![[Switch] Tumblestone (Party Game) $2.39 (88% off) @ Nintendo eShop](https://files.ozbargain.com.au/n/20/543320.jpg?h=2d8f5949)
Great "hidden gem" of a puzzle party game at 88% off - $2.39 (Lowest Price Ever). (1-4 players, local multiplayer only)
OK, hear me out: this game does not have enough reviews to have a Metacritic score, and it has a relatively average user score of 6.8. BUT all three reviews that it does currently have (from Nintendo Life, Nintendo World Report and our own Vooks) give it 80%. So it doesn't have a Metacritic score, but if it did, based on current reviews it would be 80!
What is it? It's a match 3 style puzzle game - you have to work out the right order to remove blocks, matching 3 at a time, otherwise you'll hit a dead end and get stuck. For puzzle fiends, there is a lengthy single player campaign, with different gameplay variations in each world. (It was my relaxing low-pressure "on the bus" game while there were bus replacements on my train line.)
But where I think the real value is is in the multiplayer - this is an awesome party game! After Overcooked, Towerfall and Killer Queen Black (in my opinion, the holy triumvirate of casual party games!), Tumblestone has been the sleeper hit in my party gaming sessions.
- The game is dead simple to play (although some puzzles can get tricky), so anyone can pick up and play.
- There is a super simple weighting system - at the end of each round, a player can put up to three levels of weighting on themselves, to make their board harder. This means you can even up the playing field, so lesser skilled players don't feel left out.
- There is a setting to unlock all game modes / modifiers ("party mode"), even if you have not yet reached that part of the campaign.
All up, it's an awesome little party game, providing great competitive fun and excitement for anyone who is at least a little bit partial to a puzzle / matching game. eg. If you like Puyo Puyo Tetris…(FWIW, IMHO, I think Tumblestone is a better casual party game than Puyo Puyo Tetris!).
tl;dr - if you like puzzle games, and your friends are partial to them too, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND picking up this cheapie for your next party gaming session! (Bonus if you need a non-action based puzzle game to play on your commute.) At $2.39, I'd say it's a no brainer for any puzzle & party game fan!
BTW: There is a demo on the eShop, so you can try it out before buying (I think it's just the first level - the most basic level, with no modifiers). But FWIW, when I tried the demo, I actually didn't like it at all (because it felt too boring to me), and I wasn't going to buy it! For some reason I did end up buying it during a later sale…and lucky I did, because now I love it! :)
if you're into Towerfall and Killer Queen Black I'd googly recommend Invisigun Reloaded OP.
maybe not at the RRP, but I got it 90% off and it's so good. Way more content and modes than I was expecting.
you've convinced me to try the demo for this too btw.