Mineshaft is a tough but unique Tetris-like with crafting and mining for gems

Mineshaft is a clever blending of genres that takes the very basics from Tetris but makes it quite an interesting challenge with resource gathering, tool crafting and puzzle solving. It's like a mini Minecraft / Terraria version of Tetris. Note: key provided by the developer.

Here you have the standard falling blocks of different shapes, but these shapes have raw resources in them. Combine them in the right way and you can craft various tools, which will allow you to actually dig deeper into the map to collect more resources to keep going and go through quests.

It's quite different and a really nice spin on things and even includes local split-screen PvP battles.

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Blocks aren't set in place when they drop either, so if you drop a shape on top of a single block, the rest will fall down the sides with physics. This is where the nice combo feature can come into play. A well-placed block can end up giving you multiple tools in a row, which can really help you break through the lines to get deeper. It's tough though to focus on multiple things as the same time, while quite a casual game, it really is a thorough challenge to get through even the earliest levels.

There's a lot of content already included with you dropping blocks across around 64 map locations, with various different biomes to drop blocks and mine through. There's also a whole shop and upgrade system to help you on your way. As you collect resources and then craft some coins, you'll be able to upgrade the equipment you can craft during a run to give you a lot of advantages - but still remains tough due to how you have to match up all the resources when dropping those blocks.

If you love a casual but engaging challenge and a fun spin on a classic it's one to take a look at. There's also a demo available and the game is currently in Early Access.

Played on Linux Desktop and Steam Deck with Proton, it worked perfectly.