It has just dawned on me that I never got around to doing a review of Aussie developed PuzzleQuest: Challenge of the Warlords when it was released in 2007. Much of the blame for this can be levelled directly at developer Infinite Interactive. Damn them and their time consuming, and absorbing combination of simple match 3 gem game with a story driven fantasy RPG.

So, already, a successor has arrived, and to quote Steve Fawkner(1), head of Infinite Interactive, the chance to finally do a science fiction themed game could not have come soon enough, after so many career years spent doing fantasy.

At its heart, Galactrix retains the match three puzzle core that the PuzzleQuest branding demands. But because it is a “space” game, Infinite Interactive wanted a feeling of zero gravity So the hex gem match three game was born.


During a match game swapping of gems can be done in any of the six directions available to the hexagonal shape. But the direction of the swap is important as it dictates the “fall” when matched gems disappear.

This mechanic takes a little getting used to after the relatively simple top-to-bottom falls of CotW. Eventually, strategies and patterns are identified and the mechanic becomes second nature.

The story revolves around chasing some mysterious organism around the various star-systems that make up the Galactrix map. That’s all you really need to know, there are plenty of side quests, which thankfully, this time around, you can only have a handful active at any one time.

Star-systems may consist of planets (used as mission points), minable asteroids, or space stations. Flitting around will be a number of other space ships, depending on what you are carrying for cargo, or simply factional alliances’, encounters with these ships may trigger battles.

This is where your choice of ship becomes important, you can earn new ships (up to three at a time) all with different ratings of speed, armour, fire-power, cargo capacity and so forth. A faster ship could elude these encounters if necessary, though this is done in real time as you direct your craft within the system. No matter how fast you are, mistakes happen.

Battles against enemy ships or other hostile entities are the first of the match three games. Damage is done to the enemy shields and hull by matching groups of mine-gems, or utilising equipment attached to your craft and powered by colour-gem matching.

This is done in a strict turn-based form. Extra turns are only gained this time around when matching five gems, combinations of consecutive matches can cause a double scoring Nova, or automatic extra turn granting Super-Nova.

Experience accumulated during these battles can be spent on levelling up your pilot in one of four relatively simple categories (Engineering, Piloting, Gunnery and Science). It is pretty light on, and shows the shift from the character based RPG elements in CotW, to the tech based system focussing on your space-ships in this game.

To traverse from one system to the next the adjoining Leapgates must be hacked. This is the second match 3 game to be mastered, and the most frustrating.

Each gate is rated, with the difficulty being determined by a time limit and match number. Each Leapgate (and there are many) must be hacked by matching coloured gems in a sequence of colours that is also required to be done before the counter reaches zero.

There can be a number of exasperating moments as the counter reaches zero, short-circuiting the gate, causing colourful language, a reset and start again. With the pressure of a timer, new strategies are formed, but all too often success is left to fate and the fall of the gems.

Other match game tasks include mining for resources to fill your hull. These can subsequently be sold at space-stations within a mini galaxy wide economy that gives you significant hints as to whether you are getting a good deal or not – green prices indicating the best price, red not so great. If only real life was like that.

Earned money can be spent at other stations on new space-craft or upgrade equipment for an existing ship. This equipment, like the spells in CotW are essential to taking on the tougher opponents as the game progresses.

There is also a crafting match game garnering components for device and ship building, this is another nice diversion for fans of design-your-own-bibs-and-bobs.

The 2D graphics and cartoon bubble dialogue are all that is needed in a game such as this. The main match games are clearly set-out with only the Leapgate hack issues being compounded by screen obscuring explosions of the current match as you search for your next move.

Sound design is up to the task, with background music ranging from the alien-esque cinematic wind arrangements, through to a more jaunty tunes and pressure laden tick-tock based music for the timed Leapgate hacks.

The real-time aspects of this release are disappointing, but the overall game retains the “just-one-more-turn” feel of the original. PuzzleQuestians can be safely excited once again.