Underplayed Gems

Chinatris (2020)

Chinatris cover
Developer
仓鼠动力, Args Studio
Publisher
Gamera Games
Platforms
Windows, macOS
Genres
Casual, Indie
Rating
4.3 of 5, 1,160 player ratings
Typical playtime
about 2.7 hours
Where to get it
Steam
The 3D catalog: game boxes on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalog in 3D

The same catalog has a room you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real games from it when you tell them what you feel like playing. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this game is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

Combining Tetris-like stacking with Chinese character learning, the game feels gently instructive as you match components to form new characters at your own pace.

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What players say

Players praise the concept of combining Tetris with learning Chinese characters, but most find the stroke order and character assembly logic unintuitive and frustrating. Many say it relies too much on luck and obscure characters, with some calling the design anti-human.

Screenshots

Chinatris screenshot 1Chinatris screenshot 2Chinatris screenshot 3Chinatris screenshot 4Chinatris screenshot 5Chinatris screenshot 6

More games like this

This page is from Underplayed Gems, a catalog of older and overlooked games. Not quite it? You can browse by platform and genre, or take this one into the 3D catalog and ask the Catbot for something closer.