We haven’t seen a proper Puzzle League game since Nintendo popped Animal Crossing: Puzzle League into Animal Crossing: New Leaf, and even that was more of a minigame. Us match-3 fiends have been at a loss. However, Soft not Weak stepped in with Spirit Swap: Lofi Beats to Match-3 To, a Panel de Pon and Puzzle League like that is also a visual novel dating sim. It’s incredibly vibrant with solid gameplay, and I found it is great if you’re looking for something to fill that space.
The core gameplay of Spirit Swap: Lofi Beats to Match-3 To is the Panel de Pon and Puzzle League puzzle portion. There are three difficulty levels, but I noticed I really ended up seeing the greatest difference between them when I went with the hardest option called SHEESH. The difference ends up coming down to the number of shapes available and speed at which new layers of items to swap appears. So easy has the slowest speed and fewer designs. Normal has a steady speed and all shapes. SHEESH moves incredibly fast. I tested all three and found the default difficulty to be the best, though someone just here for the story mode may want to go with “easy.” Also, the campaign does allow someone to enter the menu and press a button to essentially “win,” if you’re getting frustrated and just want to continue the story.
The Spirit Swap: Lofi Beats to Match-3 To gameplay is pure Panel de Pon or Puzzle League. The modes include options like Story, Endless, and Versus for up to two people. You’ll use Samar and swap blocks horizontally (never vertically) to create groups of three or more. This eliminates them from the screen. Each spirit has a distinctive shape and color. This helps with accessibility and matching, since things can move fast! I notice it helped eliminate careless mistakes. Also, it increases the general aesthetic, which is colorful and kaleidoscopic. Story and Versus both involve facing off against multiple characters, while Endless lets you casually swap spirits at any pace you’d like for as long as you can keep up.
To help set it apart from similar puzzles and keep with the fantasy theme, each character has a trademark spell. We can make Samar equip up to three that can be changed upon meeting and beating her friends in the campaign. (These can be swapped in the altar in her room after you get them.) When you get the spirits in the correct shape for one of these spells and use it, you can cause different effects to happen that remove blocks from your screen and add more garbage ones or conditions like frozen spirits to your opponents’ well. Garbage blocks are also sent over if you create chains of spirit eliminations, which also builds up the gauge that lets you use spells. Again, it’s great and allows for fantastic strategy.


Now, while the primary focus of Spirit Swap: Lofi Beats to Match-3 To is play the puzzle game, the Story segment also adds some visual novel, dating sim, and customization elements. The initial part focuses on Samar, the witch who helps keep spirits from getting into Demashq and causing trouble. When they’re on patrol one night, an odd influx appears. This is happening right as an incredibly popular boyband called 5HAG VISION is about to play a concert in town. Concerned about both the performance and their friends in the city, we follow the witch’s investigation. At each stop, this means better getting to know the supernatural people who live there, learn what’s up with the spirits, and get more spells for Samar to use and furniture to decorate a quaint cottage. I just wish it was longer. You know, have us face each character in battle more than once during the campaign or offer a big final fight that feels like a challenge.
A smart move Soft not Weak makes here is that the dating sim elements are essentially optional. These come up in the epilogue following the situation in Demashq after the 5HAG VISION concert. You can go around the map speaking to people, getting to know them better and potentially romance them. Unlike the fully voiced story, these aren’t, which is a shame. But I did appreciate that I could go to the phone at home and force someone to spawn on the map to really ensure I dated who I wanted.


As for ambiance, Soft not Weak went above and beyond to really capture a vibe. The character designs, UI, spirit block appearances, environments, script, and music all perfectly pair together. Spirit Swap: Lofi Beats to Match-3 To is incredibly vibrant and distinctive. Which not only fits the whole “be queer” atmosphere the developer promised, but is also incredibly well suited for a puzzle game! You want these to be colorful, recognizable, and have a personality so they stand out and don’t feel generic. This does that! Spirit Swap: Lofi Beats to Match-3 To doesn’t feel like it’s just a Panel de Pon knock-off. It has its own identity. The only thing I wish is that the soundtrack by Meltycanon sometimes felt a little more distinct and prominent. There are a few really strong songs, but some of the others fade a bit into the background. Though given it is lofi, that’s probably the point in some ways.
There are a lot of reasons to play Spirit Swap: Lofi Beats to Match-3 To, such as if you love Panel de Pon or Puzzle League or you want a dating sim that features more than visual novel gameplay. It’s bright, colorful, filled with memorable characters, and is really easy to hop into and play. There are some cases when I wanted a little more, like a longer story or maybe a challenge that feel between the two highest difficulty levels, but it’s well-made game that has some real replay value when it comes to the puzzle portion.
Spirit Swap: Lofi Beats to Match-3 To is available on PCs and the Xbox Series X.
Cast spells, be queer, and crash the biggest concert of the year! Spirit Swap is an action-puzzle meets narrative game set in a lush world of witchy demons. PC version reviewed. Review copy provided by company for testing purposes.
There are a lot of reasons to play Spirit Swap: Lofi Beats to Match-3 To, such as if you love Panel de Pon or Puzzle League or you want a dating sim that features more than visual novel gameplay.
Published: Feb 4, 2025 09:00 am