I first stumbled across Drop Duchy during Steam Next Fest when I tried its demo, and let me tell you, the premise, graphics, and gameplay hooked me in instantly. I “wasted” hours on a demo, which shouldn’t even be possible, right? Here’s the catch: it’s a roguelite deckbuilder with a Tetris twist, dropped on May 5 on Steam, by Sleepy Mill Studio and The Arcade Crew.
I love the roguelite genre, with its permadeath, randomized levels, and brutal difficulty, but so many games stick to the same old formula. Drop Duchy, though, feels like a breath of fresh air. It’s not just another die-and-retry loop, it mixes strategy, puzzles, and kingdom-building in a way that’s so clever and addictive, I can’t put it down.
You play as a medieval lord, building your kingdom by dropping terrain tiles such as plains, forests, and rivers onto a grid to collect resources like food, wood, and gold. The deckbuilding comes alive with special cards, like farms or bridges, that you add to your hand to shape your strategy. Want more food? Place a farm on a plain. Need gold? Link river tiles with a bridge. Every move feels like solving a fun puzzle, and the roguelite randomness makes each run new and unpredictable.
Drop Duchy really shines by blending easy-to-pick-up gameplay with surprising depth. The tile-dropping mechanic is super intuitive, and while it takes a bit to fully master the progression, it’s crafted well enough to keep you playing. Still, there’s plenty of complexity to dig into, picking which buildings to add to your deck or weighing the risk of hitting a combat node for bigger rewards brings layers of strategy that feel satisfying without being overwhelming.
Unlike roguelites that hammer you with constant combat, this game gives you room to breathe. Peaceful nodes let you focus on building your kingdom, gathering resources at your own pace, while combat nodes push you to outsmart CPU opponents using your terrain and troops. The preview build’s combat felt a bit rough, leaning too hard in the CPU’s favor, but the full release has ironed that out somewhat.
In a genre that can feel stale, Drop Duchy is a total game-changer. It boldly mixes Tetris-style puzzles with roguelite deckbuilding, and it nails the execution with flair. Whether I’m a roguelite veteran chasing the perfect run or a casual player craving something fresh, you won’t regret playing this game. It’s the kind of title that makes hours vanish as I plan my next move, watching my kingdom grow tile by tile.
English (UK) 
Hrvatski