Tumblestone was one of the most intense competitive multiplayer titles showcased at the SGC Indie Heaven room. At any given moment, four players were locked in a tense race against time, putting their dexterity and eyesight to the test, fighting for ultimate supremacy among their peers…Did I mention that Tumblestone is a “match 3” puzzle game?
I sat down to play Tumblestone, expecting to get maybe 10 min of playtime before handing it off to another spectator…What actually happened, was an impromptu half-hour race to 100-wins between myself and three other players. Each player is given a set block-pattern to clear. In order to clear all of the blocks, the player needs to shoot three blocks of the same color; if the player hits one block, then a different color, it counts as a mistake with no penalty, however if the third block is the wrong color, it resets the player’s column, and he/she must start over. I rather like this way of “punishment”, as it keeps competition at a very tense level throughout each stage. With traditional puzzle games, failure often means a “game over”, and the ultimate end of the game- you messed up, you’re out for good. With Tumblestone, it just means your personal column resets, and you’re thrown back into the fray- there are no “losing spectators”. During my race to 100 wins against three other players, almost every single match had a last-minute upset or turnaround; someone- myself included- would always get to the final row of blocks, only to screw up and have to start all over. No one is safe, even at the finish line.
Apart from being one of the very few puzzle games in SGC’s Indie Heaven, Tumblestone features completely hand-drawn visuals, all wonderfully displayed in 1080p. I have a soft spot for hand-drawn titles; I can’t put my finger on it, but there’s a certain extra sense of “heart” found in hand-drawn games, as found in Skullgirls Encore, Cuphead and the previous Guilty Gear titles. Tumblestone is the second title to come from developers The Quantum Astrophysicists Guild, and is expected to release on PC in early 2015, with other platforms to follow. The Quantum Astrophysicists Guild is also responsible for 2013’s puzzle-platformer, The Bridge.