Roguematch: The Extraplanar Invasion – When Match‑3 Meets Mayhem

Roguematch is one of those games you underestimate in the first five minutes. It looks cute, it sounds harmless, and the pitch, match‑3 combat meets dungeon‑crawling roguelike feels like a novelty experiment. Then you start your first run, misjudge a gem match, accidentally heal an enemy, and realise this game has teeth.

On Xbox, the hybrid design feels surprisingly natural. Movement and gem selection map cleanly to the controller, and once you settle into the rhythm, the game becomes a steady loop of micro‑decisions: push forward, retreat, gamble on a risky match, or burn a consumable to survive the room. It’s a puzzle game wearing a roguelike’s coat, and it wears it well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zw8V6CH_sUo

The match‑3 system is the heart of Roguematch, and it’s far more tactical than the genre usually allows. Every gem colour corresponds to an element, and every enemy has a specific vulnerability, or worse, an element that heals them. A careless match can undo minutes of progress, which gives even basic encounters a surprising tension.

Chain reactions are the real dopamine hit. When you line up a board‑wide cascade that wipes a room in seconds, it feels earned rather than accidental. But the flip side is equally true: a bad cascade can spawn hazards, buff enemies, or leave you exposed.

Boss fights amplify this unpredictability. Some are clever puzzles; others feel like brick walls designed to test your patience as much as your skill. The difficulty curve isn’t so much a curve as a series of cliffs.

Roguematch’s animal‑themed heroes are genuinely delightful. Each one plays differently enough to justify multiple runs, and their abilities meaningfully shift your approach. The bunny’s mobility, the nekomancer’s magical burst damage, they all add flavour without feeling gimmicky.

NPCs, meanwhile, are a mixed bag. Some are quirky and memorable; others feel oddly flat, as if they wandered in from a different game. The tone occasionally wobbles, but the overall vibe remains warm and inviting. The art direction helps enormously. Bright colours, expressive sprites, and a playful visual language make the extraplanar invasion feel more like a chaotic adventure than a grim apocalypse.

If Roguematch has a flaw, it’s that it sometimes forgets how much it’s asking of you. Between elemental affinities, equipment loadouts, spell conversions, room modifiers, and environmental hazards, the early hours can feel like you’re being handed a rulebook one page at a time.

Some mechanics are explained clearly; others you learn by failing repeatedly. It’s not enough to ruin the experience, but it does create a barrier that more casual players might bounce off. Once everything clicks, though, the game opens up beautifully. Runs feel distinct, experimentation is rewarded, and the branching map structure gives each attempt a sense of momentum.

The Xbox version runs smoothly overall. Load times are quick, the visuals remain crisp even during chaotic cascades, and the game’s lightweight footprint makes it ideal for quick‑resume sessions.

There are occasional stutters during sped‑up animations, but nothing that disrupts the flow. The soundtrack is pleasant but forgettable as it's more background hum than standout feature, although the playful character “gibberish” definitely adds charm.

Pros

• Surprisingly deep match‑3 combat

• Charming characters and expressive art

• Addictive “one more room” pacing

• Perfect fit for short Xbox sessions

  
  

Cons

• Difficulty spikes that feel more punishing than fair

• Some systems lack clarity

Occasional performance hiccups during busy animations

Roguematch: The Extraplanar Invasion is one of those games that sneaks up on you. It looks like a cosy little puzzle adventure, but underneath the bright colours and cute animal heroes is a surprisingly demanding roguelike with real tactical bite. It’s messy in places, occasionally overwhelming, and not always as clear as it should be, yet it’s also inventive, charming, and genuinely satisfying once its systems click into place.

On Xbox, the game finds its ideal rhythm: quick‑resume suits its run‑based structure, the controls feel natural, and the “one more room” loop becomes dangerously easy to fall into. It’s not a flawless hybrid, but it is a memorable one. It's the kind of oddball experiment that earns your respect through sheer mechanical ambition.

If you’re up for a roguelike that rewards patience, punishes carelessness, and surprises you with its depth, Roguematch is well worth diving into. It’s a little chaotic, a little quirky, and absolutely confident in its own identity and that’s exactly what makes it stick.

XPN Rating: 3 out of 5 (SILVER)

Roguematch: The Extraplanar Invasion is out now!