Stuck on a Zertyzzle level? Here are our Zertyzzle tips to beat the hardest levels: read your goals, set up chain reactions, get rid of ice and rocks, and save your boosters for the right moment. They come straight from the team behind Zertyzzle, the crystal merge puzzle game.
The basics: three rules to keep in mind
Zertyzzle is built on three simple rules:
- You slide an entire row or column. The crystal leaving one side comes back on the other.
- Three identical crystals in a line merge into the next tier, on the cell you played: Shard, then Gem, then Jewel. Five at once skip two tiers!
- Three Jewels make a Zertyon. Tap it to clear its whole row and its whole column.
Everything else follows from these rules, explained in detail in the complete Zertyzzle guide. The tips below help you make the most of them.
1. Read your goals before the first move
Your moves are limited. Before playing, look at the goals panel: it shows the crystals you need to create. A move that scores a lot but doesn't bring you closer to the goal is often a wasted move. When only a few moves are left, go for the goal first.
2. Think in loops
A crystal that leaves one edge comes back on the opposite edge. Many players forget it: a line-up that looks impossible becomes possible by "rotating" the row two or three cells. Before every move, also check what will reappear on the other side.
3. Set up chain reactions
When crystals disappear, new ones fall in and can merge in turn: that's a chain reaction, and your points multiply (Combo ×2, ×3…). Rather than merging as soon as you can, look for moves that leave pairs ready to be completed.
4. Play near the bottom when you can
A merge at the bottom of the board makes the whole column above it fall: more crystals move, so you're more likely to trigger a chain. A merge at the very top barely moves anything.
5. Break ice by merging right next to it
Frozen crystals slide with their row but don't merge. To free them, make a merge on a neighbouring cell. Thick ice, the striped kind, needs two neighbouring merges. Deal with it early: a frozen crystal in the middle of the board blocks a lot of line-ups.
6. Shatter rocks the same way
Rocks slide with their row but never merge. They also break when a merge happens right next to them. Metal-ringed rocks need two neighbouring merges. A good habit: bring rocks closer to the areas where you merge by sliding their row.
7. Open locks first
A locked crystal blocks its row and its column: you can't slide them. As long as it stays locked, part of the board is frozen. Merge right next to it (or merge it) to open it as early as possible.
8. Save the Zertyon for a crowded row
The Zertyon clears its entire row and column. It's far more useful on a line full of ice, rocks or crystals in your way than on a line that's already clear. The rainbow Wild crystal completes any line-up: use it to finish a tricky line-up towards a goal.
9. Use boosters at the right time
Zertyzzle has four boosters:
- Hammer: breaks the crystal of your choice, or removes one layer of ice or rock.
- Tornado: shuffles the whole board, handy when nothing lines up anymore.
- Magnet: removes every crystal identical to the one you tap.
- Undo: puts the board back as it was before your last move and gives the move back.
The best time for a booster is often the end of the level, when a single merge stands between you and victory. You earn them from daily quests, the daily wheel and the shop (with stardust).
10. Replay for three stars
Beating a level unlocks the next one, but each level is worth up to three stars. Coming back later, with more experience, is often how you get them. Stars also earn season points.
What next?
Once you've mastered the 120 levels across 12 nebulae, try endless mode with its three lives, challenge a friend to a duel on the exact same board, or climb the leagues of the Weekly Rift. To share your own tips with other players, head to the Zertyzzle forum.
Curious about the team that made the game? Meet the people behind Djoox Studio.