What Petal Crash is
Petal Crash is an arcade action puzzler in the tradition of the mid-90s games of that kind. The rule set is small: push a block in any direction and it keeps sliding until it hits a wall or another block. If it lands against a block of the same color, both burst, and whatever blocks sit next to them get sent flying. Line up a few of those hits and you get a chain reaction that racks up points fast. It's easy to pick up and the depth comes from learning how to set up those chains rather than from complicated inputs.
Playing it with your group
Versus Mode is where a group gets competitive: race to make clears and bury your opponent under garbage. You can play against another player or against the CPU. Online play runs through Petal Crash Online, a separate client for network play on Windows and Linux with lobby-based matchmaking and rollback netcode, bundled with the full game. Remote Play Together is also supported, so one person can host and others join in over a network connection.
Modes to dig into
Story Mode takes your chosen character through their own tale, challenging the other characters in puzzle battles to assemble the seven Sacred Blossoms. The cast includes the fairy scholar Lilibri, the fiendkin delinquent Strelitz, the tailor twins Penny & Deony, the dwarven treasure hunter Ore Kid, the beastkin freelancer Daize, the centaur dancer Yosoti, and the elven knight Rosalia, each with their own wish. Solo Play is for high scores, either racing the clock or rationing a limited number of moves to reach the highest rank. Puzzle Mode gives you brain-teasers with limited moves, and you can build your own puzzles to share with friends.
Before you start
The setting is Florea, a loose scattering of city-states where different fantasy races live side by side. Legend says the land was once united under the seven Sacred Blossoms kept in the Royal Garden, and whoever finds all seven and returns them gets their heart's true desire. The tone is bright and cartoonish with pixel graphics, and the game is labeled family friendly. Expect a short learning curve on the pushing rule and a longer one on reading the board well enough to set off big chains.