Droptzee Review

Combining classic dice game Yahtzee with Match Three style sensibilities is a neat move. Both genres offer potent mixes of strategy and careful thinking, lending themselves ideally to an amalgamation of forces. Droptzee takes this idea and very nearly turns it into a great title. In its current form though, it feels a little limiting.

Starting with a comprehensive tutorial, Droptzee takes seconds to understand, even for those not hugely experienced in the way of Yahtzee. Using the different numbers on the dice, the player must create relevant combinations such as multiples of the same number or a full house. The Match Three style twist comes in the form of how such dies are collated. The player must tap on one die then choose one adjoining it and so forth, up to five dice. Unlike more conventional Match Three games, only one of each combination can be created with the game ending once these have been exhausted. This makes each move vital to achieve better high scores, as there's only one shot each time to get the most points possible.

It's a reasonable tactic to make movements so important but it does mean that each round of the game doesn't take long at all to complete. A continuous mode, more like a regular Match Three game, would have been welcome, even just as an alternate option.

Droptzee is quite a fan of in-app purchases with the option to splash out for more avatars, as well as extra rounds and the pass-and-play multiplayer functionality. Considering the game is free to start with, this form of purchasing doesn't feel overwrought as it does offer maximum flexibility for players.

It all makes for an interesting concept but one that doesn't yet feel like a title worth spending hours playing. Competing with friends via the Game Center leaderboard has its benefits but I'd rather a more substantial way of playing, rather than a mode that stops and starts for short doses. Still, for free, it's hard to criticize too much and will pass some time.