Bejeweled 2 is a simple game, but it’s a hard game to be really good at. There are times when I think I like it even more than Tetris, and that’s saying a lot.

I’ve been playing in Classic mode and I always have a hell of a time breaking past level 11 before running out of moves. I have yet to unlock a single achievement for this game, and I’m making that my goal for April!

Last night I started experimenting with a new strategy. Instead of using a hypercube as soon as I get it for mega points, I save it until there’s absolutely no other moves left. Last night this strategy took me from 11,000th place on the Xbox Live leaderboards all the way up to somewhere in the 6,000s!

Two things to keep in mind if you use this strategy!

1- If hypercubes aren’t used, they DO transfer over to the next level. Gem distribution remains the same from level to level, but their placement is jumbled.

2- If you take too long to make a move and you have a hypercube on the field, the game will usually suggest that you use it. Ignore this suggestion! There often ARE other moves available, but the game is trying to trick you into giving up your magic bullet!

If you don’t have a 360, fear not! You can play a free demo of Bejeweled 2 in your browser.