When it comes to puzzlers, simple ideas are the best. Puyo Puyo, Tetris, Puyo Puyo Tetris – the list inarguably goes on. Grindstone is one such puzzler, with a central mechanic that’s so fiendishly straightforward that you can almost curse yourself for not forming a game studio and creating it yourself… and yet, this is one of the best-looking, best-sounding, and best-playing puzzlers of the last few years. Now you can play it on PS5.
Grindstone originally launched on Apple Arcade in the distant days of 2019. It comes from Capybara Games, a team which has been carving out a vibrant niche in the indie market and whose exploits include the marvellous Critter Crunch and Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes over a decade ago. It’s little surprise to find some of the DNA of those two titles wrapped up in Grindstone, and yet, Grindstone has a dynamic and a vibe that’s all its own.
The aim of Grindstone is to collect Grindstones. Simple, right? Well, no, because the only way to collect Grindstones is to chain attacks together against the tens of thousands of evil Creeps that are getting in your way. You do this by guiding your barbarian Jorg – or, delightfully, his Mum – through the enemies in a pathway that can go in any direction, but only if the creature’s colour matches. In order to change to a different colour you have to pass over a Grindstone that you’ve previously dug up by chaining a minimum of ten attacks together.
That simple idea would probably be enough to keep you going for many hours on its own, but Capybara have thoughtfully put more obstacles in your way than an episode of Ninja Warrior. Whether it’s stone blocks, explosives, powerful enemies, or annoying bits of wood, as you progress you have to put more and more thought into exactly where you’re guiding Jorg. The difficulty occasionally feels like it’s set to controller-smashing –particularly if you’re aiming to fulfil every one of a level’s challenges – but a rethink and a new approach tends to see you past any hiccups on your way up the mountain.
While he’s very handy with his sword, Jorg isn’t without a few additional skills. As you progress you unlock Blueprints, each of which allows you to create a new ability. The first one you receive is a shield that you can use for one turn, letting you deliberately put yourself in danger without taking damage, and there’s other new blades, bows and potions come into play that each let you mess with the game’s mechanics. You only have three slots for these abilities so you soon have to work out which tool is going to be suitable for a particular level, adding another thing for your mind to have to ruminate on. There’s also the possibility of armour to craft as well, some of which may just get you out of a tight spot.
I wasn’t convinced about playing Grindstone with a controller at first. Given its touchscreen origins, it does initially seem unwieldy, particularly if you’ve played it on its original home. However, I now think the controller is actually preferable, offering a precise input that I sometimes felt wasn’t there on iPad or iPhone, particularly when you’re trying to undo a pathway where you’ve gone the wrong way.
The other advantage to playing on PlayStation 5 is the gorgeous art being blown up across a 4K flatscreen TV. It looks fantastic, and both Jorg and the colourful villains he faces off against have never looked better. I’ve found myself picking the game up ahead of any number of other titles thanks to its slower, more considered pace, and the fact that Capybara have nailed the world and the atmosphere.
A big part of that is the soundtrack, which is stunning, utilising classic gaming tones and matching them to huge bass beats and laidback vibes. You’ll absolutely be nodding your head as you’re despatching monsters, and it’s so good you might even wait for another few bars to play rather than head out of the exit.
