Ekstase

On first appearance, I thought that this game would be a knock-off from either Tetris or Lumines. But it turned out to be FAR MORE. Once I got a chance to play it, with mode A unlocked at once, I realised that the differences and uniqueness both started to shine. First of all, the game resembles Lumines in the sense that you have to put the pieces together, such that they fall off (like in Puyo Puyo). Then you must make the pieces with the colors go together and form a rectangular shape. When the line of the matched color passes through, it erases all of the similar colored ones like in Lumines. So far so good - right now, everything seems to be the same as Lumines. However, the differences begin from now on: because the pieces uses Tetris Tetriminoes, instead of the usual 4x4 blocks, you get a greater degree of depth and variation, since the topology of the shapes matter a lot more. It is more complex, but it adds a complexity that is not too complicating. It raises the skill cap higher than Lumines, but at the same time, is still fun and challenging, but does not overwhelm. So far, the game has many modes similar to both Lumines and Tetris - like Timed Attack (Ultra in Tetris), Flow (Marathon in Tetris), and Classic Modes. This will immediately appeal to players from either of those 2 games. Now, I thought at first that the differences end just like this. However, it turns out that there was more. Because you see, in mode A, you cannot rotate the pieces like in Tetris. You only shift the colors around but the pieces remain static. However, once I unlocked mode B, the pieces can be rotated just like in Tetris! Mode B makes the game far more like Tetris, rather than Lumines. The pieces still fall like in Lumines, but it brings a sense of familiarity that many Tetris players would intuitively get used to. The rotation system is very similar to the SRS system in Tetris, especially when I tested some of the pieces, like the L, J, and T - having things like wall kick. It is varied a little but it is similar enough for players of Tetris to immediately get a feel of it. The game has many customizations - you can adjust the speed, the leveling process (turn it on or off for some modes), and set the number of colors. In case the game is not challenging enough, you can set the number of colors from 2 to much much more! This is a mode for hardcore players. Altogether, I recommend the game as it is: 1) It appeals to Lumines and Tetris fan bases due to its similarity - but it is different and unique enough, such that it blends the two elements together, and creates something of greater complexity than Lumines. Altogether, though, it should be stressed that the playstyle resembles more of Lumines, since the pieces fall and do not remain static (like Puyo Puyo). Another difference from Lumines to be noted is that it uses a Tetris field that is 10-blocks wide, unlike Lumines – this is good in a way as you can lock pieces in place much easier unlike in Lumines, which is super-wide. 2) It has a very high degree of customisation - modes A, B, difficulties, number of colors etc., and this adds complexity to an-already well-developed game. Even in its base form, it is more challenging than Lumines due to the topological variation of the pieces. 3) The visuals and audios appeal to me at once, being very similar to both Lumines and Tetris Effect in quality. A lot of effort has been put into it, and I appreciate the eye candies being put in. Although secondary to the gameplay, the effects do make it very pleasurable to play more of it. 4) The controls are intuitive and customizable using the in-game menu. The rotation is very similar to Tetris and Lumines (depending on mode A or B). So those players from either games will adapt to it almost immediately. 5) It has many game modes. Although it does not have multiplayer yet, the flow, classic, and timed attack modes are timeless modes that will last you long enough. This is because of the vast variation between piece permutations and the number of strategies that can be thought of, which vary across each game due to the RNG system. 6) There is much love put into it. The creator of the game has been contacted by me, and he treats feedback very seriously. Altogether, he is passionate about his creation, and imparts much effort and love into it. He casually talked about multiplayer but I do not know if he will add it in yet. However, it seems that he is very open to new suggestions and ideas. Altogether, this game is one of those games where if you know either Lumines or Tetris, you can get into it quite easily. For Tetris, of course, you must unlock mode B first, which is not hard at all – it can be done in just 15 minutes. I strongly recommend it, since it is the Covid period anyway, and it is a good time to get exposed to more video games. This game is very unique and is NOT a Tetris or Lumines rip-off: it is unique, complex, and well-developed by itself, and stands out differently from either of the 2 games. You will very most likely enjoy this game and find it challenging and fulfilling to play.

This game is like weird amalgamation of Tetris, and Lumines. It has the clearing wave of Lumines that alternates what's colors its going to clear each round. it uses blocks similar to Tetris however instead of Rotating the blocks shape you change the color order that makes up the block. also it looks and sounds nice as you play so give it a shot if any of that interest you.

Ekstase is an amazing mix between techno and tetris. Thereby it also has a very high accessibility rating. Buttons are completely remappable and it offers visual accessibility through the settings.

This is a clever take on classics like Tetris and Lumines. With a pumping soundtrack and visually impressive backgrounds the game titillates the senses. The gameplay requires quick thinking and nimble fingers as the myriad of shapes drop down and stack up. The flow modes and the use of bombs, together with timing give the experience a replayability and longevity. Requiring the player to adapt, improve and overcome to storm the leaderboards. If you're a fan of the aforementioned games, or similar, and are up for something a little different and funky, this is for you.

If you're a fan of Tetris and Lumines, you owe it to yourself to play this game.

Ekstase is a very nice, refreshing Tetris-like game. It is very addictive and with the multiple modes it keeps being refreshing and quite challenging. The music and the visuals are amazing and I definitely recommend playing this game with headphones in. Try this game out, you won't be disappointed.

Absolutely love puzzle games, especially Tetris and Lumines. While clearly inspired by both, Ekstase stands on its own by going in its own direction where it really counts and being greater than the sum of its parts. From what I've played so far, it's absolutely killing it and I can't wait to sink in many more hours!

this game can get pretty hard if you arent used to tetris or lumines. just a fair warning before you play one of the best music puzzle games out there.

Very good block game. Excellent music, rewarding and tough mechanics, solid aesthetics. Lot of people draw parallels between this and Tetris and Lumines, and while it obviously has inspiration from those, it's still very much its own thing in the end.

Great puzzle game, with great accessibility support. Keyboard controls are rebindable. The aesthetic is top-notch, and it was easy for me to melt right into this game. EDIT: Game runs fine through Proton as well (not surprising, since it's Unity) but the video backgrounds are unavailable there.