Drop Duchy

Drop Duchy is a mix of block-stacking puzzles (like Tetris), deck-building, rogue-lite and strategy - by the way, a 'duchy' is an area owned by a duke or duchess. How does it work? Players have a deck of different cards, shaped like Tetris blocks, representing landscapes (forests, rivers or plains) or buildings. These are 'drawn' from the deck and, like Tetris, can be dropped into a puzzle grid and placed as strategically as possible. When a horizontal row is filled, it doesn't disappear, but is 'activated' or 'explored', and depending on which puzzle pieces are activated there, players receive bonuses, resources and units. For example, it's efficient to place a sawmill near a forest because it generates more resources - it's all about optimisation. There are many such rules and effects of these cards, but the game is less about speed and agility and more about strategically placing the 'puzzle pieces'. The ultimate goal is to accumulate as many resources as possible, which is essential for building an army and protecting the kingdom from enemy threats.

Drop Duchy is a mix of block-stacking puzzles (like Tetris), deck-building, rogue-lite and strategy - by the way, a 'duchy' is an area owned by a duke or duchess. How does it work? Players have a deck of different cards, shaped like Tetris blocks, representing landscapes (forests, rivers or plains) or buildings. These are 'drawn' from the deck and, like Tetris, can be dropped into a puzzle grid and placed as strategically as possible. When a horizontal row is filled, it doesn't disappear, but is 'activated' or 'explored', and depending on which puzzle pieces are activated there, players receive bonuses, resources and units. For example, it's efficient to place a sawmill near a forest because it generates more resources - it's all about optimisation. There are many such rules and effects of these cards, but the game is less about speed and agility and more about strategically placing the 'puzzle pieces'. The ultimate goal is to accumulate as many resources as possible, which is essential for building an army and protecting the kingdom from enemy threats.

There is also a combat system woven into the game, which seems a little unusual at first, as players place both their own buildings and military structures, as well as those of the enemy - obviously trying to be clever so that the player gets the most bonuses and the enemy as few as possible. Players then decide which troops should attack where, ideally based on their strengths and weaknesses.

A 'single run', consisting of several rounds on branching paths, takes around 1.5 hours to complete, and the developers estimate that the skill tree can be completed in around 25 hours. Runs are procedurally generated to provide as much variety as possible, and players can choose between three factions (The Duchy, The Order, or The Republic), each offering faction quests with faction-specific rewards. The game features a meta progression system with over 100 missions to complete in order to climb the ranks and unlock new cards, more resources or extra health - in principle, players get stronger from run to run. There are over 110 cards in total, each offering upgrades and modifiers, which players use to build their deck for the run. As the run progresses, players will trade with markets or guilds to acquire resources, use them to upgrade their deck, make strategic decisions and choose their path for the next round.

The 'Classic' game mode has five difficulty levels. The higher the difficulty level, the more enemy units will appear and the fewer resources players will receive from exploration. In addition, enemy blocks can no longer be placed in the reserve. The 'Trials' game mode is unlocked after the first successful playthrough and offers variants with modified rules. Some of these variants give the enemy a huge advantage, while other trials, such as 'mini-playing fields', make some buildings that were previously weaker stronger (and vice versa). In addition, the changed rules make it even more difficult to place blocks optimally.

Drop Duchy is being developed by Sleepy Mill Studio, founded in Paris by a former senior game designer at Ubisoft Paris. It is the studio's first game. Publisher is The Arcade Crew, the indie publishing division of Dotemu (owned by Focus/Pullup), known for Blazing Chrome by JoyMasher, Infernax by Berzerk Studios and The Last Spell by Ishtar Games.

Drop Duchy was released on PC on 5 May 2025 for €14.99. No console versions have been announced yet.

Conclusion

Drop Duchy is a creative, engaging and motivating mix of block stacking, strategy and deck customisation.

Features

• Creative mix of block stacking, strategic choices and deck customisation
• High replayability thanks to procedural generation
• Motivation: Steady progression through meta progression system