[1][8] At the time, the company consisted of its three cofounders: business manager John Vechey, programmer Brian Fiete, and designer Jason Kapalka.

[10] It used squares as graphics, required the webpage to be refreshed between moves to update the game, and did not have animation or sound effects.

[1][11] Finding the match-three mechanic addictive, the team was inspired to develop a more polished version of the game.

[8] It was initially time-based by default at the suggestion of other game developers such as Pogo.com, with the goal being to maximize one's score before the timer ran out.

[8][14] After the deal, Sexy Action Cool was renamed to PopCap Games to make the brand more reflective of their new family-oriented target audience.

Astraware executive Howard Tomlison suggested selling the game as shareware for $20, with the rationale that, for consumers, a cheap price would imply an inferior product.

[27] In the lead-up to the release of the Apple App Store, PopCap created a version of Bejeweled compatible with iPhones to be played through the Safari browser on July 30, 2007.

[31][32] EA Mobile updated JAMDAT's version of Bejeweled with graphical enhancements, releasing it on May 18, 2007 in North America.

However, according to gaming journalist Harold Goldberg, the reviewers who appreciated Bejeweled "could feel a Zen peacefulness when playing", an experience comparable to Tetris.

[17] David Manning of Computer Gaming World wrote of the staff becoming transfixed with Bejeweled Deluxe, threatening the magazine's production.

[4][7] IGN considered the Xbox Live port of Bejeweled fun but criticized its lack of multiplayer function.

[46] In 2007, GamesRadar+ listed Bejeweled as a PC game that "shaped a generation", saying, "But not since Tetris has such a simple mechanic gripped so many for so long.

[48][49][50] In 2020, The Strong National Museum of Play inducted Bejeweled into the World Video Game Hall of Fame.

[53][11][54] Kapalka attributes the rise to the exclusion of a default timer in Bejeweled, allowing for gaming that did not require skill.

[54] Developers such as King, Playrix, and Demiurge have created popular mobile games that tweak Bejeweled's match-three formula.

[2] For example, Demiurge's Puzzle Quest (2007) fuses match-three gameplay with role-playing game conventions,[59] King's Candy Crush Saga (2012) includes power-ups and stylized levels,[57][60] and Playrix's Gardenscapes (2016) involves renovating a garden through successful match-three rounds.