SAN FRANCISCO--This year, Microsoft is touting its XNA development platform, which multiple developers are using to create some interesting games with the potential to be released via Xbox Live Arcade. One of these, TriLinea, is an intriguing mix of board-game strategizing and fast-paced puzzle action. We just played through portions of the story and versus modes, and look forward to seeing more of this unique game.

　　In a standard TriLinea match, you and your opponent place two-squared pieces on the same game board. The pieces resemble dominoes, though each square is color-coded and portrays one of four symbols: sun, moon, star, or meteor. The main object is to do damage to your opponent's health by making a sequence of three squares of the same color, either horizontally or vertically. Once you do so, the squares explode and your opponent's health bar takes a hit.

　　If only it remained that simple. Before each match, you choose four spells out of a longer list of available choices. Like in most role-playing games, spells can be cast only when you have enough mana. Once you've obtained the necessary amount of this magical energy, you can cast the spell, and we soon grew to love a few favorites. With one spell, we could destroy our opponent's active--but unplaced--game piece. Another causes your challenger's controls to invert, an annoyance we can attest to, considering we fell victim to it multiple times. Others among the remaining choices let you shield yourself from damage, heal yourself, or slow your opponent down.

　　Yet if you can believe it, there is even another tactic at your disposal: symbol patterns. Remember the symbols on each square of your game piece? If you create a pattern on the game board using those symbols, you can cast ad hoc spells. For example, if you create a square-shaped pattern with four suns, you will summon a beam of light that damages every block it touches. Placing four moon symbols in a crescent pattern on the board will slow your enemy to a crawl. Patterns with stars recover your hit points, and those with meteors convert damage to your health into damage to your enemy.

　　All of this takes place in real time, so you have to worry about all of these gameplay elements while developing tactics on the fly. It ended up being a complex but engaging experience, and we look forward to seeing the final product. GameSpot will bring you updated news on TriLinea, including a release date, as it develops.