Dijeweled (pronounced "Dee-jeweled"), formerly developed under the title The Bejeweled Project, is a Bejeweled-based fan-project created by Greek programmer Konstantinos Mihalenas, known online as LDinos.
Its latest release, v0.95, was made available in the Bejeweled Fans Discord server on January 13, 2018.
For the Remastered Version, please check out Dijeweled Remastered
History[]
Dijeweled was first unveiled publicly as "The Bejeweled Project" in an upload on the LDinos YouTube channel entitled "Bejeweled Project: Update 1". Built on the YoYo GameMaker architecture, it was originally slated to be a reproduction of a Bejeweled title on the GameMaker engine.
Pre-v0.1 graphics have entirely consisted of simple squares.
v0.1, revealed July 2016, began incorporating gems and simple matching mechanics.
The game would follow development with the addition of traditional Bejeweled mechanics, including Special Gems, multipliers, and different game modes, from July to August 2017. During this period, videos on The Bejeweled Project would be accompanied by a link to a Bejeweled Fans Discord server.
The Discord server would become a catalyst for a second stage of development for the project. With fellow players Rubycored (who suggested the name switch to Dijeweled) and Luna Chase (creating a simple score indicator for use in the game) joining active development, it marked the beginning of Dijeweled transitioning from a single-person to effort to a community-wide effort. The two named changes, along with the use of the new Fruitger font for in-game text, was revealed on the LDinos channel in a video entitled "How to sh*t your pants - Dijeweled edition!" on August 18, 2017.
Frequent updates are provided in a dedicated Dijeweled development news feed on the Discord server with the feed's opening on November 17, 2017.
Ordinarily created an alternate set of models for the gems, based on the original models featured in Bejeweled Twist, Blitz, and 3, for inclusion in the game on January 5, 2018. It was added as an optional alternative gem set in the v0.95 update, released January 13, 2018.
At the beginning of August 2018, it was stated that Dijeweled is in a rework development that promises better code and performance.
Game Modes[]
As of v0.95, the public release of Dijeweled is packed with five game modes, all of which are based loosely on modes featured in past Bejeweled titles. Due to its developmental history, the game does not consist of a single, unitary mechanic that encompasses the entire game.
All modes in this game use the swapping mechanic to create matches, as in the main titles of the Bejeweled franchise. This applies even to modes that are based off of ones featured in Bejeweled Twist. A Gem Rotator implementation is in active consideration, though the creator has stated that its inclusion would not displace the current Twist-inspired modes that uses the swapping mechanic.
A community vote on the Bejeweled Fans Discord server decided that an intersecting match will create a Lightning Gem regardless of which mechanic the mode is based off of, over the current Flame Gem that even current 3-based game modes produce. This change was announced on January 19, 2018 to be featured in the v0.96 update.
Arcade[]
Modeled after Bejeweled Twist mechanics, Arcade Mode has the player defuse Bomb Gems and evade Doom Gems to achieve high scores. This mode allows the player to make a move that does not make a match. Notably, however, Arcade discards the Gem Rotator for a swapping mechanic seen in the main titles of Bejeweled, and the Speed Bonus is not implemented.
As the "always-have-moves" algorithm, abbreviated as AHM, has not been created as the mode's creation, the Chain Meter was incorporated in the mode as a stopgap to encourage the player to actively seek out matches now that a game over does not occur when the board runs out of moves. As such, the Hypercube has been replaced in favor of the Fruit Gem, and a 5-gem match creates instead a Lightning Gem.
Classic[]
Modeled after Bejeweled 3, Classic Mode stays faithful to 3's own Classic mode. The game ends whenever the board runs out of moves. The Hypercube returns in this mode, so is the Annihilator mechanic.
The v0.91 update added the Ice Gem to Classic. Appearing every five levels, rather than freezing the counters as is originally planned for Twist before its cancellation, the gem acts as a Locked Gem and freezes in place, staying in its original space even when no gem is underneath. This makes it possible for a static board in Classic to not have all sixty-four squares filled. The Ice Gem appears every five levels in Classic.
Challenges[]
Modeled after Challenge in Bejeweled Twist, Challenges in Dijeweled is divided into twenty distinct challenge types with five levels each. Challenges range from puzzles inspired by Bejeweled 2, to creation of Special Gems, to speed-based levels.
However, completing the first level of each type does not unlock the next challenge category, instead, further challenges are unlocked by achieving higher player ranks in the game. Whether a level requires a match to be made on every mode differs per challenge category.
Player will be able to create their own challenge type in a future update.
Blitz[]
Based off of the Blitz mode in Twist, Blitz in Dijeweled offers 1-, 3-, and 5-min durations for the player. The gameplay is functionally identical in mechanics to the version in the original, though without the Speed Bonus. The Chain Meter returns, along with the ability to make matchless moves.
Blitz uses the original Blitz music in the 5-min variant, the "three-minute challenge" track in the 3-min variant, and the Classic track featured in Bejeweled Blitz Live in the 1-min variant. No further amenities or bonuses are applied to the 1- or 3-min modes of Blitz.
A variant of Bejeweled Blitz's Last Hurrah is featured but is then quickly removed in an update. This variant only detonates Special Gems, and does not reintroduce gems from the top, thus eliminating cascades.
A high score of all of Blitz achieved by the player is shown whenever the Blitz button is hovered upon in the Play menu.
Zen[]
Zen in Dijeweled uses Twist mechanics, though the Chain Meter has been removed from the game. The board will always supply new matches, save for the event when a player makes a matchless move that renders the board free of possible matches. With the addition of the "always-have-moves" mechanic in v0.94, Zen became officially available in the same release, though it is marked as being "still in beta".
Version History[]
Dijeweled's developmental changelog is detailed in a Google Drive sheet that complements a public download link for the ZIP file containing the game.
Version | Date | Changes | Link |
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0.1 | July 14, 2016 |
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0.2 | July 16, 2016 |
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0.3 | December 14, 2016 |
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0.4 | June 6, 2017 |
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0.5 | June 19, 2017 |
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0.6 | June 24, 2017 |
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0.7 | July 8, 2017 |
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0.8 | July 24, 2017 |
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0.83 |
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0.9a |
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0.9b |
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0.91 |
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0.92 | November 19, 2017 |
First release through the Discord server.
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Link A (original)
Link B (updated indicator system) |
0.93 | November 29, 2017 |
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Link |
0.93b | December 2, 2017 |
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Link |
0.94 | December 13, 2017 |
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Link |
0.94b | December 25, 2017 |
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Link |
0.95 | January 13, 2018 |
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Link |
0.95b | February 16, 2018 | This release is exclusively for the Mac.
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Link |
0.95c | February 21, 2018 | This release is exclusively for the Mac.
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