Have you ever played Tetris and thought to yourself, “I really like this game, but I wish it had medieval warfare, a rogue-like structure, and a host of completely different mechanics, including some pieces not even being Tetrominos”? Well, boy howdy, have I got the game for you! I also have a lot of questions about why that was your first thought while playing Tetris, but one thing at a time.
In the event that the block-dropping classic isn’t cutting the mustard, Drop Duchy: Complete Edition offers a refreshing take on the row-filling formula by creating an interlocking system of biomes, battles and abilities that merge together to give you a brand new challenge, all framed around a rogue-like structure (and you know we love those!). It also marks the first time the entire game and its two faction-focused DLCs have been collected together in one bundle, but if that’s not enough, it has also been released on consoles!
Split into three main sections, the game requires players to master the facets of resource management, block placement and combat in each round. The path you choose in the overworld determines the resources you can gain as well as the type of terrain you will come up against within each level, but it’s within these different levels that you’ll be spending most of your time.
On entry to a stage you will have the option to review the types of terrain that will populate the level, as well as select your own buildings to be added to the stack. Combining production and military structures, you will need to place these strategically to make the most of your resources while synergising your military buildings to create the most effective force. One more obstacle stands in your way before you can complete a level; however, with the placement of enemy buildings, you will need to ensure your own forces are bolstered as much as possible while placing enemy structures in the least viable positions.
Unlike Tetris, your lines won’t disappear, instead being classed as “explored” and netting you additional resources; each stage has a limited number of pieces to be placed, as well as a box where one piece can be held or substituted at any point – the game outwardly recommends putting a more concerning enemy structure in this spot, but you need to balance this with the risk of getting your pieces stuck. Do you have the military power to overcome an extra garrison and benefit from a perfectly placed piece? Or will you be overpowered and lose everything? These kinds of dilemmas will keep you scratching your head throughout, but it’s the final battle that decides it all.
After all of the pieces have been placed except for whatever you hold in reserve, the game asks you to sequence a battle between all of your pieces; this combat is a war of attrition and simply requires you to have bigger numbers than your enemy, but you can also even the odds by matching up the correct types in combat – axes, arrows and swords all have their strengths and weaknesses in a rock/paper/scissors-style system, meaning you can defeat larger forces with fewer units if you are careful with the order you use. There are additional rules around how units are combined and which type they become, but the game manages to tutorialise this relatively well.
One of my biggest gripes with this entire system is how needlessly over-padded it is – the combat alone is simply a game of tactical maths, which could easily have been removed in favour of a tally, particularly given that the most engaging part of the game is the careful, tactical placement of the different pieces to maximise your resources. After completing certain missions and criteria, you are able to spend upgrade points to unlock new building types, terrain and general upgrades to improve each run, which in itself adds enough complexity and staying power to make repeated runs worth playing, so this additional combat roadblock just slows down the pace of the game’s better parts.
Drop Duchy: Complete Edition feels very much at home on the Nintendo Switch – without making too many cliché comparisons, Tetris originated on the Game Boy, and the control scheme of any and all subsequent Tetris-like Tetroidvania? Tetro-slop? (Answers on a postcard, please) hasn’t needed to change; as a result, the Nintendo Switch is one of the best ways to play – it fits perfectly on a smaller screen, being an easy title to pick up and play.
The complete edition features the fully patched PC version of the game while also folding in both DLC factions: The Tribe and The North. In terms of overall content, the various patches since launch have added a host of quality-of-life changes that improve the experience, the most memorable of which is the ‘undo’ button for those last-minute mistakes; it’s within the DLC where the biggest additions are made – generally, you’ll have access to more challenges and optional tasks, but each faction also plays in a unique manner.
The Tribe are influenced heavily by Celtic traditions and iconography, with their strength built around fortifying a singular structure of standing stones. I enjoyed this shift in gameplay but found The North to be much more compelling; based on the Vikings (which I promise didn’t sway opinions given that I live on Yorkshire’s Viking coast), your combat is shifted entirely to focus on singular battles, pitting units against each other one-on-one instead of in sequence. It shifts your approach entirely but also feels like a much more engaging way to play.
Gameplay aside, this is an incredibly well-made title from a design standpoint. The music is engaging without being too invasive; the sound effects that play when you slot pieces into place and clear lines are incredibly satisfying; and most importantly, the little ‘Doot!’ at the end of each level is music to my ears. Visually speaking, the game maintains a simplistic style that helps make every piece feel unique – there are issues with the UI making it difficult to navigate at times, but these are vastly overshadowed by the overall style and function of the game.
Without a doubt, this is one of the easier roguelikes to pick up and play for any skill level – the game doesn’t demand fast reactions or extreme foresight to complete, only that you take the time to learn its rules and take each new run at a reasonable pace while soaking up the atmosphere.
