Cosmantic Cluster

Cosmantic Cluster is a match-3 puzzle game that combines strategy and fighting-game elements. You match coloured orbs to queue abilities, then launch an orb to activate the queued ability on contact. Matches of the same colour can build combos and increase an ability’s power, and you can save up to three orbs for later and switch them with your launcher orb in the order they were saved. Matching orbs fills a meter that lets you super-charge your current launcher orb, adding to a combo or giving an effect determined by an active ability.

Story

A shooting-star shower once appeared in the night sky, giving beings across the universe the ability to wield magic in the shape of small galaxies. Magic became commonplace, changing the world and universe. In the present, Ena devotes herself to magical studies in the hope of understanding a mysterious orb she found during that shower. When the orb is stolen during one of her experiments, she chases the thief and encounters further mysteries.

The single-player story is fully voiced and features over 20 characters and numerous levels. Completing the story unlocks characters and levels for local two-player battles.

Orb abilities

The game has eight orb types, each with its own effect:

• Red fire orbs: deal 1 damage to your opponent, with comboing increasing the damage. Super-charging adds 1 to your combo.
• Blue block orbs: create grey orbs in your opponent’s area that block shots and push them down. After matching blue orbs, you can combo using any colour, but other orb abilities do not activate in a blue combo. Super-charging adds 1 to your combo.
• Yellow lightning orbs: matching them makes your next orb glow. If that orb connects with a group of orbs, it creates a shockwave that removes orbs of the same colour and damages grey orbs in its area. The shockwave does not combo with itself; super-charging increases its area.
• Green heal orbs: restore 1 health, with combos increasing the amount. Super-charging adds 1 to your combo.
• Orange laser orbs: matching them makes your next orb glow. When launched, it becomes a laser that passes through other orbs, removing those that match its colour and damaging grey orbs. It does not combo with itself; super-charging gives it an extra bounce off the wall.
• Purple dispel orbs: immediately reduce your opponent’s combo by 1, but do not affect an active yellow or orange ability. They do not combo with themselves; super-charging removes an entire enemy combo, regardless of its size.
• White ice orbs: slow your opponent’s launcher as they aim left and right. Combos increase the duration and slow the launcher further. Super-charging adds 1 to your combo.
• Black darkness orbs: cover your opponent’s area in darkness, making shots harder to aim. Combos increase the duration and how far the darkness reaches down. Super-charging adds 1 to your combo.

Winning a round

Each player has a warp gate at the top of the screen. Orbs launched through it appear on the other player’s screen, where they can be used, have their shots cancelled or be aimed at the opponent’s star orb. Each player’s star orb appears on their side each round and acts as their flag: if it is removed or falls, that player loses. Shining orbs provide structural support, so removing key areas can cause entire sections to fall.

Rounds last 5 minutes. You can win by reducing your opponent’s health to zero with red orbs, making an orb cross their death line, removing their star orb, or clearing all orbs on your side with your star orb last. The last condition is called an “All Clear.” If time runs out, the player with fewer orbs remaining wins; if the counts are tied, the player with more health wins, and if health is tied too, the round is a draw. The game also features five win conditions, played across best-of-three rounds.