Our top tips will show you to win at Candy Crush Friends Saga for mobile

If you've been swept up into the candy fever that's come along with the release of King's new entry into the Candy Crush Saga, then we have the tips for you to utilize those brand-new friends and crush your way to the top levels.

We've put a good few hours into the game, and we're pretty sure that we know what we're talking about here. That said, you might have your own suggestions, hints, and tricks, for getting the most out of the latest edition of King's classic puzzle series. If that's the case, make sure you let us know in the comments at the bottom of the article.

Right then, without further ado, let's get on with the tips. After all, that's what we're all doing here. Onwards!

Use your friends

Candy Crush Friends Saga introduces a new mechanic to the usual match-three formula with the addition of friend characters throughout the levels. These companions can help put useful pieces on the board, making it that much easier to reach your goal. If you get stuck, or wind up not being able to clear a part of the board you need, consider clearing pieces that your companion needs in order to gain a special piece. It might be just enough to clear out that last, hard-to-reach corner of the board.

Utilize the recommendations

In the same vein, your companions will often point out particularly good moves (such as swapping a fish with a striped candy) if they appear on the board. Don't ignore their recommendations – in almost every case, swapping two powerful pieces will yield a better combo than you would get using each piece individually. As you progress and earn more friends, there will also be suggestions on which friend to take with you into the level. While you're free to choose whoever you want, it's generally not a bad idea to take whoever the game recommends as your best companion.

Work according to your goal

As you progress, different levels will have different goals you need to reach, such as freeing all the animals from beneath the board, or getting a cookie to reach the bottom of the play area. Adjust your strategy depending on what your goal is. It's often best to match from the bottom to the top, but sometimes you'll want to focus elsewhere if you have a remote corner of the board that needs to be cleared out in order for you to win the level.

Use bonuses sparingly

As you make your way through the levels, you'll sometimes earn bonuses or gifts, either in the form of costumes for your friends, or power-ups to use on the individual levels. Costumes have no particular bearing on the gameplay, so feel free to dress up your friends as you please. Power-ups, however, are more rare, and unless you're willing to shell out for an in-app purchase to restock, they don't come along often. Try to save them for when you're really in a bind, or in situations where you're just a few moves away from winning the level.

Got any of your own tips and tricks to share with other players? Be sure to let us know in the comments!