Prominent Australian developer Halfbrick has announced its brand new IP for the Xbox LIVE Arcade - Raskulls. Joining the heritage of the most popular XBLA titles such as Braid, Castle Crashers and The Maw, Raskulls is an entirely original and exciting puzzle platformer with a rich single-player campaign and an incredibly addictive online multiplayer component.

The gameplay is a unique blend of platforming, puzzle and racing. With hundreds of blocks arranged in Tetris-style fashion throughout each world, players must use a block-smashing wand to find their way through the level in the most efficient way possible. Some levels are simple point-to-point or lap footraces, while other modes involve diffusing bombs and conserving block-bashing "ammo". Up to four players can race with heaps of weapons and power-ups in a huge variety of levels and modes.

Games developed with a variety of genres in mind during the creation process often fail to provide enough focus and longevity for the player. Lead designer Daniel Vogt confidently believes that Raskulls will be a one-of-a-kind experience with quality gameplay to back it up. "It's difficult to categorize Raskulls, but instead of using that as an excuse, the whole dev team knows it's an advantage," he said, "Everyone is familiar with simple block-based gaming, but we've taken it to the next level by placing the player directly into the puzzle-based environment – and given them heaps of gameplay options. Combine the variety of power-ups, the lengthy story mode and addictive multiplayer, and we know we're onto a winner."

The single player story mode is an adventure starring King, Dragon, Ninja and a host of other Raskulls, as they trek across three massive worlds in search of the mystical Shiny Stones. The Stones possess huge amounts of power, and as King himself says, they are “very important to the plot.” The game is full of tongue-in-cheek humor and visual gags, all the more effective when delivered by the contagiously cute Raskulls.

Up to four players can jump straight in on the same console via split-screen local multiplayer, and also online via a simple matchmaking system. The core focus is racing, as the Raskulls jump, swim and bounce their way through block-filled environments. However, the game reaches a new level of intensity with the introduction of combat items such as Flame Charge and Thunder Staff, along with the constant collection of Boosties to fill the Frenzy bar, which activates super speed for short bursts.

Throughout the main adventure, over ten original gameplay types will be available in addition to the normal racing events. This include Ammo Scrooge, where players have limited shots to navigate a complex maze of blocks, and Bomb Diffusion, in which a number of bombs are placed throughout each level, and must be carefully navigated and disarmed.

The best of the best Raskulls players will compete for the fastest times and highest scores via global leaderboards. The online component will be incredibly deep, with intense Grand Prix matches and Quick Race events. With alternate paths to take, varying block formations and array of power-ups, no two races will be the same.

The real stars of the show are the Raskulls themselves. Cute, costumed skeleton characters with individual personalities, the humor and art style of Raskulls is tongue-in-cheek and constantly hilarious. Two teaser images have been launched to showcase the unique art style and mischievous humor found throughout the game. More screenshots, gameplay trailers and a whole roster of character profiles will be revealed soon here on XBLArcade.com!