How to Play
SpectrumBurst is a Match-3 puzzle with a twist: colors combine. Master the chemistry and you'll restore a whole universe to brilliant color.
The basics
- Swap to match. Swap two adjacent crystals to line up 3 or more of the same color. Matches burst and clear from the board. A swap that doesn't make a match snaps back and doesn't cost a move.
- Gravity & cascades. Crystals above fall to fill the gaps and fresh ones drop in — which can form new matches on their own (cascades) for chain bonuses.
- Complete the objective. Each level gives you one clear goal — e.g. collect 18 blue crystals — and a fixed move budget. Finish the goal before your moves run out to win.
- Earn stars. Completing the level earns a star; a higher score earns up to 3 stars. Score doesn't gate progress — it earns stars and leaderboard rank.
Matches — what each one makes
The size and shape of your match decides what you get. Bigger matches don't just clear more — they build special crystals.
| Match | What it makes | Cleared right away |
|---|---|---|
| 3 in a row | A normal clear. | 3 |
| 4 in a row | Fusion — the middle crystal survives and is promoted to the next color up the spectrum. | 3 (middle stays, now fused) |
| 5 in a row | Photon Beam forms on the middle crystal. | 4 (middle becomes the beam) |
| L or T shape | Spectrum Bomb forms at the corner where the lines cross. | all but the corner |
So a 5-line doesn't clear all 5 — it clears 4 and leaves you a Photon Beam to set off later.
Color-Mixing Chemistry
This is the heart of SpectrumBurst — crystals aren't just matched, they're combined.
- The board starts with three primary colors. A 4-in-a-row fuses them up the ladder into secondary colors.
- Keep climbing the fusion ladder — secondaries combine toward pure White Light, the most powerful clear in the game.
- Every crystal has a distinct color and shape, so you can always tell them apart — including with color-blind vision.
Special crystals
A special crystal sits on the board until you set it off — by matching it, or catching it in another clear. Then it activates:
- Photon Beam — fires along its line, clearing an entire row or column at once.
- Spectrum Bomb — detonates, clearing the surrounding area.
- Chains: a special caught in a blast sets off too — beam triggers bomb triggers beam — for spectacular cascades.
- Spectrum Burst: fill your charge meter and unleash a board-wide blast that clears the dominant color at once.
Board elements & goals
As you progress, levels mix in special elements — extra goals and obstacles drawn into the rotation alongside the main crystal goal. New elements add to the mix; they don't replace the earlier ones. A level always has the crystal goal plus up to 3 of these.
You don't match these directly — they're non-matchable. You clear them with an adjacent match: line up crystals in a cell next to the element. Bigger obstacles take more hits.
| Element | What it is | How to clear | Adjacent matches |
|---|---|---|---|
| 💧 Water-Crystal | Collectible | Collected by a match beside it | 1 |
| ❄️ Snow-Crystal | Collectible | Collected by a match beside it | 1 |
| 🍄 Mushroom | Blocker | One adjacent match | 1 |
| 🌿 Bush | Blocker | One adjacent match | 1 |
| 🧱 Brick | Blocker | Two adjacent matches | 2 |
| 🌳 Tree | Blocker | Two adjacent matches | 2 |
| ⬛ Black Crystal | Blocker | Three adjacent matches | 3 |
Hammers also damage blockers, so a booster can finish off a stubborn Tree or Black Crystal. Clear all of a level's elements (plus the crystal goal) to win.
Spectrum Charge
Every clear fills your Spectrum Charge meter. When it's full, unleash a Spectrum Burst — a board-wide blast that clears the dominant color at once. Time it for maximum chaos.
Scoring — how you earn points
Points come only from clearing crystals; a failed swap scores nothing (and costs no move). The big numbers come from big clears — beams, bombs, and White Light.
- Each crystal cleared: 10 points.
- Level complete: +100 bonus.
- Moves to spare: +20 per leftover move — finish efficiently for a higher score (and more stars).
Example: a Photon Beam that wipes a full row of 7 scores 70 in one shot — plan specials, not just 3-matches.
- Stars: 1★ for completing the level; higher scores reach 2★ and 3★ at each level's thresholds.
- Lifetime points: your dashboard's ★ counter adds up the best score of every board you've beaten — campaign, daily, and events. Tap it for the full breakdown, page by page.
Winning, losing & moving on
Once a level starts, you play it through — to a win or a loss.
- Win (objective complete): a summary shows your stars and score — tap Next to dive into the next level, or Leave to return.
- Out of moves with the objective unfinished: tap Retry to go again, or Leave.
- Each level's collect target grows and the move budget tightens, so every level is a little harder than the last.
- Finishing with moves to spare scores higher — that's how you reach 2★ and 3★.
Game modes & rewards
🗺️ Campaign levels
- Win a level and earn 20–50 coins — harder levels pay more, and a score near the 3★ line adds a bonus.
- Solar Burst (daily 6–8 PM window): win coins are doubled, up to the 50-coin cap.
🧩 Daily Puzzle — one board, three goals
Everyone plays the same board each day. Your goal ladders up as you beat it, and each tier pays once per day — claim your reward on the win screen:
| Beat | Reward (once per day) |
|---|---|
| 1,000 pts | 50 coins + 1 Shuffle + 1 Surgical Hammer |
| 1,750 pts | 100 coins + 1 Shuffle + 1 Surgical + 1 Vertical + 1 Horizontal Hammer |
| 2,500 pts | 300 coins + 2 Shuffles + 1 of every hammer |
One great run can cross several tiers and claim them all at once. After the top tier, keep playing for points and the daily leaderboard.
⚡ Prism Rush — 90-second score attack
Clear 120 crystals before time runs out to complete the match — no completion, no rewards (your score still counts for the leaderboard). Completed runs earn score milestones, once per tier per day:
| Score | Reward (once per day) |
|---|---|
| 1,500 | 50 coins + 1 Shuffle + 1 Surgical Hammer |
| 2,500 | 75 coins + 1 Shuffle + 1 Surgical + 1 Vertical Hammer |
| 4,000 | 150 coins + 2 Shuffles + 1 of every hammer |
Running out of time? Extend once per run: +30 seconds for 200 coins.
👻 Ghost races
Every win stores a replay. Share your race code and friends play your exact board, trying to beat your score — or race theirs from the Leaders tab.
Daily rewards
- Daily streak: claim the Daily Reward chest — 17 coins × your streak day (day 1 = 17, day 3 = 51…). Miss a day and the streak resets.
- Daily booster: your first game of the day grants +1 random booster (the Blast Hammer is a rare pull!).
- Today's Missions: two fresh missions daily — e.g. Win 3 levels (+70), Win 5 (+122), Earn 100 coins (+52), Earn 250 coins (+105).
- Aurora Calendar: play on enough days of the week and claim 210 coins every week.
Restore the universe
The world map begins grayscale and dimmed. Complete the levels in a region and it blooms back to full color — your progress, made visible. Work region by region to bring the whole cosmos back to life.
Light Energy (lives)
- You hold up to 5 Light Energy; a loss costs one, and every game mode needs one to start.
- Energy recharges free — 1 every 20 minutes.
- In a hurry? A full refill costs 300 coins from the Light Energy card.
Boosters & the shop
You start your account with 5 of each booster — after that, earn more from daily rewards and event tiers, or buy them with coins:
| Booster | What it does | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 🔀 Shuffle | Re-mixes the crystals (never clears anything — it just deals you a fresh board) | 100 for 2 |
| 🔨 Surgical Hammer | Removes one chosen crystal | 100 |
| ↕️ Vertical Hammer | Clears a whole column | 200 |
| ↔️ Horizontal Hammer | Clears a whole row | 200 |
| 💥 Blast Hammer | Clears an area blast | 300 |
Out of moves mid-level? Continue once per game: +5 moves for 200 coins (+30 seconds in Prism Rush). Hammers also damage board blockers like Bricks and Trees.