The launch of Apple Arcade in September of last year was chaotic, spawning somewhere around 70 games into existence on the same day. Many of these games have since come out for other services, with still more planning on releases in the future. Perhaps that's why Grindstone, the new to Switch puzzle-battler from Capybara Games, felt like an afterthought upon its release earlier this month even though its already garnered a solid reputation for itself on Apple Arcade. That is a downright shame, as Grindstone may just be one of the best implementations of falling block puzzle mechanics to emerge in quite some time, regardless of its origins.
Players take to Grindstone Mountain as Jorj, a barbarian with the same life priorities as Conan. He ventures forth to slay monsters, collect wealth via various currencies, and chop down any forces that dare stand in his path. The action plays out in the form of puzzle boards where Jorj stands among creatures of various colors. Players guide Jorj along strings of creeps of the same type, striking down more powerful foes along the way. Longer strings create gems which can then act as a wild card on the board and let Jorj string together different colors of monsters for a higher combo.
It's usually easy to open the exit of any given stage, but players also have to worry about Jorj's health. Certain monsters and other environmental hazards will strike the barbarian hero down if players aren't careful, making the gameplay a satisfying mix of pure action and strategic thinking. Even in the first few stages, Grindstone instantly captures that feeling of triumph whenever players line up a huge mess of creatures to chop down to size.
Grindstone is also one of those games with a "just one more run" mentality. Each stage introduces new layers of complexity with different types of enemies, countless currencies to collect, and eventually even items that give Jorj powerful ways to shift luck in his favor. There are certainly runs where the monsters land in such a way that it's impossible to get things going, but it's also fairly easy to reroll the stage via a few button presses. The game also uses the typical three-star design of many mobile experiences, which offers some replayability and makes less enjoyable levels easy to leave behind.
While the gameplay in Grindstone thrives despite mobile convention, there are a few things about the port over to Nintendo Switch that could have gone smoother. Jorj's health doesn't carry over between runs, so taking damage means heading all the way back to the inn at the bottom of the mountain. Players also have to dig through menus to repair items and build new ones once they acquire blueprints, and everything just takes a few too many button presses in what is otherwise a fast-paced experience. It takes a long time before players will worry about running out of any of the various currencies required to perform these actions as well, making the whole thing feel less like resource management and more like busywork that only really feels efficient when using a touchscreen.
Thankfully, annoying time management is the only place where Grindstone betrays its cell phone origins. In both graphical and audio design, Capybara Games has once again delivered a premium experience. Jorj and his world look like it's ripped straight off of Cartoon Network, and the attention to detail in some scenes is a feast for the eyes. Jorj changes appearance depending on which weapon and armor he has equipped and his face changes appearance whenever he's poised to crush a row of monsters into bloody chunks. The guttural screams that emerge from the character as players chain together thirty or more monsters in one strike are just as appealing to the ears as the level-up guitar riff from Call of Duty.
Grindstone is arguably the most metal puzzle game of all time. The gameplay demands strategic thinking, but the presentation wants players to play at breakneck speeds to match the inner fury of the main character. At some point, whittling down the options for movement and executing huge combos becomes second nature, and that's when players can share in the intensity of what's on display. While a few remnants of its mobile design do hold it back from perfection, it's easy to recommend Jorj's bloody adventure to just about anyone.
Grindstone is available now on iOS via Apple Arcade and Nintendo Switch.