Orb Tower

Developer: Pierre Vandermaesen | Publisher: VANDERMAESEN GAMES | Release Date: 2025 | Genre: Puzzle / Arcade / Roguelike | Website: N/A | Purchase: Steam

Anyone who spent time with Puzzle Bobble, Bust-A-Move, or one of its many imitators will immediately understand the appeal of Orb Tower. There is something timeless about firing colored bubbles at a ceiling full of matching ones, lining up the perfect shot, and watching entire rows of bubbles drop down.. Orb Tower takes this familiar formula and gives it a roguelike twist, complete with different characters, items, bosses, shops, and a tower to climb.

The result is a very affordable and surprisingly addictive little puzzle game that was right up our alley. We were big fans of Puzzle Bobble and spent a lot of time with the Game Boy Color version back in the day, so Orb Tower had an easy time sinking its hooks into us. It does not try to reinvent the bubble shooter formula completely, but the added roguelike elements give it enough identity to stand apart from a straight clone.

The premise is simple. Players choose one of eight different magic schools and attempt to climb the Orb Tower by clearing stages filled with elemental orbs. The game features  more than 300 handcrafted levels, 15 items with special effects, and five bosses to overcome. Each run consists of a sequence of short stages where players must fire limited shots at clusters of orbs. Matching the correct colors clears them from the board, while any orbs left behind at the end of a stage will hurt the player. This means careless shooting can quickly turn into a problem, especially on higher difficulties.

The controls could not be simpler. Orb Tower is built around one-button gameplay, so players only need to aim and click to fire. This makes it very easy to pick up, but there is still enough skill involved to keep things interesting. Shots can be bounced off walls and carefully threaded between obstacles, which is immensely satisfying. Unlike Puzzle Bobbles you can only drop orbs of the same color as your shot, so gravity does not play a factor. This means attaching a different colored orb to a row that you are going to clear won’t get rid of that pesky orb as it will stay behind until hit with two other orbs of the same color.

The roguelike elements come into play between stages. Players earn coins that can be spent in shops, where items offer helpful effects for the rest of the run. Inventory space is limited, so deciding which items to keep and which ones to sell becomes part of the strategy. Some items and character abilities are much stronger than others, though, so balance is not perfect. There are definitely combinations that feel overpowered compared to the rest, especially once players understand which items are worth prioritizing.

Difficulty progression is also handled in an interesting way. Players must begin on Easy, then unlock Medium by completing the game with all characters. Hard is then unlocked by completing the game with all characters on Medium. This gives completionists a clear reason to keep playing, but it also means players who want a tougher challenge immediately will have to earn it first. Since each magic school plays a little differently, working through the roster does help keep repeat runs from feeling too repetitive.

The bosses are a nice addition and give the game a little more structure than simply clearing one board after another. However, they are also where we encountered the only serious issue during our time with the game. During the witch boss fight, the game occasionally failed to give us anything to shoot for the next shot. This forced us to quit back to the menu and keep trying until the problem did not occur. It was not enough to ruin the experience, but it was frustrating and hopefully something that can be addressed.

Most of the time, though, Orb Tower is very easy to enjoy. Runs are short, stages are quick, and the game has that dangerous “just one more try” quality that all good arcade puzzlers need. The early difficulty is forgiving, but later stages and higher settings demand more accurate shooting and better item management. It never becomes as demanding as some puzzle roguelikes, but the gradual climb in challenge works well.

Visually, Orb Tower uses bright and cheerful pixel art. The presentation is simple but charming, and the different orbs are easy to distinguish at a glance. This is important for a game where quick decisions matter, and the visuals never get in the way of the puzzle solving. The nostalgic look fits the gameplay perfectly and gives the whole experience a pleasant old-school feel.

The audio is also a good match for the visuals. The chiptune soundtrack is catchy without becoming too distracting, and the sound effects provide satisfying feedback when orbs pop or large groups collapse. The music and pixel art combine to give Orb Tower the feel of something that could have existed on older hardware, but with modern roguelike conveniences layered on top.

Replay value is one of the game’s strongest points. Between the eight magic schools, three main difficulties, unlock requirements, items, shops, bosses, and numerous handcrafted stages, there is a lot more here than the low price might suggest. The game is not endlessly deep, but it offers enough variation to remain entertaining for far longer than expected.

Overall, Orb Tower is an excellent example of taking a classic arcade puzzle formula and giving it just enough of a modern twist. Fans of Puzzle Bobble will feel immediately at home, while the roguelike structure adds some welcome progression and variety. A few balance issues and the bug we encountered during the witch boss fight hold it back slightly, but for the price, this is an easy recommendation.