Why Bejeweled Blitz is so Addictive

The only way I can get myself to stop playing Bejeweled Blitz is to hit Ctrl-W to close the window during the game. First I tell myself, "Last game", then I say, "Last game! This is the ABSOLUTELY last game," but no matter how many times I say it to myself, I always hit the "Play again" button, sometimes even before the stats come up so that I won't feel so guilty about it.

Bejewled Blitz is a one-minute repetitive game. Why in the world is it so horridly addictive?

First, I think there is this vicious cycle thing going. If I get a lousy score in your last game, I think, "What a lousy game! This one doesn't count." If I get a really good score (but not as high as my Top Score), I think, "Only this close to getting a higher Top Score! One more time won't hurt..." And even if I get a Top Score, I think, "I'm in the groove now! Maybe I can better my Top Score in the next game!" So no matter what score I get, it is never a score fit for a "last game".

Second, the fact is that you DO get better the more you play. After say 100 games, your eyes see the four-in-a-rows better than when you first started. So there is a sense of progress and personal improvement to keep you going. You can even see this "progress" within each playing session. After the first 10 consecutive games, you naturally get better, which makes it harder to stop when you're in the groove 'cos you know that tomorrow morning, it'll take more time to get you where you are. It's perfectly logical. :)

Third, it's hard to stop because of the fantastic sound effects. It is great for the ego to hear, "Good! Excellent! Fantastic Speed!" And it is so gratifying to hear the explosions of all the gems when you line it up well. It feels like you're doing productive work and you're getting praised for it at the same time. It makes you want to keep on playing...

Finally, good 'ole competition. Seeing your friend's name above yours in the list of Top Scorers when you know that just last week you were ahead by 20,000 points makes you want to keep on playing if only to beat her score. But after you beat her, there is the next person in front of you, and the next person after that... Once, I kept playing like this until I got a score of 388,000 and I was in position number 1... for only one day!

All in all, all this thinking about Bejewled Blitz makes me want to play the game, so....