Back about 500 days ago (has it really been that long?) I reviewed a game called “Aesop’s Garden”. It was awesome, but imperfect. It had controls that were a little sloppy, for example. It had periodic boss fights which I liked at the time but, with the benefit of hindsight, took away from the puzzling by making you watch your back more than sussing out the puzzles. It was still excellent overall, however, with brilliant level design. “Crystal Hunters” has equally excellent puzzling, but lacks the boss fights, yet adds replay value thanks to a time limit system, and offers it’s all offered for 80 Microsoft Points.
Gameplay is similar to classic NES-era puzzlers like “Mole Mania”, and still holds up well today. Not just a straight block pusher and item collector, you must manipulate the environment to open up areas, get things to where you need them, and more. Levels are large enough to feel expansive, but never so huge that they feel frustrating to traverse. Well recommended to fans of puzzlers.
Here’s what the developer (DreamRoot Studios) has to say about the game:
“Crystal Hunters is a top down puzzle game that offers dozens of challenging levels with an old school vibe. Take control of Thomas or Amelia on their journey to collect as many crystals as possible. But what ancient secrets will they unlock on their quest?”
Writings of Mass Deduction 