Cryptrio Review

Right from the get-go, we know that Cryptrio is going to feel like a retro-style puzzle game. In the main menu, we are treated to a creepy and catchy chiptune soundtrack, and you are asked to enter your name using only three characters. You have the option to jump right into the game and play, check out the online leaderboards, or customise the settings in the options section.

When you begin the game, three images are displayed, showing how the game works. It looks like you are playing as a bear or a mouse. The gameplay loop is simple: enter the crypt, put together three of the same monster pieces to clear them, and try to get the highest score. Then keep repeating until you get to the top of the leaderboard.

The tricky part is that, unlike Tetris, Dr Mario, or other puzzle games, you cannot flip your piece. You are stuck with it the way it is, which is challenging to get used to when you are accustomed to being able to rotate it. Move the block around the screen using the thumbstick or D-Pad, then, when lined up where you want, press up to instantly place the piece at the bottom of the screen or on top of any other pieces you have sitting there.

There are multiple designs of pieces that you will be playing with, including a lion, eagle, knight, skeleton, slime, priest, medusa/snake woman, dragon, leafy green plant, and spider. Each has its own unique shape, like the single-block slime, the priest block, which is a plus shape, and the R-shaped eagle piece.

The stage is only 14 blocks across, so you have to be strategic to find spots for all the different designs to fit. Sometimes, if you get a block, like a red dragon or skeleton, that is only one block wide, instead of setting three beside each other, try stacking them vertically to leave more room for the wider pieces to fit. The bonus is that, as long as at least three pieces are touching in any way, they will be cleared. So it’s totally fine if there are spots that are empty. Once cleared, if there are blocks sitting on the ones you have cleared, they will drop down.

As you play and clear pieces, bosses appear for you to take out. These are huge blocks measuring three by three squares that have hit points and can’t be cleared until you take out the blocks touching them. The first has three hearts, the second has four hearts, and so on. So far, the furthest I have gotten is to challenge the boss with six hearts. To damage them, you will have to clear out the pieces that are touching the boss. If you take out blocks that aren't right up next to them, it won't count.

As you remove blocks, you will level up, and the pieces falling will speed up, making it tricky to place them where you want. You get your first level up at 1,500 points, the first boss shows up at 3,000, and it repeats as you advance until your blocks hit the top of the play area. At that point, it’s game over, and you have the choice to play again or quit. I went to check out the leaderboard to see how my score was compared to the other players.

The music is catchy with a touch of spooky and fits the feel of Cryptrio very well, but if you play for an extended period of time, the same tune gets a bit repetitive. Along with the retro sound, we have pixelated graphics that make this look like a game you would have played on the original NES.

Cryptrio is an interesting twist on the usual block-drop puzzle game. Since I play a lot of Tetris and Puyo Puyo, I found it pretty challenging to get used to totally losing the ability to rotate the piece, especially with the limited amount of room to work with on the board. If you want a challenging puzzle game to check out, Cryptrio is a title to add to your list. There is no multiplayer, so you will have to try to beat the high scores of people you know or total strangers online.