How do I clear Candy Crush Level 88?

There are some levels in Candy Crush Saga, too few in my opinion, which require a unique strategy. Candy Crush Level 88 is one of those levels. While these levels can be just as challenging as others, I actually enjoy the fact that winning is less about luck and more about puzzling out the right strategy. After all, it's a puzzle game.. .right? Read on for the tips and strategy to knock this one out.

Get DOWN

This first big tip on this level is downward motion. The Licorice Swirls on the sides will blunt any attempt you make to knock out Jellies with Striped Candies, and at best you can only wipe them out one by one in their original position. Draw them down into the center area (through the Teleporter strip) and they'll be much easier to knock out with adjacent matches. As agent86ix also mentions in the Candy Crush Beginner's Guide working from the bottom is also just a generally good strategy because it will net you additional matches as candies fall from above and line up. When you are lucky this will even clear Jellies for you in the side columns.

Pro Tip Even as you work from the bottom, watch for opportunities to match 3 in the side columns. This will cut down on the number of Jellies left over for you to clear with Stripes.

Surgical Stripes

There is a reason why I call the Stripe Candy the workhorse of Special Candies. If you play Candy Crush Saga long enough, you will transform into a Stripe Sniper - capable of crushing candies at a thousand yards in high wind without a scope... Perhaps a slight exaggeration, but the point is you are going to need to get good at creating Striped Candies and carefully targeting them. Candy Crush Level 88 is one of the cases where you'll need to use those skills. Once you've cleared out Licorice Swirls, focus your efforts in the center on created horizontal Striped Candies and launching their blasts at the side columns. Try and crush candies in the columns that will set off combos to get the most out of each move. Also keep an eye out for Striped combos that will greatly multiply the effectiveness of your Striped Candies.

Pro Tip Vertical Striped Candies aren't good for much on this level, but they can be used in any Striped Combo to great effect. Pair up to verticals to get the benefit of the horizontal blast, or match with other Special Candies for a bigger benefit.

Pro Tip With Licorice Swirls clear, a Striped + Color Bomb combo may win the level for you. If you have a choice, choose to match with a Striped that is the same color as candies that are in the two side columns. If you get lucky you may get one or more vertical Striped Candies to spawn in the columns, which will eliminate or greatly reduce the Jellies you have left to clear.