The fact that puzzle-solving and tactics go hand in hand is nothing new, but when you combine Tetris-style falling blocks with strategic battles, the result is surprisingly addictive. In the new indie game Drop Duchy, the aim is to shape your own kingdom using puzzle pieces, and here the focus is more on shaping the land you live on rather than directly moving and manoeuvring your military forces. It may sound a bit odd at first, but you'll soon learn that there's a captivating simplicity to the setup, whilst a depth of gameplay lies hidden amongst the forests and fields.
There is no story to follow in Drop Duchy; instead, after a brief introduction, you are thrown straight into a three-act campaign where the aim is to defeat your enemies and emerge victorious after a couple of intense boss battles. The game is, incidentally, of the roguelike variety, where you undertake so-called runs to gradually improve from one round to the next. If you're into this specific genre, there's plenty of content to enjoy (such as playing as different armies), but you can also appreciate the battles with a more relaxed approach if you want to avoid investing too much time.
As mentioned, each run is divided into different acts, and each act in turn offers a range of challenges. At the start, you can puzzle away in peace and quiet (without any enemies), and this is where you can earn various resources. Because when you complete full rows with your blocks, you can harvest various resources, and if you add different houses and factories to the horizontal lines, the result can also be significantly improved. Incidentally, there is no time pressure to consider, but you do need to think carefully about where to place your blocks, as forests generate wood and timber whilst open fields and farmland provide food, etc.
You can often choose whether to face enemies head-on or take a more leisurely route - though holding off on battles makes the bosses stronger.
The difficulty level then increases as the enemies make their entrance, but Drop Duchy handles its battles with an interesting twist. You are, in fact, constantly in full control, as you are the one who deploys both your own troops and your opponent's forces. However, each unit has different attributes to consider, and they can become stronger or weaker depending on where they are positioned on the battlefield. For example, some units become stronger when near forests, whilst others prefer mountains or other settlements, and it is by maximising your units' abilities that you can both strengthen your own army and make your enemy vulnerable.
The battles always take place once the blocks are in position, and you can decide the order in which the moves are made.
You'll unlock new cards as you go along, and you can then use these as building blocks to create a better kingdom.
There is, incidentally, another aspect to bear in mind when it comes to the game's battles, and that is at the end of each skirmish, when you once again get to decide the order of events. Drop Duchy uses a rock-paper-scissors system, whereby different units have a strength and a weakness. You can then manipulate this to your advantage by first having your archers attack a group of axe-men (against whom they have an advantage) before they join their own axe-men and take on soldiers with swords (which the aforementioned axes often trump). It may sound a bit complicated on paper, but it's an interesting system that means every piece matters in determining the final outcome.
For once the smoke has cleared and the blocks have fallen into place, Drop Duchy offers a charming adventure where cute graphics blend with interesting and engaging gameplay. It may not be a ground-breaking take on the puzzle genre as a whole, but it is nonetheless an exciting concept with a great many clever touches. If you enjoy tactical thinking and relaxing puzzle-solving, this is an obvious purchase, and if you're willing to get to grips with all the complex choices on offer, you'll also find a game that you can spend countless hours playing over the coming summer months.
It's not easy when things get tough.