It may seem like it has been around forever, but Candy Crush – and its sequels – remains one of the world’s most popular games, with millions of plays and downloads per month. While the game might not be everyone’s cup of tea, you can deny the stickiness that led to its longevity.

Candy Crush was not created in a vacuum, of course. There are plenty of games that clearly influenced it, including Bejewelled and the mighty Tetris. We can also suggest some modern alternatives, ranging from the brilliant Royal Match to the annoyingly addictive Juice Jam. Even some slot games, like Pragmatic’s ultra-popular Sugar Rush, have similarities with Candy Crush’s colorful Match-3 mechanics.

But if we are to go way back, we can recommend some classics for Candy Crush aficionados. You’ll find some cracking titles on this list:

Puzzle Bobble (1994)

Sometimes known as Bust-a-Move, this arcade favorite clearly had some influence over Candy Crush and other Match-3 games. It follows the same Tetris-esque pattern of starting off simple and getting harder as you progress, but it’s absorbing. A true classic.

Columns (1990)

We considered putting Tetris on this list, but we’ve gone instead for Sega’s answer to Tetris, Columns. Is Columns superior? That’s a matter of opinion, but there is an argument it requires a little more advanced tactical decision-making.

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Klax (1990)

Klax might seem a little niche, but it was an arcade icon of the early 1990s. It has simple enough gameplay, where players will catch colored tiles that arrive on a conveyor belt, eventually forming shapes known as klaxes. Again, there are elements of Tetris here, but it is superbly addictive.

Pac-Attack (1993)

A Pac-Man spin-off, Pac-Attack was actually an adaption of the arcade release of Cosmo Gang the Puzzle.

 It wasn’t universally beloved, and still divides opinion among nostalgic gamers, but it had some great things going for it, including a banging soundtrack.

Magical Drop (1995)

We love this one, but it has been kind of lost to antiquity. Magic Drop is a super-fast-paced arcade puzzle game where players grab and throw colored balls to make matches. It’s intense and energetic, and it remains superior to some of the Match-3 games you’ll find on the market today.

Puyo Puyo (1991)

Puyo is one of the most influential games in this genre. Originally a Japanese arcade game, it involves matching colored blobs called Puyos to create combos. The series remains beloved, and its mechanics and gameplay laid the groundwork for many puzzle games to come.

Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo (1996)

Anyone remember this one? Not quite Street Fighter, but a game combining Capcom’s fighting characters with gem-matching gameplay. Players match gems to attack their opponents, creating a unique blend of puzzle and fighting mechanics.

Snood (1996)

Another one in the “do you remember this?” pile. Snood gained something of a cult following in the mid-1990s/ Similar to Puzzle Bobble, players launch colored called Snoods to make matches. Addictive and fun.

Wario’s Woods (1994)

Wario’s Woods divides the critics, with some praising the game’s mechanics and ingenuity and others saying it was little more than a Tetris clone. It was, however, the last game officially released for the original Nintendo Entertainment System, so it’ll always have that bit of history.

Tetris Attack (1995)

Not the best Tetris game ever, but maybe in the top five. Tetris Attack, also known as Panel de Pon, got great reviews on release, gaining praise for inverting the original Tetris mechanics.

After that, it quietly became one of the most influential games in the puzzle genre.