Settris Review - Throwing Shapes One Block At A Time

Do NOT write off Settris as some gimmicky Tetris clone that isn’t worth your time or money. First, it has a pick-up-and-play approach so that you can dive in anytime without any die-hard commitment. You don’t need to work your OnlyFans account to afford it.

Yes, it is a play on words as we’re dealing here with the same shapes (plus more) as seen in the infamous puzzle game, but there are a few differences. 

There’s no pressure from gravity as the shapes are readily available from the start, protected by a bubble. Even better, there isn’t a timer to contend with.

Using a small blocky footprint, you must fit all the shapes into one of 80 layouts. Because there’s no timer, there isn’t that mad panic of slapping blocks all over the place; Settris is fun. Yes, Tetris is fun, too, but there’s no urgency in the former other than finishing up quickly so you can watch the next episode of [insert whatever is popular at the time of reading this].

Settris Review [PS5]: A Chip Off The Old Block

But what makes Settris that more enjoyable is the wonders it does for your intellect, a.k.a. your cunningly disguised ego. There’s something addictive about solving a puzzle and looking at those in the room that had no idea how you did it. You can’t save the world through this game, but you can come out looking super smart.

I’m pretty decent at Tetris, and though it’s not a go-to game, it’s pretty damn untouchable as one of the best games ever made. ZOO Corporation has done well here, as have Eastasiasoft for publishing, but perhaps that urgency is what the game needs.

While I enjoyed Settris, albeit in small doses at a time, in fear of getting mildly obsessed with doing it all in one sitting, it’s not much to look at. Situated under the sea, there are no alternating biomes – it’s all blue hues.

The music was good, though. It’s not something I’d actively listen to outside of the game, but a good mix-match of some upbeat and occasionally serene tracks made it slightly more enjoyable.

Tetris was never a looker, but there was little time to admire all the DLSS and artistic ingenuity of monochrome blocks (yes, the Gameboy version is my drug of choice). We ignored the visuals in the olden days because we focused more on gameplay and humming to the incessant score.

Stacked

But wait: Settris comes with two different modes. Once you eventually beat the main ‘campaign’, you can switch to the Time Attack. Well, do it in whichever order you like. This changes things up and adds that urgency I was seeking, but something is missing.

Settris looks like a free iPad game. Again, don’t let that phase you, as the gameplay is fun. If I could make changes, it would be to have different biomes or make some of the patterns interesting as it comes across as quite basic in terms of presentation.

I can’t fault the variety of shapes, however. Settris has a decent selection and keeps you on your toes. A deceptive lightbulb shows in the top left of the screen, and after level 30, I did click on it for a hint, I admit. I was happy that this was just a glorified tooltip for the controls. No longer did I feel like a cheat.

I can’t make you buy a game, nor will I ever try to, but for the price, Settris is an enjoyable puzzle game for casual gamers who’re up for a reasonable challenge and rewarding gameplay at that. Those 80 levels take waaaay longer than you expect.