The Tetris Gods look down with disdain upon the unwashed masses, clinging to their ad-riddled mobile apps that occasionally lets them manipulate falling shape cubes in between 4-minute interactive influencer snake oil ads.

“When?”, cry the Gods. “When will they break free of the chains that bind them to their app notifications??” The Tetris Gods, morose, issue forth another Line Piece.

Breathlessly, a messenger arrives. “My Lords!” it shouts, “a challenger!” Clutched in the messenger’s palm is a six-sided die.

“Nothing we haven’t seen before,” the Gods mutter, examining Is, Js, Ls, Zs, Os, and…

“What’s this?”, they lean forward.

Averting its eyes, the Messenger whispers, “Wild, my Lords.”

TEDOKU, from Sandro Blasich and published by Ares Games, is a game for any number of players that takes about fifteen minutes to play. It is a multiplayer solitaire experience.

Note: an Advance Preview copy was used for this review, gameplay and components subject to change.

Gameplay Overview:

Combining elements of Tetris and Sudoku, TEDOKU is a polyomino placement game, with a twist. Players each have a 9×9 sheet, divided into 9 distinct sections of 9 squares each. Each section has an associated symbol that is vaguely Japanese in inspiration. The goal of the game is to fill your sheet as completely as you can.

Over the course of 20 rounds, you’ll flip a card to determine which row, column, or section of the grid your shape must touch. Then, you use the included shape dice (d6, 5 unique shapes [recognizable from Tetris], and one wild) to determine what shape you’ll be filling.

You score points based on completed rows and columns (1 point each), and sections (3 points each). The winner is the player with the most points after the last round.

An end result of a TEDOKU game, red X indicates a space unfilled during play.

Game Experience:

TEDOKU plays very quickly. Flip card. Roll die. Scribble shape. On to the next round. The puzzle comes as your sheet gets more and more crowded. You’ll find yourself agonizing over which box of column H you want to brush with a single square of L shape.

The early game is fast, with placement decisions coming quite easily on an open board. As the board gets fuller, your placements are more impactful. The most puzzling choices lie in the middle/late-middle of the game. By the last few rounds, your placement is obvious or impossible.

The totality of TEDOKU. Row, column, and section cards, plus shape die, rules and sheets.

But that meaty middle, that succulent pastrami in a fabulous Reuben that is TEDOKU, there is something special there. For 6-10 turns, your decisions burn. Each placement impacts the next. If you place the L piece in the Sandals, will you be able to complete row A later?

Each game, I’ve found myself with at least one turn where I was truly stuck and couldn’t make a move. In those cases, there is an optional rule to use bonus shapes. Each sheet comes with a single 1×1, 1×2, and 2×2 shape that can be used in place of the shape die rolled. You must still adhere to the requirements of the flipped card, so it’s not a completely free pass.

There is a variety game-to-game as well, because 7 of the 27 placement cards are not used. Players will have no idea which cards aren’t in the deck, which means no planning around a specific card coming up later in the game.

A roll + card result; a wild shape must be placed in Row F

After 4 games in a row, I was ready for something else. That said, I’d like to see more from this game. I can easily see a follow-up book of challenges. A pre-filled sheet where you start from a specific place mid-game and try to score as high as possible. Perhaps a pre-published turn sheet with card + shape for each round, so players can compare scores from the exact same scenario.

Whether or not more TEDOKU content is incoming, this game has a welcome place on my shelf. Its footprint-to-game satisfaction ratio is off the charts, with many larger box games in my library quivering with fear at the prospect of competing against this little gem.

Final Thoughts:

TEDOKU is a wonderfully simple puzzle. It has enough decision space that it’s interesting and engaging to play, yet it also plays quickly enough that it can be an easy filler. It is an excellent candidate as a gateway roll-flip-n-write for your non-gamer people who only play crosswords.

It is a perfect game to play when you have some idle time and want to stretch your brain a bit.

Final Score: 4 Stars – TEDOKU is fantastic, an excellent mashup of Tetris and Sudoku that leaves you wanting more.

Hits:
• Great puzzle
• Very quick playtime
• Accessible and enjoyable for your friends who think Board Gaming means Monopoly

Misses:
• The early and late game aren’t quite as impactful as the middle of the game
• I want more!