I love falling block puzzle games. Which is another way to say that I love Puyo Puyo and Tetris. Beyond those two titans, I could really only name Crystal Crysis as another entry into the genre. I don’t even understand how Crystal Crisis works other than is kind of like Puyo Puyo yet not. I can now say that Raining Blobs is another falling block puzzle. I know a lot more about this game since I’m reviewing it.

The basic premise of all falling block puzzles is always the same: there is a vertical rectangle and blocks fall from the top of it that must be cleared from the board. Sometimes the blocks are stylized like blobs, but they all serve the same basic function. How these blocks are cleared depends on the game you’re playing. Tetris requires you to form lines while Puyo Puyo requires you to match colors. Raining Blobs takes after Puyo Puyo by also requiring you to match colors.

Raining Blobs sets itself apart from Puyo Puyo with one core mechanic. You can only pop chains by connecting two stars. This means that you can make chains as long as you want before cashing in. Stack green blocks all you want, but they won’t pop without two of those blocks being stars. Seeing when huge chains pop is very satisfying and Raining Blobs makes it much easier to accomplish that than other falling block puzzles.

In case I didn’t explain the concept clearly, here is how the tutorial explains it.

The star mechanic is kind of a mixed bag when it comes to how it works during gameplay though. Notably with how much more RNG is added to the game. These kinds of puzzle games have a decent amount of RNG in them based on what pieces come up when. Raining Blobs adds more in whether or not a set of blobs will include a star. There are several times when I needed a star blob, but one would not come up. Blobs would appear in the correct color just not the correct color with a star. All of the control is taken away when whether or not I could make any moves. Moments like these are more frustrating than fun.

The time when the star mechanic is at its best is in the puzzle section of the game. This is where you are given a layout that can be fully cleared with one set of blobs. Where to place this blob set is the whole puzzle. This is a common game mode featured in both Puyo Puyo and Tetris, but it’s arguably more successful with the Raining Blobs rule set. Quickly scanning for where the layout doesn’t have the required star blobs is a nice layer added to the mode.

This is one of the simpler puzzles being used as an example, but later series puzzles are more difficult to solve.

Speaking of modes, there are four main modes: Endless, Tournament, Puzzle, and Arcade. The puzzle mode is like I described above. Endless is playing until all your blobs reach the top. Arcade is similar to Endless mode but caps off at level 100 or competitive matches against people or AI. The tournament mode is basically the story mode. Don’t go expecting the same type of story mode in Puyo Puyo Tetris. These are matches against computer opponents with only one line of dialog before each match. The plot focuses on former friends fighting due to an unknown force. Each mode features a leader board that represents the online functionality for the game.

The level in the upper left corner represents the difficulty in the arcade mode. The higher the level, the faster the blocks fall.

Raining Blobs does get a little awkward at times. The most obvious is that the translation isn’t great. English likely isn’t Endi Milojkoski’s first language. I don’t want to harp on anyone too much for not speaking a language, but the translation is more often than not a little silly. Characters saying things like “if you don’t stop I will tie your mouth” is off-putting. One element of progression in the game is unlocking player stories, but those are equally awkward to read. They don’t feel like a real reward due to the translation issues.

Massage you with my claws

The second issue is that each player’s avatar is borderline embarrassing. The most awkward part of them is that the further you progress into the game a more embarrassing version of the avatar unlocks in the gallery. These are tied to player skill by solving 80 puzzles in the puzzle mode or reaching level 80 in the arcade mode. I don’t know who thought including bad pixel art pin-ups as a reward was encouraging, but it’s not. I couldn’t play the game near anyone for fear that I might have to explain that it’s really just a puzzle game.

You’re going to have to believe me that the third image in this gallery continues the downward trend.

The nicest thing I can say about Raining Blobs is that is a functional alternative to other falling block puzzle games. I just don’t know if the functional alternative part is enough to justify the cost or the weirdness. Raining Blobs is a relatively cheap game. Yet so are numerous other options in the genre that I think is better. Puyo Puyo 2 and GotY 2019 contender Tetris 99 are included in a Nintendo Switch Online subscription. Puyo Puyo Champions is the same price as Raining Blobs and isn’t embarrassing. While GOTY 2017 contender Puyo Puyo Tetris is more expensive, it comes with both games and has one of the best story modes a puzzle game could feature. Raining Blobs could be worth the asking price, but not before better entries in the genre.

Nindie Nexus has reviewed a lot of puzzle games. Read our reviews of The Eyes of Ara and Word Wheel. Share your thoughts with us by joining our Discord. Or, if you like what we do here at Nindie Nexus, please consider donating to our ko-fi.