TEDOKU Review

"The Tetris Gods look down with disdain upon the unwashed masses, clinging to their ad-riddled mobile apps that occasionally lets them manipulate falling shape cubes in between 4-minute interactive influencer snake oil ads. "When?", cry the Gods. "When will they break free of the chains that bind them to their app notifications??" The Tetris Gods, morose, issue forth another Line Piece."

"Breathlessly, a messenger arrives. "My Lords!" it shouts, "a challenger!" Clutched in the messenger's palm is a six-sided die. "Nothing we haven't seen before," the Gods mutter, examining Is, Js, Ls, Zs, Os, and... "What's this?", they lean forward. Averting its eyes, the Messenger whispers, " Wild, my Lords." TEDOKU, from Sandro Blasich and published by Ares Games, is a game for any number of players that takes about fifteen minutes to play. It is a multiplayer solitaire experience."

"Players each have a 9×9 sheet, divided into 9 distinct sections of 9 squares each. The goal of the game is to fill your sheet as completely as you can. Over the course of 20 rounds, you'll flip a card to determine which row, column, or section of the grid your shape must touch. Then, you use the included shape dice (d6, 5 unique shapes [recognizable from Tetris], and one wild) to determine what shape you'll be filling."

TEDOKU combines Tetris and Sudoku into a roll-and-write polyomino placement puzzle played on individual 9×9 sheets divided into nine sections. Each round reveals a constraint (row, column, or section) and a shape determined by a six-sided shape die with five Tetris-like pieces and one wild face. Players place the indicated polyomino to cover squares across 20 rounds while managing increasing board congestion. Scoring awards one point per completed row or column and three points per completed section. Gameplay is fast, lasting about fifteen minutes and emphasizing quick placement decisions.

Read at Board Game Quest