Puzzle Quest: Galactrix

Posted 4 years ago By - Brian Edey

Puzzle Quest: Galactrix is the second game in the Puzzle Quest series of games (The first game was Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords), but this is not a sequel per se but an almost complete re-envisioning of the classic Puzzle Quest game but now based in a science fiction universe and set in space. This new setting is topped off with some new and improved graphics and a wide open galaxy to explore, mine asteroids and do battles against many different factions.

The story In Puzzle Quest: Galactrix is about a horrifying scientific accident has provoked another race to attempt the extermination of the human race. You the player create a persistent pilot who gains skills, crafts items, maneuvers among the universe’s political factions, and upgrades the ultimate space fleet as they attempt to end the genocide.

But is this game just as fun and original as the first Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords? Yes it is but only to a certain point because this is one game which is still fun to play but it does lack some of the appeal the first game had.


If you played Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords on the various platforms it was released on you will find the learning curve of Puzzle Quest: Galactrix to be literally seconds instead of minutes. The only gameplay which will take a few moments to get used to is the new puzzle game board which instead of a square with the pieces falling down, the new board is six (6) sided now with the shapes falling from the various sides as needed. The basic same special abilities are there depending on what your ship has installed. These include weapon attacks on the enemy, recharging shields, creating mines and many more.

The puzzle side of things is basically the same puzzle system we have played for years where you need to match at least three (3) gems of the same color in a row. With this new board you now have more than two (2) general directions of most games but different angles which can open up many new moves for you or your opponent.

There are mines on the board which can be used to damage both you and your enemy. These mines are very helpful to both sides especially when you use them well and sometimes they can quickly change the tide of the battle from winning to losing with a single move or chain of moves and there have been countless times I have been at the brink of losing and the brink of winning and had a bad (or good) use of mines switch how things were heading. Its part of the game and it adds a lot of overall excitement and forces the player to pay attention at all times and not just randomly match gems if they think they are winning.
The role playing side of things is well done but technically only to a point if you are a role playing nut. The story is cliché but well written, the ability to customize your ships is only basic and the quests are generally just the most basic RPG flair of “go there and do that”. But this is a casual title and if the RPG shortcomings are of concern to you, once you realize that the casual side of things is not necessarily a bad thing, the game becomes more enjoyable.


Graphically Puzzle Quest: Galactrix has some nice graphics in every single way. Galactic maps, menus, puzzle board and everything else is crisp and clear and not once do you ever have to think about what is on the screen it just becomes instantly recognizable which is the best part of the graphics. The color palette is bright and with the hand drawn graphics for the characters give the game this simplistic but still a pleasurable game to watch. It would have been nice to see the developers take a bigger chance with the graphics and perhaps push the game a bit further but I suppose with the game being released on so many platforms (Pretty much everything that plays games) it would not be worth pushing the graphics on one system further than the others.

Audio wise the game can be best described as “it gets the job done”. With some good music and descent sound affect Puzzle Quest: Galactrix does its best to pull you into the casual gaming experience but it does not take any chances audio wise with bigger musical score and more un-traditional science fiction based sound effects. This in the end is probably my biggest disappointment in the overall game.


Once you beat the game there is very little need to replay it, but I would say if you enjoy playing the game, the very low price point and plenty of hours of gaming in this package make the games value high. Multiplayer would have been nice and perhaps in the future a multiplayer “fleet” option could be arranged.

The original Puzzle Quest set the bar so high for Galactrix it is almost unfair to compare the two but in the end you must. If you can get past the “dumbed” down gameplay this is actually a fun and lengthy worthwhile gaming experience which most puzzle fans and Role Playing Gamers will enjoy.

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