Skip to main content

Crystal Story: Dawn of Dusk

Crystal Story: Dawn of Dusk Game Cover
57%Game Brain Score
Most mentioned positive aspects:story, gameplay
Most mentioned negative aspects:stability
70% User Score Based on 33 reviews

Platforms

PCSteam DeckWindows
Buy Nowfrom €5.89
Buy NowGet on Steam €5.89
Crystal Story: Dawn of Dusk Game Cover

About Crystal Story: Dawn of Dusk

Crystal Story: Dawn of Dusk is a single player role playing game. It was developed by Fred Brown and was released on January 12, 2024. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF CRYSTAL STORY! Crystal Story: Dawn of Dusk marks the first episode and foundation of the series!

 Crystal Story is a series that blends together charming retro-style graphics, with fast-paced action and turn-based battles, inspired by 16-bit classics!
 - MEET MINA - Players take the role of Mina, a young adventurer from the Dawnside, who must traverse a perilous and sh…

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
Crystal Story: Dawn of Dusk screenshot
Crystal Story: Dawn of Dusk screenshot
Crystal Story: Dawn of Dusk screenshot
Crystal Story: Dawn of Dusk screenshot
Crystal Story: Dawn of Dusk screenshot
Crystal Story: Dawn of Dusk screenshot
Crystal Story: Dawn of Dusk screenshot
Crystal Story: Dawn of Dusk screenshot
Crystal Story: Dawn of Dusk screenshot
Crystal Story: Dawn of Dusk screenshot
Crystal Story: Dawn of Dusk screenshot
+2
Skip User Reviews

Reviews

70%Audience ScoreBased on 33 reviews
story6 positive mentions
stability2 negative mentions
  • Beautiful pixel art and fantastic music create a nostalgic and charming atmosphere reminiscent of classic titles like Zelda, Undertale, and Earthbound.
  • Unique gameplay combining exploration, puzzles, and turn-based combat with engaging minigames that add variety and strategic elements.
  • Well-crafted world and characters with potential for deeper story and expanded content in future updates, showing promise and care from the developer.
  • The game is very short, with only around 3 hours of content, leading to a feeling of incompleteness and sequel baiting.
  • Numerous bugs and technical issues, including collision errors, game-breaking bugs, and janky controls, detract from the overall experience.
  • Lack of polish in quality-of-life features such as sparse save points, no cutscene skip options in boss retries, repetitive boss fights, and misleading linear level design.

  • story

    21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    29% positive mentions, 57% neutral mentions, 14% negative mentions

    The story in Crystal Story: Dawn of Dusk is intriguing and charming, with well-developed characters and an adventurous vibe reminiscent of classic 8-bit RPGs. However, some players find the narrative progression rushed and confusing, especially without playing the prologue, feeling it could benefit from clearer storytelling and more content. Overall, it serves as a promising prologue that hints at a larger, more developed story in future updates.

    • “The story is very intriguing and the characters are so good; some of them gave me a good chuckle!”
    • “Crystal Story is a short but sweet game with eye-catching art and a nostalgic air that reminds you of all your favorite 8-bit RPG adventure games from the past like Zelda and Earthbound.”
    • “The gameplay has elements of puzzle-solving, point-and-click adventure, and turn-based RPG mechanics for plenty of variety while you explore numerous, whimsical environments and get immersed in the charming plot and characters of the Crystal Story universe.”
    • “The game isn't that good at telling the story, especially in the beginning.”
    • “I didn't play the prologue, Crystal Story: Awakening, so I don't know if it's the culprit or not, but things just progressed too fast without making any sense.”
    • “I know that it tries to make it mysterious, but it doesn't help when the game makes it as if everyone already knows about the story and I had to deduce everything that happened.”

  • gameplay

    17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    29% positive mentions, 53% neutral mentions, 18% negative mentions

    The gameplay offers a unique blend of puzzle-solving, point-and-click adventure, and turn-based RPG mechanics, creating a varied and engaging experience enhanced by satisfying boss fights and whimsical exploration. However, some users note issues with bugs, unusual controls, and the game's short length. Overall, the gameplay is enjoyable but could benefit from improvements and more content.

    • “The gameplay is divided into two sections: 1) a top-down view where you have to explore the world and solve puzzles with your abilities and 2) a turn-based battle system with a minigame in the format of the first section where you have to do a certain objective.”
    • “The gameplay has elements of puzzle-solving, point-and-click adventure, and turn-based RPG mechanics for plenty of variety while you explore numerous, whimsical environments and get immersed in the charming plot and characters of the crystal story universe.”
    • “Satisfying gameplay where you need to learn how to finish an enemy to beat the boss efficiently.”
    • “The gameplay isn't that great and it's full of bugs.”
    • “But those updates will need to come with massive gameplay improvements.”
    • “It has unique gameplay and beautiful visuals, although sadly, it was way too short for its asking price.”

  • music

    11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    91% positive mentions, 9% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The music is consistently praised as excellent, often described as a standout element with nostalgic influences reminiscent of games like Earthbound, Undertale, and classic handheld titles. It complements the game's pixel art and gameplay, enhancing the overall experience with a memorable and engaging soundtrack.

    • “Relatively short but sweet adventure with excellent pixel art and music.”
    • “The art is absolutely gorgeous, the music is all a certified bop, and the gameplay is a lot of fun!”
    • “Found this game a few years ago on accident, this game has an insane OST and is pretty fun, feels like Celeste, Undertale, LoZ, and Earthbound in one.”

  • graphics

    7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    57% positive mentions, 14% neutral mentions, 29% negative mentions

    The game's graphics feature a charming retro, pixelated art style that many find beautiful and unique, contributing positively to the overall aesthetic. However, some feel that while the visuals are appealing, they alone do not justify the game's price, especially given its short length and mixed gameplay execution.

    • “It has unique gameplay and beautiful visuals, although sadly, it was way too short for its asking price.”
    • “The graphics and music are both wonderful, but that's about the only thing this game has to offer.”
    • “The visuals in the game are varied, but they are mostly pixelated.”
    • “Graphics: retro”

  • stability

    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    0% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions

    The game suffers from notable stability issues, with frequent bugs impacting the experience. Additionally, its short length combined with these bugs affects overall value.

    • “The game is very buggy.”
    • “A little buggy and for the price it's pretty short”
Skip Game Offers

Buy Crystal Story: Dawn of Dusk

Skip Videos

Videos

Skip FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Crystal Story: Dawn of Dusk is a role playing game. Common tags for Crystal Story: Dawn of Dusk include indie, magic, exploration, episodic, retro and others.

Crystal Story: Dawn of Dusk is available on PC, Steam Deck and Windows.

Crystal Story: Dawn of Dusk was released on January 12, 2024.

Crystal Story: Dawn of Dusk was developed by Fred Brown.

Crystal Story: Dawn of Dusk has received mostly positive reviews from players. Most players liked Crystal Story: Dawn of Dusk for its story but disliked it for its stability.

Crystal Story: Dawn of Dusk is a single player game.