Teskyra (pronounced tes-KYE-ruh) is a falling-piece puzzle game played on an Archimedean tessellation (the “tes” in the name) where squares and diamonds alternate in a repeating pattern. The pieces are all left- or right-handed (chiral–the “kyra” in the name), and can be flipped to their opposite orientations. Pieces fall from the top (or sky) and you try to fill rows. Unlike other falling-piece puzzle games, the unusual grid means placement requires more thought: each piece must land in an empty cell that matches its shape and orientation, or it disappears (pops) and you lose a heart.
Please play it, I hope you enjoy it and I look forward to someone beating my high score!
I find the added fit-requirements unintuitive and confusing, but I suppose maybe that’s the point. A fine first effort, but I don’t think it’s for everyone.
It is definitely harder than Tetris, and I would note that describing the mechanics as “added fit-requirements” is a signal that you’re viewing it as a Tetris variant. While they are both falling-piece puzzle games, Teskyra’s geometry is entirely novel, as instead of being played on a standard grid (a square tessellation), it’s played on an Archimedean tessellation of the snub-square variety, otherwise known as 3.3.4.3.4. To map it to a grid, I doubled up the triangles in that pattern to make the diamonds.
Everything else derives from that geometry: the piece shapes, the row clearing in pairs, the chirality of the pieces (or “flipability”), and the strip mechanic to help prevent placement bottlenecks.
So yes, the difference, the originality, is the point. And yep, that makes it harder.
And you’re right, it’s not for everyone. And other feedback has been that it’s hard. So it could be that I need an easy or tutorial mode, with placement ghosts.
It takes patience to learn, and practice to master. But it rewards the focus needed, imho.
Definitely a great first project–everything works well and looks/behaves pleasantly too.
It’s definitely hard to pick up, but the more I played I felt the rules were gelling a little in mind. I’m not a huge block puzzle enthusiast, but I imagine that people who are really into such games might enjoy getting used to the challenge presented here.
Thank you kindly for this great feedback, nomad2097! I would say it’s the most comprehensive to date, and something I’ve been waiting for: someone who has actually taken the time to learn the game a bit, its subtleties, and also from someone who is clearly viewing it as its own thing, rather than some reskin of the reigning champion / grandfather of all falling-piece puzzle games.
I think it could develop a niche following, but getting over those hurdles–mainly of perception–is taking some time and effort!
I managed to get a new high score yesterday. I’ll see if I can include a speeded up video in this comment…nope…too new a user. But here’s a link to a 2x speed video.
