Technical Information

Developer: Binary Emotions
Publisher: Piko Interactive LLC
Release Date: March 9, 2019

Minskies: The Abduction is a puzzle game that originally came out for the Amiga and PC in 1997 and later received a Windows port on Steam in 2019.
This game is a copy of the first Puyo Puyo, but without the dialogues that precede each match and with different assets.

Final Thoughts – Analyzing the Game as a Whole

Graphics and UI

The first thing I noticed about the game was the mix of 2D and 3D. This was quite common from the mid-90s to the early 2000s. I personally find this aesthetic horrible, but it does bring me a certain nostalgia. Some people may like it, but you need to be careful for it to work well. And Minskies is definitely not a good reference for that! hahaha

The backgrounds are quite weird, nothing seems to connect to anything else. I really didn’t understand the vibe, there are some strange animals that have nothing to do with the pieces (which are kittens).
The enemies also have no connection to anything. First it’s a bird, then three teddy bears… the game designer must have smoked something when defining the enemies, because there is no other explanation.

The animations in the game are few and quite simple. At least they are well integrated.

I don’t have any complaints about the HUD and UI. They are totally self-explanatory. In fact, since the HUD is basically a copy of the first Puyo Puyo, there was no reason to try to reinvent the wheel.

Soundtrack and Sound Effects

The music is actually quite good, with a strong 90s vibe.
Some enemies make bizarre sounds, which emphasize the comedic tone of the game.

Gameplay

Unfortunately, this port does not support a joystick (at least at the time I wrote this review), and that negatively impacted the gameplay. Playing this type of game with a keyboard is very uncomfortable.

Minskies: The Abduction does not have a story. I even looked up the manual online to better understand the game’s universe, but I couldn’t find anything. :/

There are no dialogues and no continues. As you accumulate score, you gain extra lives. When you defeat each enemy, a slot machine appears, and if you manage to get one of the correct sequences, you’re rewarded with even more lives.
In addition to the story mode, there is a local multiplayer mode and a practice mode. You’ll really need to practice, since adapting to keyboard controls ends up being more laborious than actually defeating enemies.

Compared to Puyo Puyo, I found the enemies easier. I also had the impression that it takes longer for the falling speed of the pieces to increase.

I didn’t enjoy the game, nor do I recommend it.
As a fan of the Puyo Puyo franchise, I don’t think this game is a legitimate clone. On the other hand, I do like these retro weird games… somehow, they bring back memories of my childhood.

Honestly, it’s only worth playing if you’re an old-school gaming rat. This game hasn’t aged well, and those who aren’t used to a 90s vibe will probably find it terrible.

Replayability and Game Retention

I didn’t enjoy the game, and the replay value is practically zero for me. Except that I’m sure one day I’ll be bored enough to play it again, just to remember why I didn’t like it! hahaha