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"[GAME] Blocks That Matter"

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This thread has been linked to the game 'Blocks That Matter'.
Thu 31/05/12 at 11:18
Regular
Posts: 261
Ever wondered what it would be like to play a game that merged Minecraft with Tetris? Well, this is about as close as you are going to get. Developed by a small French team called Swing Swing Submarine, Blocks That Matter is a puzzle game that involves being aware of different types of blocks and noting how they react to the environment to progress to a purple portal at the end of each level.

You play a small robot called Tetrobot, who was created by Alexey and Markus, named after the developers of Tetris and Minecraft respectively. Neither of the developers actually developed anything in this game, but Blocks That Matter has some similarities to both games. Tetrobot’s mission is to save Alexey and Markus who have been captured by someone, who wanted to steal the game that they were expected to be working on. However, the developers were working on the robot the whole time.

Although your objective is to reach the portal at the end of the level, it isn’t as simple as walking from A to B. Tetrobot has a drill for a face and apart from certain blocks, when Tetrobot drills a block or headbutts one, it gets added to his inventory. Once Tetrobot has at least 4 blocks, he can enter build mode place them where he wants as long as they are touching each other. He can only place blocks in a set of 4 at a time and if 8 blocks are touching in a straight line, they can be destroyed, which is another reference to Tetris.

The references to Minecraft are that you can place blocks in build mode and that there are block types are those you may be familiar with. Wood, Sand, and Stone blocks can be picked up at the start of the game, while Iron blocks cannot be moved until your drill gets upgraded later in the game. Ice blocks will slide across the ground when drilled and will only stop if it drops off a ledge or hits a wall. Sand blocks will fall if no other block is supporting it while wooden blocks will stay where they are without any support underneath it.

When you play a level, you generally will collect as many blocks as possible, as you don’t know how many you are going to need to overcome the next obstacle to complete the level. Although it is optional, you unlock 20 bonus levels by collecting Stars or by collecting “Blocks That Matter”. Stars are obtained by completing levels with a pre-defined number of blocks, so you need to find optimal block placement so that you only use the ones you need to overcome the obstacles.

“Blocks That Matter” are brown treasure chests that are found on many of the games 40 adventure mode levels and they are tricky to get to and usually require you to not waste any blocks earlier in the level. When you collect one of these, you will be shown a reference to gaming history as well as a token to unlock bonus levels.

For many of the levels the game is fair, as you can pan the screen to see the entire level beforehand and you can imagine the consequences of your actions before doing them. However, the game is unforgiving if you make a mistake and usually one misplaced block will mean that you have to start the level again. To restart the level you hold the “W” key and your little robot self destructs. If you struggle with this game, you will be doing this a lot. Luckily the levels aren’t big enough for it to be frustrating, but it may wear you down if you are stuck on a section.

There are a few sections in the game where you have to run from a giant amoeba known as “Big Mama” which doesn’t allow you to stop and think over a situation, but it is fun when she is closing in as you just about escape from a level.

If the Adventure Mode and the Bonus levels aren’t enough for you, then you can create your own levels with the game’s level editor and share them with other players. This also means that you can download other people’s levels to play through if you wish.

When you find upgrades to your drill you can go back to previous levels to be able to get Stars and “Blocks That Matter” that you couldn’t previously Metroid style.

The main adventure is fairly challenging and the Bonus Levels are very hard, so if puzzle games aren’t your bag then it might end up frustrating you. Ultimately if you enjoy puzzle games, then this is an indie game that is worth a try.

8/10
There have been no replies to this thread yet.
Thu 31/05/12 at 11:18
Regular
Posts: 261
Ever wondered what it would be like to play a game that merged Minecraft with Tetris? Well, this is about as close as you are going to get. Developed by a small French team called Swing Swing Submarine, Blocks That Matter is a puzzle game that involves being aware of different types of blocks and noting how they react to the environment to progress to a purple portal at the end of each level.

You play a small robot called Tetrobot, who was created by Alexey and Markus, named after the developers of Tetris and Minecraft respectively. Neither of the developers actually developed anything in this game, but Blocks That Matter has some similarities to both games. Tetrobot’s mission is to save Alexey and Markus who have been captured by someone, who wanted to steal the game that they were expected to be working on. However, the developers were working on the robot the whole time.

Although your objective is to reach the portal at the end of the level, it isn’t as simple as walking from A to B. Tetrobot has a drill for a face and apart from certain blocks, when Tetrobot drills a block or headbutts one, it gets added to his inventory. Once Tetrobot has at least 4 blocks, he can enter build mode place them where he wants as long as they are touching each other. He can only place blocks in a set of 4 at a time and if 8 blocks are touching in a straight line, they can be destroyed, which is another reference to Tetris.

The references to Minecraft are that you can place blocks in build mode and that there are block types are those you may be familiar with. Wood, Sand, and Stone blocks can be picked up at the start of the game, while Iron blocks cannot be moved until your drill gets upgraded later in the game. Ice blocks will slide across the ground when drilled and will only stop if it drops off a ledge or hits a wall. Sand blocks will fall if no other block is supporting it while wooden blocks will stay where they are without any support underneath it.

When you play a level, you generally will collect as many blocks as possible, as you don’t know how many you are going to need to overcome the next obstacle to complete the level. Although it is optional, you unlock 20 bonus levels by collecting Stars or by collecting “Blocks That Matter”. Stars are obtained by completing levels with a pre-defined number of blocks, so you need to find optimal block placement so that you only use the ones you need to overcome the obstacles.

“Blocks That Matter” are brown treasure chests that are found on many of the games 40 adventure mode levels and they are tricky to get to and usually require you to not waste any blocks earlier in the level. When you collect one of these, you will be shown a reference to gaming history as well as a token to unlock bonus levels.

For many of the levels the game is fair, as you can pan the screen to see the entire level beforehand and you can imagine the consequences of your actions before doing them. However, the game is unforgiving if you make a mistake and usually one misplaced block will mean that you have to start the level again. To restart the level you hold the “W” key and your little robot self destructs. If you struggle with this game, you will be doing this a lot. Luckily the levels aren’t big enough for it to be frustrating, but it may wear you down if you are stuck on a section.

There are a few sections in the game where you have to run from a giant amoeba known as “Big Mama” which doesn’t allow you to stop and think over a situation, but it is fun when she is closing in as you just about escape from a level.

If the Adventure Mode and the Bonus levels aren’t enough for you, then you can create your own levels with the game’s level editor and share them with other players. This also means that you can download other people’s levels to play through if you wish.

When you find upgrades to your drill you can go back to previous levels to be able to get Stars and “Blocks That Matter” that you couldn’t previously Metroid style.

The main adventure is fairly challenging and the Bonus Levels are very hard, so if puzzle games aren’t your bag then it might end up frustrating you. Ultimately if you enjoy puzzle games, then this is an indie game that is worth a try.

8/10

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