the indie video game landscape is currently shaped by two standout genres: rogue-like games and deck builders. The former invites players into action-adventure gameplay, exploring procedurally generated terrains teeming with enemies, leveling up, and meeting their demise. The latter lets players construct decks of collectible cards (think Pokémon or Magic: The Gathering, but in digital form) and engage in battles. Titles that ingeniously merge these two elements, like Balatro or Slay the Spire, often achieve significant crossover success. In a saturated market, developers are now seeking fresh genres that blend into this dynamic gaming concoction.

Enter Drop Duchy—a game that daringly combines rogue deck builders with… Tetris. Yes, the action unfolds on a playfield where different-shaped objects descend from the top of the screen. Here, each falling piece represents a type of landscape or building, and players endeavor not only to complete unbroken lines but also to generate resources for these structures. For instance, placing a farm next to grassy plain blocks will yield wheat, while situating a wooden fortress near a forest will provide farmland and swordsmen. Upon completing a line, instead of disappearing, the resources you’re collecting multiply. Why accumulate soldiers, you ask? Alongside constructing your military base, you must also make room for randomly generated enemy bases. At the end of each round, when all blocks are positioned, a battle sequence commences where your troops engage the enemy.

The deck-building aspect is perhaps the most innovative. Each random block that falls into the play area corresponds to the cards you have in your deck. As you advance, you can add new cards to enhance your tactical options. You might start with farms, lumber (transforming forests into farmland), and watchtowers (producing archers), but as you progress through the acts, you’ll unlock additional cards and enhancements through battles culminating in boss encounters. Each boss battle presents unique challenges and themes; for example, the boss in Act 1 is a wall that restricts the play area, constraining construction into a tight spot, while the final challenge of Act 2 involves a keep.

It may sound complex, and it is somewhat. However, credit where it’s due: developer Sleepy Mill Studio has designed the game with intuitive learning, enhanced by effective tutorial levels and numerous on-screen tips. Like many rogue-lite games, a progression tree exists, allowing you to unlock more powerful card types and mechanics that persist through future playthroughs. This way, you can steadily refine your strategy, learning from the inevitable mistakes along the way.

What’s particularly fascinating about this game is the way it forces you to think of Tetris in an entirely new light. You aren’t merely placing blocks to clear lines; you must also consider how each piece interacts with nearby units and devise strategies to hinder your opponents’ resource collection. It’s effectively a multidimensional challenge, cleverly disguised as a simple puzzle game.

Yet, this constant strain on your cognitive abilities can sometimes feel overwhelming. The initial hours can be seemingly pointless due to boss encounters, especially if you find yourself unlucky with the random card draws at the start of each battle.

Nevertheless, the charming pastel visuals, calming music, and ever-expanding resources keep players engaged. Much like Balatro, it often feels as if you understand only about 20% of the game at first, resulting in you throwing down pieces and hoping for a fortunate outcome. However, as you persist, a deeper strategy unfolds to bolster your army while limiting your opponents.

Drop Duchy is a fascinating experiment in game design, and with every new feature, I find myself curious about how the team manages all the moving parts. The appeal of the deck builder genre is evident; they’re addictive, challenging, and systematically engaging, each contributing their unique twist to the overarching dynamics of gameplay. For Drop Duchy, the quirks indeed justify the entry price.