Relive an old-school Tetris game

Pillars (C64) is a free-to-play indie ROM for Commodore 64 and its supported emulators. Here, you match three similar gems to remove them from the board, much like the classic arcade hit Columns released by Sega in 1990. This also lets you experience old-school gaming with dated graphics and sound effects.

As a retro game designed specifically for the now-discontinued C64 console, Pillars (C64) joins other modern works that aim to reintroduce the 80s gaming feels for new audiences and nostalgia for older ones. Other alternatives in the same engine include Bagman Comes Back (C64 version) or Snow Wars.

A retro match-three game

For those unfamiliar with Columns, or who were too young to try it first-hand, Pillars (C64) is essentially Tetris. The gameplay objective is also simple: survive as long as possible and post the highest score you can manage. Once the gems reach the top of the screen, it’s game over. These simple mechanics are used to make games addictive in the day.

The game also becomes increasingly difficult yet rewarding. In every 50 gems cleared, the score multiplier increases at the cost of increased drop speed. This makes it more challenging as the game goes on, requiring players to have lightning-fast reflexes if they are to survive. The Original mode goes on until your game is over, while the 3 Minute mode lets you post the highest score within the time frame.

The game also lets you play with another person through the 2 Player mode. Additionally, you can set handicaps through the in-game Settings, which allow you to customize the difficulty of one player. What makes this supposedly dated game slightly more interesting is its inclusivity: it lets you adjust gem colors to be more distinguishable for those with color blindness or even mute the entire game.

Great for throwback gaming sessions

Its simple objective plus its surprisingly inclusive in-game options make Pillars (C64) a great choice for your next gaming session. Whether you’re a longtime gamer who played the original C64 console or a younger one looking for some retro games to try, this works great. Its increasingly difficult gameplay and the urge to post the top score definitely makes this a must-try.