Excavations

***Note:*** *This wiki is maintained by fans of the game, and is not affiliated with G5 Entertainment. If you are experiencing technical issues with the game itself, please contact customer support.*

## Unlocking Requirements

### Coins

Free w/ event

Another of the Collector's wondrous games has been discovered in the City. In the exciting Excavations you can get items on the playing field that can be exchanged in the Curiosity Shop.

- Mini-Game Description

**Excavations** is a Match 3 type mini-game. In Excavations, the goal is to uncover a certain item, unrelated to the crystals, which will then be released from the board.

The items you are trying to uncover are the event tokens, which can then be used in the Curiosity Shop. This mini-game will reset in Rank at the beginning of a new event. **Excavations** is located near the other mini-games in the Main City and right of the Cabaret in the Upper City (see Mini-Games Gallery for photos).

Like other event-specific mini-games, this mini-game requires special items or keys to play. These "keys" are supplied by the current Event Location and occasionally as rewards for various game activities (totems, good monsters, etc).

## Ranks

All event-specific mini-games, including this one, will increase in rank twice as quickly as any other location or mini-game. This mini-game will reset in rank at the beginning of a new event.
This table shows the energy, experience, and coins for each rank of the **Excavations** mini-game.

## Gameplay

The objective of the Excavations mini-game is to uncover all the event tokens. The player will swap two adjacent crystals to make a set of 3 or more crystals of the same color. The matching set will clear and more crystals will drop from the top of the game board. As the matching set of crystals is cleared, the action will also clear one *layer* under the crystals. Eventually the layers underneath sufficient cells will be cleared such that the event token will be clear and will pop out of the board. On the left side of the screen is an icon showing how many more event tokens need to be gathered. When the player gathers all the event tokens, the game ends. These event tokens can then be used in the Curiosity Shop.

Excavations is similar to Magical Items in that players are trying to gather event tokens, however Magical Items uses a "lower the item" methodology.

> *For basic gameplay, see the Match 3 Basics page.*
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## Changes from Crystals

In Excavations, the goal is to uncover all the event tokens. To do so, the dark gray or dark brown tile underneath the crystals must be cleared. Any one cell may have one or more dark tiles. The event tokens underneath are not visible until some of the dark tiles are cleared. In concept, **it is very similar to the yellow cells in Crystals, except that these dark tile are difficult to see and it is difficult to discern how many dark tiles are stacked up**. Usually, less dark tiles need to be broken vs. yellow cells in Crystals.

The event tokens underneath the dark tiles can be in many shapes similar to a Tetris game. These include:

* 2x3 Rectangles, as shown above
* 3x3 cross ('+') shape
* 1x2 line
* Single cell

This image was taken as the board was filling up at the start of a game. Close examination shows the dark gray or brown tiles that will soon be covered by crystals. The event tokens to be gathered are underneath these dark tiles.

## Common Features

You have the potential to create the same tools as in all Match 3 type mini-games

* Lightning
* Bomb
* Supercrystal

You have the potential to make use of the same combinations of tools as in all Match 3 type mini-games

* 2 Lightnings
* 2 Bombs
* 2 Supercrystals
* Lightning and Bomb
* Lightning and Supercrystal
* Bomb and Supercrystal

You have the potential to use the same tools from your inventory as in all Match 3 type mini-games

* Discoverer's Magnifier
* Bomb
* Supercrystal
* Chronometer

You may encounter the same types of obstacle tiles as in all Match 3 type mini-games. The strategy for clearing them is the same for all Match 3 type mini-games. Common obstacles in this mini-game include Chains, Ice, and Stone.

## Strategy

> *For basic gameplay, see the Match 3 Basics page.*
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* Since matching crystals needs to be done regardless, players should refrain from constantly staying in the same area.
* To aid in checking the entire field, Lightnings and Supercrystals should be prioritized in creation since they have global range.
* Once again, the Bomb isn't as useful, but can help if it is used to search areas below it.
* Sometimes there are several layers of dark tiles underneath the crystals.
* Occasionally it can be difficult to find the event tokens.

## Trivia

* Excavations became available to play during the Glass Trap event of 2018.

## Tutorial

Here are the Tutorial screenshots in case a player needs a refresher.

## Related Pages

* Home Page
* Crystals
* Events
* Gemstone Vault
* Magical Items
* Match 3 Basics
* Mini-Games
* Tools

***Note:*** *This wiki is maintained by fans of the game, and is not affiliated with G5 Entertainment. If you are experiencing technical issues with the game itself, please contact customer support.*