--Nov 20, 2008, 23:35, Tokyo--The new thing in mobile gaming from Square Enix is Demon Chain, an action puzzle game with an RPG twist. The game hit au's EZweb service today.

Demon Chain has the usual premise of lining up like blocks -- or "elements" as they're referred to here -- to make vertical or horizontal groups of three disappear. The basic rules are simple.

In somewhat of an RPG twist, players have an HP gauge. Your goal is to get your opponent's gauge down to 0 first. Clearing blocks results in effects that include dealing damage to your opponent, recovering your HP or building up a skill gauge which can be used to perform a special skill. These skills can be equipped by the player as a customizable feature.

One strategy to victory is to line up your block clearings into chains. Longer chains result in greater effects, potentially dealing more damage to your rival.

The game can be played in single player mode against the CPU or against human opponents through online matches. For online play, the game makes use of Spear, a P2P framework from a company called Yoshidakama Ga Sako. This framewrok promises quick response time.

Pricing for Demon Chain is based off use. Single player mode has a one-time fee of 315 yen. Multiplayer incurs a fee of 315 yen per month. Square Enix is also offering a 7 day demo version.