Digging around in my download history on my Xbox 360 I was stumbled upon a little gem from the now defunct Indie Game Marketplace. Although Blocks That Matter may not be available on Xbox any longer this clever little puzzle game can still be purchased on Steam. For fans of puzzle games it is definitely worth considering a purchase. There is a surprising amount of content that goes way beyond the excellent main campaign. What Blocks That Matter may lack in flashiness it makes up for with surprisingly deep mechanics.
Blocks That Matter starts when two indie game developers are kidnapped. The two developers were working on a secret project and fans were desperately impatient for them to finish their new game. But it turns out that there project wasn't a game at all but a lively little robot that can rearrange blocks. Its now up to that robot to make its way to the developers to save them. However, their plans to escape may be at risk when their kidnapper starts to intercept their communication with the little bot. Over time the devs start grow suspicious of whom there kidnapper may or may not actually be.
The little robots name is Tetrobot, a reference to its ability to only assemble blocks into shapes made up of four blocks. The easiest way is to think of all the different shapes you would find in Tetris. You can collect blocks by hitting them from underneath or drilling through them. Some blocks can't be drilled and some will fall while others will stay suspend. You may need to make stacks to reach higher ground or position particular blocks to unlock doors. There are some dangers as you progress such as slimes and falling drops of lava. If you're clever there are bonuses in each level such as getting a star for using the least amount of blocks necessary or finding a treasure chest. Each chest contains a different classic videogame and tells you who made it and where you can play it.
Playing through the story mode is definitely the highlight of the experience. The leveling aren't too challenging but getting collecting all the stars and treasure chests will require some clever thinking. After you finish the campaign there are bonus stages that get unlock from the stars that deliver a much more intense challenge. The same thing can be said about the community stages and the humble bundle update which both come with an array of new stages. Sadly the smooth difficulty curve of the campaign isn't seem in these extra levels so you are pretty much thrown off the deep end. However this will leave you feeling very satisfied on any of them that you do conquer.
I really enjoyed this little puzzle game. The concept is simple and the mechanics are easy to wrap your head around. The story and the levels to go along with it were a treat. I loved seeing all the videogame references whether they were ones I already knew or games I was excited to look up on YouTube. I must say I'm not a fan of puzzle games that require very precise and timely reflexes which are required in a handful of the bonus levels. Another problem with all the extra stages is there no difficulty curve; it is sink or swim. That all said for a mere $5 you can still get your worth out of this delightful puzzle game whether or not you decide to tackle the latter challenges.