Roguematch: The Extraplanar Invasion arrives on PS5 with an earnest desire to merge two well-worn genres: the dungeon crawler and the match-3 puzzler. On paper, it sounds like a tidy bit of design alchemy. In practice, it plays out like a committee decision made very politely and then never questioned again.
Gaming Heaven
There is no denying the game is brimming with ideas. Each dungeon room throws multiple objectives at you, from clearing enemies to lining up coloured tiles to reveal runes, all while piloting a wide-eyed animal hero who looks far too cheerful for the circumstances. Boss encounters, in particular, demand a bit of planning rather than blind tile-matching, which is a welcome change of pace. The spell and equipment systems also suggest depth, offering plenty of combinations for those willing to experiment. Visually, the art direction leans hard into charm, with bright colours and expressive characters doing a lot of heavy lifting to keep things approachable.
Gaming Hell
Sadly, charm is doing most of the work here. The constant layering of mechanics quickly becomes exhausting rather than engaging, with rooms often feeling cluttered rather than cleverly designed. The match-3 system, while functional, lacks the satisfying snap you’d expect, making each move feel more like admin than strategy. Combat rarely feels tense, just busy, as you juggle icons, spells and objectives without much emotional investment. Boss fights, while theoretically strategic, are often undermined by unclear feedback and awkward pacing. Over time, the sheer volume of systems stops feeling ambitious and starts feeling indecisive, as if the game couldn’t settle on what it wanted to be.
Final Judgement
Roguematch: The Extraplanar Invasion is undeniably packed with content, but quantity does not equal cohesion. What begins as a cute and mildly inventive concept slowly reveals itself as a muddled experience weighed down by its own enthusiasm. If you enjoy juggling mechanics for the sake of it, there’s something here. Everyone else may find that the novelty wears thin long before the dungeon does.
