows the player to choose between timed and point level ups, and other options for relaxed game play or challenges.
