Screenshot by Creamofgames
The Crystal Cave is the dungeon found on one of the northern frozen islands. It is dominated by harmless lasers, magical braziers, spooky ghosts and frosty doors. To pass, you will need to use lasers effectively to break the ice.
Note: There is a big, bad boss at the end of this dungeon. You might want to beef up your arsenal before trying to tackle it. Additionally, you'll need to break some good crystals, which can take forever without a decent pickaxe.
Thorough cleaning of the crystal cave
To start, we have the main dungeon mechanics. You have these little glass orbs that you turn to aim the laser at them. By turning the orbs to point them towards a frozen door, you can melt the ice and keep going, super simple stuff.
Screenshot by Creamofgames
After the tutorial intro room, you need to deal with some spectral ghosts, then another icy door behind some crystals. Break the crystals, spin the orbs, and enter the minecart room. Take a quick trip, kill a few more ghosts, and move on.
In the next room with another minecart, you'll notice a boss key frozen in ice. Remember that for later.
The next room is what I like to call the bay room. Because of the orbs, of course. There are two frozen gates to unfreeze here, as well as the actual way to progress. The first door is obvious, but the second is hidden just off the screen in the lower right. Drop down there to reveal another orb and the second gate. Behind the hidden door is a chest, but we can't do anything with the obvious door yet, so might as well ignore it.
Screenshot by Creamofgames
Fire the laser back through the lower left entrance door, then shine it through the other door. There is a crystal on the way, so get rid of it. Unfreeze the ice door inside, then kill a ghost and unfreeze yet another door. Oh, and while we're at it, head to the bottom of this room and scan the bottom wall with your own laser (assuming you have it) to access a secret room and get two more chests.
From there we go up a dead end and smash a particular small crystal. This one, the one shown just below this paragraph:
Screenshot by Creamofgames
With that little jolt of a rock gone, we can continue. Go back to the room where the boss key is and have a fun trip on the mine cart. This crystal would have originally bounced back at us, so we cut it first.
Related: How To Solve The Ancient Tomb Puzzle In Forager
There's another villain waiting for us at the end. Take it out, then sweep the top wall with your laser to snag a second secret room. Ignore the minecart laser in the next room for now and go through the forest room to find the orb room (because of all the berries we just passed). Install them as shown below to melt the right door:
Screenshot by Creamofgames
Now go back to a few rooms and send the minecart laser rumble. Progress afterward, orient the two required orbs to unfreeze the final door to the orb room, and you can claim your prize; the ice cream stick! Oh, and a secret room at the back of the room.
So what can we do with this ice cane? Well, simply put, we can freeze things. Most notably, we can freeze those cute braziers we've seen everywhere. And for some magical reason, the Ice Rod's ice doesn't melt under the heat of the laser. Instead, it refracts the laser. Quick, to the secrets!
Return aaa to the second dungeon room. Freeze the brazier, spin the orb, and unfreeze the door for two full loot chests. Note: You will need to freeze the brazier twice for the door to thaw completely.
Now back to the bay room! That obvious ice door is useful now! Melt it down, go ahead and freeze the two braziers inside to grab three more chests for yourself.
Ok, ok, we're really going to progress now. Make sure the laser shines again in the room with the boss key, freeze the brazier and collect the key. The key in hand, all that remains is to get into the wagon. It's in the same room as the boss's key. After that, challenge the boss.
Screenshot by Creamofgames
The boss is a large, tanky ice mage who resists the freezing effect of your flashy new Ice Rod (go figure). They attack by sending out the same chilling projectiles that all spooky ghosts have used so far. Being hit by one is unpleasant as this freeze will eat away all of your invulnerability frames, so you can be hit again almost immediately after thawing. But as long as you've brought plenty of healing items with you and are dodging pretty well, you should be fine. Just whale on the boss until it goes down, then claim your rewards!
For more help with Forager's many puzzles, check out our other Forager guides!
