Game of the Day - Klax

 

I didn't play Klax until just recently, and I'm not sure how known or popular it is.  I try to make the GOTD at least a little obscure and less obvious than something like Pac-Man or Tempest.  Klax is a puzzle game in the spirit of Tetris or Puyo Puyo - tiles come down a conveyor belt and you have to use a paddle to catch them (Activision Kaboom! anybody?) then, move back and forth and drop them in different columns to pile up like colors.  The goals vary from the usual, with horz, vert and diagonal matches as well as timed rounds.  Your goals change each time and are very clear.  The thing that makes Klax unique is the paddle you catch the tiles with.  You can either catch them and immediately drop them in any column (moving left or right), or hold them and pile others on top - effectively changing the order of them before you drop them.  It makes the strategy very deep and thoughtful.  That was a little difficult to explain, but you'll get it quickly when you play.  It makes for a great combo of speed (you lose if you drop too many tiles off the belt) and strategy (you lose if the columns pile up too high).  I'm not a giant puzzle fan, but I'm completely mesmerized by Klax.