Puzzle Strike

A deckbuilding duel played with chips, where you build your bag and bury opponents under gems.

Designer: David Sirlin
Published by: Pegasus Spiele
Editions by: Sirlin Games

Puzzle Strike is a game played with cardboard chips instead of cards, and it boils down a puzzle video game (Puzzle Fighter, itself a spin-off of a fighting game) into a deck-building duel. You build your deck as you play, buying chips from a bank that starts with a different set each game, and the ten characters each have their own powers. Gems you send at your opponent pile up against them, and a player who ends up buried is out. It is a complete game in one box with no booster packs to chase, and it is quick and sharp. Two to four players, about twenty minutes, from age eight.

Chips pulled from a bag instead of cardsTen characters with their own powersBank setup changes every game

Who it's for

You like deckbuilders and head-to-head play, and want something quick with a fighting-game attitude, especially for two.

Not for you if…

You prefer cooperative or low-conflict games. The goal is to bury your opponents.

Vibe's take

Fast, competitive and a little nasty. You build quickly, throw gems when you can, and the game ends before anyone's engine has time to relax.