So much so that I’m going to devote an entire post (at another time) towards playing Persphone, my first bought character in the online version of Puzzle Strike.

What I really love about this game is the large variety of characters, all with different signature moves that matter in their game. I love special powers, and Puzzle Strike presents plenty of it. In fact, what PS reminds me most of is Button Men, a game I love all to death for its variety, special powers, and brutal, quick, fighting game play. Unfortunately, it died an unfortunate lingering death, I believe partly due to the cost of getting a complete collection of buttons, which you collected in twos.

In Puzzle Strike, on the other hand, you get all the characters in two goes (the base set, and then the expansion). It’s also a deck-building game (except with chips), so it’s as if Button Men and Dominion got together and had a kid.

The third edition of PS is rolling around, with years of balance (and yet the asymmetry is still well and alive) built in. If you want to try it out for free, it’s available online. You don’t even need to register to play one of the two rotating free characters. I think this month’s characters are particularly well-geared for beginners. Although if you want to play Persephone, here’s a strategy guide for her.

Now I think I’m about ready to bring her out for prime time, with (gasp) real other players.

By the by, even though I only own one character and play with her all the time, the variety of opponents (such variety!) and combinations of bank chips (again, variety!) keep me quite busy. Thanks to this variety, and the combos and such one can set up or watch other set up, this game is as addictive as Dominion.