Hot Wax is essentially Tetris with candles and fire, where the blocks are all made up of candles and you attempt to melt them with fire.
Originally created for Ludum Dare in PICO-8, in Hot Wax you are the Wax Whisperer – a being capable of manipulating wax, and you intend to use your power to unleash an unfathomable power from an ancient temple. To do this you’ll need to burn candles as a sacrifice, which you do in a very addictive Tetris style puzzle game.
As in Tetris, different shaped blocks drop from the top of the screen and you need to place them. However, in Hot Wax you don’t clear blocks by creating lines – you do it by setting fire to them. There are three types of block – differently shaped wax candles (essentially Tetris blocks), explosives and fire. You need to place the candles and then light them with fire to make them burn. They only light from their wicks though and if a candle falls on a lit wick it will snuff it out.
It’s a clever twist on the classic Tetris formula that makes a huge difference to the original’s gameplay. You’re no longer trying to create lines, but instead are trying to figure out optimal placements to light your wicks and avoid getting snuffed out. It makes for a very addictive game and also looks really cool as the fire spreads. Highly recommended.
Controls: Left/Right – Move Blocks, Down – Speed Up Fall, Up – Instant Fall, Z/X – Rotate
Available On: Browser, PICO-8