Tetris-inspired games are turning up with increasing frequency, and I, for one, would like to welcome our new tetrimino-shaped overlords.
The latest game to catch my beady eye is Hot Wax, which was ported to Steam from Itch.io last week, on October 29th. It’s actually the third game I own by developer PUNKCAKE Delicieux, but it’s my favourite so far and will likely remain so until their next Tetris-like arrives next year (at which time, all bets are off).
But let’s get back on track, because if you’ve looked at the release schedule for this month, you’ll understand why I’m going to be a busy boy for the next few weeks, and why I’m going to keep this brief.
What is Hot Wax?
This delightful little arcade puzzle game might look like Tetris at first glance, but the challenge it presents is quite different to the classic block-dropper.
Your shapes do descend from above, but you’re not trying to set up a flawless wall ready for clearing, and playing that way will only slow you down, as I discovered firsthand. I still find myself making good Tetris moves before quickly realising I’ve made a Hot Wax fuck-up.
Instead of clearing walls by completing them, instead you’re linking together candles so their wicks are touching. The better your linking, the more you can clear when a flame eventually drops from above. Dropping said flame on a candle wick can then trigger a chain reaction wherein you burn through and clear multiple candles.
This core gameplay mechanic is then reworked in a number of different directions, and then again across multiple difficulty levels. I’ve got six hours with the game so far, and I’ve still got one or two more things left to unlock. I’m in no rush either.
As you play further into Hot Wax, you also unlock new colour palettes, which reminded me a little of Downwell, another simple-yet-effective video game that made the most of its pixel count.
What I like the most about Hot Wax, however, is the way it challenges you to think differently. By flipping the script on one of gaming’s most well-worn rhythms, the developers have managed to create a really lovely little puzzle game that I’m having to force myself to stop playing so I can work through the mountain of new roguelite releases that are waiting for me.
Based on what I’ve seen of the game so far, PUNKCAKE Delicieux has done a fine job with Hot Wax. They’ve done it by supplementing a really clever gameplay twist with enough depth to keep you going for hours – longer if you want to climb the leaderboards.
If Tetris-with-candles sounds like your idea of a good time, I recommend taking Hot Wax out for a spin on PC (Lin, Mac, Win). There’s even a demo, so you can try before you buy.
