Waving to the Tail End of the Black Dragon from Crystallo
Collect colorful gems to free the magical creatures trapped in the twisting caverns of the black dragon with Crystallo.
Some of my solo games sit around for ages and I tend to lose track of a few boxes… Yet Crystallo was completely forgotten in its unique bag! I found it lurking in the background and it seemed like the right time to try this one out again. There were some indications it might not be for me, but I was still excited about the huge gems and artwork!
Game Overview
Game Name: Crystallo
Publication Year: 2018
Designer: Liberty Kifer
Artist: Liberty Kifer
Publisher: Zafty Games
Solo Mode: Designed for Solo (Included in the Base Game)
The goal is to free magical creatures by surrounding orbs with crystals, thereby collecting gems by arranging the cavern cards. After that step, the black dragon must be approached with a shorter phase to collect the gems once and for all. Such a pretty assortment of components!
First Play
February 4, 2020
Complexity
2
Latest Play
October 8, 2024
Expansions
0
Setup Time
Almost None
Lifetime Plays
10
Play Time
25 Minutes
High Score
1,050
Game Area
36" x 32"
Low Score
50
Crystals and Creatures
Most of the cards are in the cavern, with smaller elements and lots of icons. Yet the magical creatures are simply beautiful with artwork that seems to glow!
I also love these gigantic acrylic gems. It may not seem like it here, but these are huge and rarely seen in other games. They stand out quite a lot and look lovely!
However, I was quickly reminded why I don’t play… Some of the gems are similar in color, as are the icon types.
There was still a lot of fun to be had, though, so I took this one for another whirl, even if it was to be its last hurrah.
Silly Tails Everywhere
More childhood books! The Silly Tail Book is about as basic as they come, more about laughs and all kinds of tails. But it seemed most fitting to pair with the black dragon card!
Actually, most of the magical creatures sported awesome tails that may not have been silly… Close enough. Ha ha!
It took me a little bit to get back into the rules, and I was utterly thrown off by the scoring tiers. I remembered some of my issues with my last session, but still. Onward!
Reserving enough table space was my biggest challenge. I keep amassing random things off to the side these days!
Into the Caverns
Such a meandering route! I forgot how big the space can expand into, even though I tried to keep it a little compact.
Multiple times, I thought I had the right assortment of crystals to light up an orb, then backtracked later on. My mind just does not see the differences all the time.
Unlocking the treasure cards was very random, too, and I felt rather frustrated when one came out at the very end.
I had a lot of things to think about later in the game, too, and lost track of a few possible gems. But still, I managed to free all of the magical creatures with this arrangement!
The Best Tail
See? I definitely had an excellent example of a pretty fanciful tail with the second half of the black dragon!
Honestly, I wasn’t a fan of this second step. Finishing the same puzzle again, only with fewer cards, felt very repetitive and didn’t give me the exciting conclusion.
There was a single neat moment which made the difference between a win and a loss… Yet that was it.
I didn’t love how the better scores were tied to unlocking the treasure cards, which really came down to a lot of luck. It was pleasant at times, yet I was glad to see the tail end.
Visual Clarity and the Desire to Play Again
As my eyes slowly age over time, I’ve come to appreciate larger text and highly legible elements. I thought this one might work out well with the dark card background and focus on the iconography. However, I just didn’t parse the difference between 2 and 3 crystals reliably well. It seems silly and should be obvious, yet for me, it isn’t.
I think I sometimes play some solo games a lot more than others because I recognize the familiarity and never run into any confusion. That’s going to be different for a lot of players, though! If you see this artwork and think it’s as clear as day, that’s a good thing! My copy will be off to find a new home shortly, and I’m sure someone else will enjoy it.
Session Overview
Play Number: 9 & 10
Solo Mode: Designed for Solo (Included in the Base Game)
Outcome: 600, 750 (2 Losses)
I thought I did fairly well, but thanks to bad luck with the treasure cards, my scores were pretty terrible. Also, the second step just didn’t quite hit like the gigantic initial cavern. This photo should explain an exciting finish, but felt like I was just getting started. There is a neat puzzle to work through, as understanding the cards can be vital. Yet I had a few major visual issues and felt a bit too confused and frustrated. Onto something that works better for me!
%
10 Plays
Affordability
Price & Value
7
Functionality
Challenges & Mechanics
7
Originality
Design & Theme
3
Quality
Components & Rules
3
Reusability
Achievement & Enjoyment
5
Variability
Distinctness & Randomness
4
+ Pros (Positives)
- A lot of the artwork, especially the magical creatures, is beautiful and almost seems to glow on the dark cards.
- The giant acrylic gems are amazing and make it easy to find them on the cards, even from a distance.
- Some very neat strategies can be discovered with the way cavern cards are laid out to enclose the gem orbs.
- Freeing the magical creatures is a delightful little theme that feels like it comes to life through gameplay.
- When the treasure cards come out early, completing them for extra bonuses creates some very interesting turns.
- Each card can often be used in a number of ways, and some of these choices can be very impactful.
– Cons (Negatives)
- The colors of the acrylic gems and shapes around the orbs are rather similar, and can be too hard to tell apart.
- Playing through the second step against the black dragon feels a bit anti-climactic with the smaller puzzle area.
- Treasure cards are vital to high scores, yet these are very dependent on luck and the order of the cards.
- Reserving enough table space is very difficult, as this spreads out in multiple and unpredictable directions.
Victory Conditions
Score 1,000+ Points
- Overall Goal Progress 80%
Goals and Milestones
Collect all 3 Battle treasures.
Collect all 3 Magic treasures.
Score at least 100 points.
Score at least 1,000 points.
Collect all 3 Riches treasures.
Continue the Conversation
What do you like about Crystallo? Have you reached the highest scoring tier? I can certainly see the fun in this one for the right player, and hope it works well for those who enjoy the challenge! My struggles were a little too noticeable, even though I had some fun moments. I’ll stop here and mention a meandering tail… Which is always at the end. Ha!
0 Comments