Crystal Drive Z Support

Troubleshooting

The game will not start

• Restart Steam completely, then launch again. This clears most first-run problems.
• Verify the game files: right-click Crystal Drive Z in your Steam library, Properties, Installed Files, Verify integrity of game files.
• Update your graphics drivers. An out-of-date driver is the most common cause of a launch failure.
• If you use overlay software (recording tools, hardware monitors, controller remappers), try closing it. Overlays inject themselves into the game and are a frequent cause of crashes on launch.

The game crashes during play

• Verify the game files, as above.
• Try windowed mode. If a crash only happens in fullscreen it is usually a display or driver issue rather than the game.
• If it crashes at a consistent moment - a particular boss, a particular level - tell us. A reproducible crash is one we can actually fix.

No sound

• Check the in-game audio settings first, then Windows' own per-application volume mixer, which can mute a single game without any obvious sign.
• If you changed audio device while the game was running, restart the game. Audio devices are picked up at startup.

Progress or high scores have disappeared

Check the save file location below before assuming anything is lost. If you use Steam Cloud and have played on more than one machine, a newer save on another machine can overwrite an older one. Do not delete anything - email us first and we will help you work out what happened.

Save files

Crystal Drive Z stores your career records, pilot profiles and permanent hangar upgrades locally. If Steam Cloud is enabled, a copy is also kept on Valve's servers so your progress follows you between machines.

Controllers

Crystal Drive Z supports keyboard and gamepad. Steam Input handles controller mapping, which means most controllers work whether or not we tested that exact model.

The controller is not detected

• Connect it before launching the game, then start the game.
• Check Steam sees it: Steam, Settings, Controller. If Steam cannot see it, the game will not either.
• If you have several input devices plugged in - a wheel, a flight stick, an unused adapter - disconnect the ones you are not using. Extra devices can take priority.

The buttons are wrong, or I want to change them

Use Steam's own controller configurator: right-click the game in your library, Manage, Controller layout. That lets you remap anything, including to a layout we never anticipated.

Playing on Steam Deck

The game is built to run on Deck. If controls feel wrong after an update, reset to the default controller layout in Steam before changing anything else - a stale custom layout is the usual cause.

Display and performance

• Resolution and window mode are in the in-game options menu. If the window opens off-screen or at the wrong size, switch to windowed mode and back.
• Multiple monitors: the game opens on your primary display. Change which one that is in your operating system's display settings.
• Screen tearing: turn on VSync in the options menu.
• Poor performance: this is a 2D arcade game and should run comfortably on modest hardware. If it does not, that is worth reporting as a bug rather than something you should have to work around - tell us your specs.

Leaderboard and privacy

The online leaderboard is optional. The game asks before it sends anything, and if you decline, Crystal Drive Z works completely offline.

If you take part, the game sends the callsign you picked, a random identifier for your profile, and your scores. Nothing else. Your callsign is public - other players see it beside your score - so please do not use your real name or anything you would rather a stranger did not read.

You can have your entries removed at any time. Email privacy@northlineworks.net with your callsign and roughly when you played, and we will delete them within 30 days, usually sooner.

The full detail - what is collected, why, how long it is kept, who receives it, and your rights - is in the Northline Works privacy policy.

Reporting a bug

Bug reports genuinely do get fixed. Email support@northlineworks.net with as much of this as you can manage:

• What happened, and what you expected instead
• How to make it happen again, if you can work it out. This is the single most useful thing in any bug report.
• Your system - operating system, and roughly what hardware
• Where you were in the game: level, boss, menu, ship and pilot
• A screenshot or clip if the problem is something you can see

A report saying "it crashed sometimes" is hard to act on. A report saying "it crashes every time the fourth boss splits, on Windows 11, with the Vector pilot" usually gets fixed in the next patch.

Health and safety

Reducing the risk

• Play in a well-lit room, and sit further from the screen.
• Take a 10 to 15 minute break every hour.
• Do not play when tired or short of sleep.
• Stop if you feel unwell, and see a doctor before playing again.

If you or anyone in your family has ever had epileptic symptoms, consult a doctor before playing.

General comfort

• Rest your hands, wrists and eyes regularly. Stop if you feel tingling, numbness, burning or stiffness.
• Keep the volume at a level where you can still hear normally afterwards, particularly with headphones.