Drop Duchy

Drop Duchy is a unique hybrid of a puzzle game that feels like a classic block-placing, line-clearing title we have all played, combined with a rogue-lite deckbuilder.

- By Alana Dunitz

Developed by Sleepy Mill Studio and published by The Arcade Crew, this title has you stacking blocks to build your army, protect your castle, while gathering resources. When you are defeated, the game is not over — you will use experience and cards that you have unlocked in previous runs to get stronger so you can fight off the enemy forces to protect your realm. To be completely honest, I never knew what a duchy was (a country or territory ruled by a Duke or duchess), but now, because of this game, I have expanded my vocabulary!

When you begin, you can start a new run, examine different missions available to challenge, see the Progress Tree (which is like a skill tree where you can unlock new cards for your deck), or check out the Collection of every card that will be available for you to use. Jumping into a run, you will have to select which mode you want to play: The Tutorial, where you are introduced to the mechanics of the game and learn how to clear blocks to acquire resources while fighting off the enemy, or Classic for those who already know what they are doing and just want to start a run.

Your primary goal is to progress through the land to defeat the three mighty bosses that are trying to invade. To accomplish this, you will need to collect the resources you find to upgrade your card deck and improve your strategy to defeat the boss of that region. Tetromino-shaped pieces fall from the top; they come in a random order, and you will need to place them. When you clear a line, an exploration is triggered, finding resources like grain and wood that you can exchange for items or gold. If you clear multiple lines at once, you will get even more resources to use.