Very simple, yet complex world of Droplitz.

We all have a little bit of love for puzzle games.
Some of us are just a bit afraid to admit it, but I’m sure almost all of you have played Tetris or some other kind of puzzle game in your life at least once, and liked it. It’s probably the least respected genre by hardcore gamers, and it yet has so many fans and casual gamers asking for more.

The truth is, many puzzle games used to be something like Tetris, a clone of Tetris, or a clone of a clone of a Tetris clone, and so on. Clearing lines and blocks, clearing lines and blocks with stories, RPG elements, action elements.. Sure, the puzzle genre is always fun, but it’s time for something different. We only see a few original newcomers in the puzzle game market and one that caught our eyes is Droplitz.

Who can resist the pink hearts?

It’s been a while since we covered Droplitz at E3 2009, and so far people have agreed with our opinions about the game. We finally had our chance to review this title, and we’re excited to share our ideas about the finished product. We’ve used Steam for our PC version.

The game system is simple. On the top of the screen, there are Droplitz  following pipelines. These puzzles of pipes, or “dials”, can be rotated and they guide the Droplitz to the circular ends. You’d preferably want to guide the Droplitz all the way to the bottom to get more scores to unlock levels and challenges. Sounds a bit confusing in words, but maybe the tutorial video can help you out to understand better.

See? Not that hard, especially with the help of British accents and humo’u'r. On video, it looks simple enough, but they don’t do Droplitz’s complexity and fun justice. It’s a race against between Droplitz drying out and the player making paths, and it usually pumps up the heartbeat fast and quick. I think the soothing background music was an excellent choice, otherwise the players would have trouble controlling their temper. Or maybe, they’re just teasing you with their calming environment when you try to make paths for those Droplitz. Either way, it’s great fun for sure.

Connect all pipes to get a Full House!

The first thing you’ll notice when you start up the game is a clean, colorful backgrounds and graphics with calming background music. Despite the explosive dials and Droplitz going everywhere, the visual and audio create a soothing, smooth atmosphere. The audio’s done in high quality; there were enough low-end bass in the music to shake a small table when we turned up the volume. Intense gameplay, but somehow very calming. A very mellow and pleasant experience. If the tutorial video wasn’t enough for you to decide, we also have the Droplitz Tips and Tricks video for you:

It’s an easy-to-understand puzzle game that can be understood in a few minutes of gameplay, while providing non-stop adrenaline rushing, Droplitz saving fun. Many hours can be lost by simply starting a game; next thing you know you’re hungry and thinking you should stop playing this game… but find yourself just ignoring the hunger and playing it.

So, is it worth your hard earned money? We can’t say for sure, but even if you only sort of enjoy puzzle games, you should really give it a try. Droplitz can be found everywhere on almost all of the current gaming systems out there. They’re also usually offered at a discount price, compared to other games that you play a few times and forget about. With something new to offer, Droplitz is a refreshing game between countless puzzle-clones.

Our Score: 8 /10

So much fun, if you dial it right.

Droplitz, a very creative puzzle game that infected many gamers with symptoms like killing their time senselessly, is now set for a lower price for a limited time offer. If you were lucky enough to avoid this time sink until now, too bad; now you have no excuses to steer away from it.

For PC users, Droplitz will be priced at $1.99, which is an 80% discount.
And Apple App Store will have it for $0.99.

This offer ends August 28th, 2009, so hurry.

GamersGate, the premier online marketplace for downloadable PC games, today announced a distribution agreement with Blitz Games Studios to host two highly acclaimed PC titles: Buccaneer: The Pursuit of Infamy, a swashbuckling action game set on the high seas, and Droplitz, an engaging and addictive puzzle game. Players can head to GamersGate today to check out these exciting new titles.

“GamersGate is thrilled to provide a commercial outlet for Blitz Games Studios, and we look forward to building a strong relationship with them in the future,” said Theo Bergquist, CEO of GamersGate. “Developers like Blitz Games Studios are the reason we started GamersGate, and our passion for providing the largest, most accessible library of games is satisfied with this partnership”

Buccaneer: The Pursuit of Infamy puts gamers in charge of a crew of pirates as they loot and pillage their way to infamy. Play the single player campaign, or compete with up to 18 other ships in cut-throat, team-based multiplayer. Droplitz is a unique and challenging puzzle game, where players must rotate dials in order to create pathways for the Droplitz as they slowly trickle down from the Droppers at top of the screen to the Collectors at the bottom. Buccaneer: The Pursuit of Infamy and Droplitz can be purchased from GamersGate for $19.95 and $9.95, respectively.

“We’re delighted to have joined up with Gamers Gate for distribution of both our own and Blitz 1>UP titles,” said Chris Swan, Business Development Director at Blitz Games Studios. “They are a very strong player in the digital distribution market and capture audiences from all walks of life. Since this closely matches the variety of games that we aim to supply we’re undoubtedly going to enjoy a great partnership moving forward together.”

For more information about GamersGate, or to download these new additions to their game library, visit: http://www.gamersgate.com.

While I may not fully agree with the recent “casual games” terminology that has emerged as of late, I do acknowledge the fact that there are some games with widespread, general appeal. I am here to tell you that Droplitz is one such game. While it was merely one of many games available for hands-on play at the Atlus booth and most people were spending more time gazing upon their Trauma Center nurses more than any piece of software, I can guarantee that many iPhones will be spinning with leaky pipe pieces before too long.

The concept behind Droplitz is simple–there are several sources along the top of the screen, and several collectors along the bottom of the screen. Using various pipe pieces, the player must create connections between the two groups. After establishing a connection, a purple (red on the iPhone?) droplitz begins to traverse the path spawned by the player. It’s at this point that the real fun begins.

Connections between the top and bottom of the screen can be stacked in combos. As long as the purple droplitz has yet to reach the collector, you have time to create more links–and every link created brings along another purple droplitz to traverse the path. Making use of those windows of opportunity, massive combos can be chained up and these combos can be carried over with “Chain Reactions.” Each time all the purple droplitz have reached the bottom, all the pipes used evaporate, the speed increases slightly and new pipes drop in to repeat the process.

With a fitting soundtrack that suggests the degree of urgency necessary to really get into a puzzle game, the game will easily call you back time and time again to test your ability on a variety of difficulties and board sizes. Coming out on Xbox LIVE Arcade, PlayStation Network, Microsoft Windows and iPhone later this year, puzzle game enthusiasts owe it to themselves to give this one a second look.

Power-ups, "Infection" mode, and themed levels all add diversity to the mix.