What if Bejewelled were a platform game? What if Dig Dug were more Columns-y? The answer to both these questions is Blocked Up, a match-3 game where you also control a little man, a man who'll be crushed if the top of a screen, or a falling block, lands on his head.
So, as in Dig Dug, you have to constantly move downwards, but by matching coloured blocks rather than shovelling them out of your way. While you move the man with WASD, or the arrow keys, you'll use the mouse to select and swap the blocks, which (naturally) will disappear when three or more of the same are matched together.
There are score-power-up thingies, there are exploding blocks, there's a high score to keep you coming back. Interestingly, you can only swap blocks horizontally, adding another layer of thought as you (increasingly frantically) clear a path for the little chap.
This is a well-realised, fresh spin on the match-3 concept. One where you're given just enough stuff to deal with—but not too much.
For more great free experiences, check out our roundup of the best free PC games.
