Drop Duchy is an excellent example of a unique concept that slowly burns its way into a “just one more” game kind of feel. The best way I can describe it is The Settlers of Catan meets Tetris. The game makes you build a deck with certain military or resource-based cards (i.e., a farm, watchtower, etc.) before going into the tetromino-style gameplay. You have to manage resources and fight back against enemies before becoming overwhelmed by their forces at the end of the stages. Resources like wood, grain, and gold are used to upgrade, buy, and trade your cards. Going in blind to the game, it was a surprise factor that quickly became addicting.
This is no lie – I was annihilated almost every single round of Drop Duchy that I played. I came out of a stage on the winning side exactly one time. Every other was a case of lost health, and by the end of the chapter, wherein you have to try to fill the lines completely to avoid enemy reinforcements and a wall closes in on you and your soldiers, I was wiped out. It helped me understand the mechanics and the strategy better, though, and it encouraged a drive to improve. I truly foresee the game being easy for many to pick up but hard, yet rewarding, to master.
Drop Duchy is an exercise in puzzle solving, strategy, and on the fly-decision making just as much as its partial inspiration of Tetris. I cannot wait to dive back in and beat the next few rounds. Even if I get beaten and frustrated, there will be a need in me for just one more round. I highly recommend checking out Drop Duchy if you enjoy a variety of puzzle and strategy games, as well as enjoying an experience where you truly need to improve in order to progress.
Drop Duchy is slated to release for PC via Steam on May 5, 2025. You can wishlist the as well as download the free demo right now.
Score: 9/10
Related: Reviews by Matt O’Toole
Your local neighborhood nutjob, gamer, and teacher! I'm an avid fan of many genres such as platformers, shooters, horror, etc. I am also an avid tabletop gamer - hugely into the worlds of Warhammer and all of their spinoffs. I'm a big believer in being objective - even if something is not my cup of tea, I want to talk about it on the objective level - is it well made, crafted with love, and with care for the fans? If so, that's a good game in my book for someone and well worth their hard earned dollarydoos!
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