Holy crap, this is cool. This is a true hidden gem of the Xbox Indie Games (XBLIG) catalogue, something buried deeply amongst the 2010 releases and little discussed then, let alone since. And it’s “Blox”.
It comes to us from the publisher of “A Frog Game”, “M.A.C.E.”, “Dodge These Balls”, and “Tap Blox”, so it’s from a developer that likes to experiment with different genres. Despite the name, it’s not a precursor to “Tap Blox”, a game that was a little like Bejeweled with a twist.
Instead, “Blox” is a bit more like Sega’s “Columns” or “Tetris” in that you have a playfield you’re trying to empty. But here’s the twist: blocks are falling from the top of the screen, but you’re simultaneously blasting blocks from the side of the screen. And you get to *choose* what colour of block you fire off each time! So your task is to select the right colours, and fire them off at the right time, to match up with the ones following from from the top of the screen.
It’s a very different challenge than you’re typical match 3+ game, and plays at a much more frantic pace than this genre of game typically does. Further differentiating it is a series of three different types of power-ups you can use in game. For a dollar, it’s very cool and “Blox” is worth a download.
Here’s what the publisher (EntwicklerX) has to say about the game:
“Try as fast as possible to clean up the playfield, earn bonus time with speed combinations and discover all special items. Fast endless Levels with special items and great graphics!”
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