Candy IP that could outlast a Gobstopper

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Simple, sweet, and never leaving. These three candy-themed properties have stood the test of time and are here to stay. Candy Crush This addictive game is the newest candy-coated product on our list, but it’s a dinosaur in the staring-at-your-phone category. Swedish game developer King rolled out Candy Crush, a match-three puzzle game where players try to advance to the next level, in 2012 on Facebook and as a standalone mobile game later that same year: The game popularized the “freemium” model, in which users can play for free or make in-game purchases on things like extra moves for one of the 17,000+ (and growing) levels. It hit its peak in 2015, garnering around 327 million monthly players. In 2016, Activision Blizzard bought the company behind the game for $5.9 billion. And while those jackpot-esque pings aren’t as popular as they once were on your morning commute, roughly 180 million players were still swiping in 2024, with many fans clocking in every single day, according to the company. (A spokesperson for King declined to provide Morning Brew with 2025 user figures.) Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Despite it being a cult classic, the first cinematic adaptation of Dahl’s novel—which was renamed for the eponymous candymaker and released in 1971 starring Gene Wilder—was a box-office flop, earning a little over $4 million on a $2.9 million budget: The Tim Burton-directed remake in 2005 starring Johnny Depp as the eccentric factory owner fared better, snagging $475 million on a $150 million budget. The 2023 prequel Wonka and its six original songs divided critics, with some saying Timothée Chalamet earned his place in the pantheon of Wonkas and others calling the story “hollow as a chocolate egg.” It earned $635 million with a $125 million budget. And it’s not just a hit at the movies: The story has been relentlessly spoofed by most adult cartoons, including The Simpsons, Rick and Morty, South Park, Family Guy, and, most iconically, Futurama. There have been stage adaptations, video games, and even…an infamous “experience.” Candy Land Retired schoolteacher Eleanor Abbott invented the original game in 1948 while recovering from polio, with children being treated for the same disease in mind. Its bright colors and simple gameplay meant kids could enjoy it even with limited mobility: Toy manufacturer Milton Bradley bought the game and officially published it in 1949. The company took out references to its inspiration, like removing the leg braces from one of the characters on the original board. Hasbro acquired the toymaker in 1984 and tried to add a storyline to the game, but it didn’t really stick. Despite swapping in and out characters, the classic, luck-based game has remained one of the most popular board games, selling an average of 1 million copies a year. There were even brief (but ultimately shelved) talks about an Adam Sandler-led movie adaptation.