In simpler terms, Drop Duchy is like the offspring of Tetris and a deck-building game, raised as a medieval ruler. If that doesn’t appeal to you, let me add that it’s also one of the smoothest and user-friendly deck-builders I’ve ever played.
I began playing this game quite late on a Wednesday evening, planning to start early at 8am the next day at my drama school.
After wrapping up the tutorial, I delved into a few games, and noticed later that the clock had passed nearly three hours without me noticing.
After a long workday that stretched into the night, I faced a choice: rest early for my 8 am wake-up call the next day, or continue socializing. The pull of my bed and numerous alarms in the morning was strong.
Not As Complicated As It Seems
Initially, you belong to one of the three groups – The Duchy, The Republic, and The Order – where The Duchy is known for its expertise in farming.
As I venture along this exciting journey, every move I make could involve gathering valuable resources, engaging in thrilling battles against foes, or exploring various structures. Ranging from esteemed universities to clever traders, each structure brings its unique twist, such as introducing fresh gameplay elements or restoring my health points.
When you reach a location that’s either neutral or controlled by opponents, that’s when the primary phase of the game kicks off. Here, you can place resources, structures, or adversaries onto the gameboard much like pieces in Tetris.
Based on the arrangement of each block, distinct combinations can be formed, with the game progressing until you’ve exhausted all your blocks or reached the maximum height on the board.
Following that, you proceed into a game reminiscent of rock-paper-scissors, where you select which of your structures will assault the enemy’s structures, and in what sequence, with the aim of inflicting the most damage.
If your team includes robust characters wielding axes, it’s strategic to dispatch them against agile opponents armed with swords initially, because these axe-wielders will inflict approximately 50% more damage on them.
After every fortress under military control has launched its assault, victory or defeat is determined based on whether any opponents persist. If there are no more enemies, you receive gold as a reward; otherwise, damage ensues. You gather your resources/what’s left of your dignity and proceed to the next destination shown on the map.
Experiencing everything unfold with those lush, substantial movements and audio is just as gratifying as knocking down a row in Tetris, from my gamer perspective.
The game may appear complex initially, but it effectively guides you through its workings and offers tutorials for clarification if needed. Once you get the hang of it, a single game session typically lasts about an hour, featuring intricate combos and interconnected strategies.
Let’s Synergise!
A prime example is using the Wood Clearing Tool, Farm, and Lookout Tower in conjunction with some forest resources. The Wood Clearing Tool transforms wood into open fields, the Farm converts it into farmland, and subsequently, the Lookout Tower acquires an additional 3 Ranged attackers (symbolized by arrows) for every square of farmland.
Witnessing it unfold with the charming, substantial animations and audio is just as gratifying as completing a line in Tetris.
In summary, the visuals, audio, and overall sound quality are all exceptional and well-crafted, featuring vibrant colors, distinct characteristics for each resource and building that make it effortless to identify their compatibility at a glance, and an enchanting medieval background music that’s so pleasing I’d consider keeping it on even for studying.
In a future update, it’d be great if the game incorporated more dynamic interactions between the blocks, such as a scene where a farmer is transporting wood from the nearby forest to his farm using a wheelbarrow, or soldiers needing to embark on a boat and cross a river, to give the kingdom a sense of liveliness.
Furthermore, some blocks interact with each other, transforming a river into a lake when four are combined, but others do not react at all, resulting in mountains standing independently alongside forests, appearing detached from their surroundings.
Move Up The Tree of Progress
During breaks between levels, you can enhance your developmental chart using the game currency earned by accomplishing extra missions, like accumulating a specific quantity of food or abstaining from building military structures during a stage.
In simpler terms, these provide additional cards that can be included in every new deck stack. This enables players to develop fresh strategies and introduces new elements like Religion and Technology, making the game more complex and engaging.
Instead of rushing into upgrades without fully comprehending the progression and added mechanics in the game, it’s advisable for novice players to carefully read through the developmental chart first. This way, they can appreciate how each new feature enhances their gaming experience.
After opening up Rivers, I subsequently failed the following game round. This was due to encountering an entirely new setting that caught me off guard and I was unprepared to handle it.
It might be more engaging if the newly introduced mechanisms were gradually unveiled, perhaps following the successful completion of a level or a series of levels, so that players have ample time to grasp the initial set of rules before encountering additional layers.
Should you be up for a tougher experience, you have the option to unveil a card that rewards you with gold when the game concludes without any remaining enemies in your reserves. This creates a compelling balance between advancement and defense.
After getting accustomed to them, these novel systems offer additional opportunities for collaboration and options in deciding where to concentrate resources, making them a treasure trove of complex and immersive content for seasoned gamers.
I Reserve Judgement
The game offers various complexity settings, each adjusting numerous characteristics of the gameplay, such as the pricing of Mercenaries and the ability to station adversary units in reserve.
In the game of Tetris, saving blocks for later use is another useful feature. Instead of placing a block immediately, you can temporarily store it for use at a more convenient time.
Additionally, it’s possible to hold back an opponent’s unit as a reserve, which effectively takes them out of play. This offers a level of protection against stronger cards.
To make things a tad more intriguing, consider activating a card that rewards you with gold only when you successfully complete the game without any remaining enemies in your reserve. This way, you’ll experience both the allure of success and the tension of maintaining control over the battlefield.
At the conclusion of every act, the boss encounters introduce diverse twists to the gameplay mechanics. For instance, The Wall exerts a constricting influence, while traps for military structures are strategically placed by The Keep. These modifications make the final battles exciting as even a minor mistake could lead to catastrophic consequences for your entire campaign.
UI Confusions
As an enthusiast, I find myself wishing for some refinements in the user interface during the early access phase. One element that could have been improved is the battle system’s rock-paper-scissors dynamics, which I think would have benefited from being arranged in a triangle, reminiscent of the design in Fire Emblem games.
It was frustrating to constantly juggle the arrangement of the three clue blocks in my mind, as it varied whether I was strategizing my moves or considering the actions of the opponents.
Additionally, some of the descriptions on the cards need to be reviewed for clarity; the Horse Stable description is one that could benefit from this revision.
For every three spaces surrounding it and another building, it will recruit three Light Attackers. Important to note: If no other buildings are close by, no points are earned for this recruitment.
Often, minor misunderstandings about new cards arise frequently, causing some misplaced victories because I didn’t grasp the mechanics until I witnessed them in action. Having a brief video or image tutorial for each card’s effect would certainly prove helpful.
Although the game isn’t explicitly confirmed to work on Steam Deck yet, I’ve personally given it a try and found that it functions smoothly. The graphics are displayed in excellent resolution, and the control settings can be easily customized to your preference.
Closing Thoughts:
Drop Duchy is an outstanding entry in the deck-building category, seamlessly blending Tetris-like elements that complement the game’s other features beautifully. If you enjoy games that are both soothing and mentally stimulating, with the tendency to lose track of time and find yourself still playing at 2am, Drop Duchy is definitely worth checking out. I can’t wait to see what more this team has in store for us.
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2025-05-11 02:46