New Maps:

• Introduced 4 crystal levels which modify the core tile acquisition mechanic. Players can now gain tiles by routing through a crystal pillar, earning an additional tile per passage, highlighted with a new animation.
  
• New sounds indicating the fill level of the crystal pillar, which serve as a unique combo, granting achievements upon completion.
  
• Each filled crystal pillar rewards six extra tiles, making strategic routing highly beneficial.
  
• Each passage through a crystal pillar increases the score multiplier by 10%, allowing for significant score boosts through strategic planning.
  

New Features:

• Saving Icon - A saving icon now appears on the left side of the screen whenever the game is saved.
  
• Restart Level from
  
• Game Over Screen - Players can now restart the game from the Game Over screen using keyboard or controller input. A dedicated button will be added in a future update.
  
• Turn Off Grid - A new option in the "Unlocks" menu allows players to turn off the grid.
  
• More Sparks - An option to enable more background elements is now available in the "Unlocks" menu.
  
• Multi-color Sparks - Players can now choose multi-color sparks for their background.
  
• Gradient Backgrounds - Four new gradient backgrounds added: "Vibrant Purple," "Crystal Green," "Heavenly Blue," and "Red and Black." More backgrounds will be added with future map packs.
  
• Map Rules Display - The map selection menu now shows the starting tile count and the number of tiles received for filling metal tiles, aiding new players in understanding the game rules.
  

Changes:

• Intro - Updated the game intro to align with console and mobile versions. The intro can now be skipped using buttons, except on the first playthrough.
  
• Background and Path Colors in Unlock Section - Corrected some background colors that did not match their descriptions. Feedback for further improvements is welcome.
  

Under the Hood:

• Prepared for New Maps - Modified the map hierarchy to facilitate the addition of new maps, addressing significant technical debt from the prototype phase.
  
• New Saving System - Redesigned the saving system to reduce data storage and modify only changed data, decreasing the likelihood of corrupted save files, especially beneficial for console versions.
  

Quality of Life Improvements:

• Accelerated Achievement Animation - Players can now speed up the achievement animation at the end of a stage by pressing any button, mouse click, or controller input.
  
• Scrolling in Level Selector - The level selector now scrolls one map at a time, rather than jumping between cards.
  
• Metal Tile Colors - Adjusted the colors of metal tiles to be more distinguishable and less visually jarring against gradient backgrounds. Metal colors are now clearly bronze, silver, and gold.
  
• Tile Animation Overlap - Improved the animation for receiving new tiles to prevent overlap, ensuring clear visibility of the number of tiles received.