Surprisingly,Tetris 99has become one of my favorite and most played games of 2019. Despite its simplicity and my typical aversion to battle royale games, I could not help but get hooked by this interesting take on what is probably the best puzzle game ever made.Tetris 99has clearly generated enough interest too, as N3TWORK and The Tetris Company revealedTetris Royalefor smartphones today.
As the title indicates, this is a battle royaleTetrisgame for iOS and Android. N3TWORK is best known forLegendary: Game of Heroes, a mobile puzzle RPG, soTetris Royalewill be a change of pace for them. According to The Tetris Company,Tetris Royaleis only the first title in a multi-year partnership that will allow the pair to bring moreTetrisgames to mobile platforms. N3TWORK CEO Neil Young is excited about this agreement, saying that “Tetrisis a timeless pop culture icon that has shaped the history of videogames and is truly loved around the world. Our team at N3TWORK is inspired to partner with this incredible brand and create new ways for millions of mobile game players around the world to play, compete and enjoyTetris atan unprecedented scale.”
While we have not seen the game in action yet,Tetris Royaleseems to be taking a lot of cues fromTetris 99,especially the post-DLC version, in what it includes. The main draws will be the titular 100-player Tetris Royale mode and the Marathon mode where players can practice by themselves. That being said, there will also be daily competitions and challenges as well as leaderboards and a “season” structure to spice up the competitive side of the game. UnlikeTetris 99,power-ups, in-game boosters, and customization will be featured inTetris Royale.While N3TWORK’s title certainly seems like it will be more robust from a live service standpoint, it will be interesting to compare gameplay once we know Royale.
A lot aboutTetris Royalestill needs to be revealed, but we do know that beta testing will begin later in 2019 and that it is slated to come to iOS, iPad, and Android devices worldwide with the notable exception of China. If you would rather play Arika and Nintendo’sTetris 99,it is free with aNintendo Switch Online membership that can be picked up on Amazon.
