PixlBit

Marking their second downloadable title for Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network, Double Fine’s Stacking provides a one-of-kind, full-fledged experience. Similar in some ways to Take Two’s Space Station Silicon Valley on the N64, players take on the quest of a Matroyshka doll that can stack into other dolls of increasing size. Through this unique mechanic, players can explore the landscape, solve puzzles in a variety of ways, and complete a menagerie of other tasks. This unique gameplay makes for one of the best titles in Double Fine’s catalog and a solid purchase for anyone looking for something unique.

Stacking takes place during the industrial age, where an evil Baron is forcing children to perform hard labor. The story follows the Blackmore family, whose father has mysteriously disappeared and is now heavily in debt. In order to pay off what they owe, the entire family is forced to work as slaves, with the exception of Charlie, the smallest member of the Blackmore family. Though small, Charlie is determined to save his family and stop the Baron.

Once the opening cinematics have finished, players are introduced to the first level and hub of Stacking, the Train Station. The area is initially intended to familiarize players with many of the gameplay elements, such as the stacking mechanic, utilizing the unique assortment of Matryoshka dolls, and the different challenge types. While the intriguing gameplay introduction builds a sense of excitement for the experience to come, the art style is a bit distracting (in a good way).

As always, Double Fine has created a world full of originality and life that is simply unbelievable. The dolls are without a doubt the highlight of Stacking, and though there are dozens of Matryoshkas, each has a unique personality and its own little quirk.

While the dolls may be the centerpieces of the title, the environments are no less enchanting. Each of the four areas players will explore is wonderfully decorated with historically appropriate items, all of which are accentuated by a sepia tone that adds to the already present "yesteryear" feel. By far one of my favorite aspects about Stacking's art style is the way developers managed to make an area feel big and small at the same time. While the storyline sets players in large scale areas, such as a boat and a train station, the objects surrounding them are all tiny; after all, Matryoshka dolls are pretty small. Spools of thread, thimbles, and other tiny trinkets take the place of normal objects, adding a subtle charm to the world that wouldn't have otherwise been conveyed.

Thankfully, due to how Stacking's gameplay is designed, players will have every opportunity to explore the wonderful worlds and interact with the vast assortment of colorful characters.

Though the game is technically considered a puzzle/adventure game, it is very similar to a sandbox title. Along Charlie's quest to save his family, players will visit four unique areas, in which they will encounter a variety of different challenges. These include a main task, several smaller challenges, and a set of Hi-Jinks.

In order for players to complete any of the aforementioned challenges, they must, as the title states, stack. The Matryoshka dolls found in each area come in several different sizes and each type of doll has a unique ability that can help Charlie. The stacking process itself is incredibly simple as long as players obey a single rule: you can only stack into another doll if they are one size bigger than you. This means that Charlie (the smallest Matryoshka doll in the game) can't stack into a doll that is four times bigger than him. Instead, he will have to stack into other smaller dolls first. Once players have a need to utilize a different doll, all they have to do is simply un-stack and then re-stack appropriately to reach the other Matryoshka's size.

As previously stated, there are dozens of different Matryoshka dolls to utilize, and they come in two different types. The first are the common Matryoshka dolla, which are generously spread throughout every location. These characters usually serve little purpose other than being humorous fillers, though they do occasionally come in handy when solving Hi-Jinks. Some of the common abilities of these dolls include smoking pipes, shouting, and even passing gas.

The second types of dolls are considered special, with only one of each uniquely named doll inhabiting a particular area. They each have a unique skill that is almost always required to solve a puzzle in one way or another. When stacked inside of these dolls players are able to perform more specific actions, such as camouflaging items with magic, playing a flute to lure rats, throwing bananas, seducing other dolls, and even infecting other dolls by sneezing on them.

There are even particular instances where players will have to stack multiple dolls in order to utilize both of their skills. For instance, players can create explosions by lighting a flame with one doll, then stacking down and farting on the flame with another.

Once players have the self-control to stop entertaining themselves by stacking relentlessly and harassing the other dolls, they can begin focusing on their journey. The main quest in a given area drives the story forward, and usually requires players to gather a set of particular Matryoshkas by completing the level's smaller challenges first. Unlike most other games, the main quests are greatly overshadowed by the smaller challenges; both in terms of challenge and entertainment value.

Every area has a different number of tasks that will require players to do some heavy thinking. Unlike the primary goal, which only has one solution, the smaller tasks can be solved in multiple ways, and trying to find every way to solve a problem is the highlight of Stacking.

Each puzzle has different number of solutions, which usually ranges between three and five. The difficulty of every puzzle differs, and will depend on the person playing and their particular manner of thought. Players who may like to over think solutions (like me) may have an easy time figuring out the more obscure solutions, and completely overlook the simple ones. Some of the challenges players will encounter include stopping the caviar service, rescuing a teddy bear, sabotaging an Egyptian exhibit, and defeating multiple enemies each with their own strengths and weaknesses.

In addition to puzzle solving, players will be challenged with two other tasks throughout the game. The first is finding all of the special Matryoshka dolls in any given area, which is a fairly simple task. Usually they are quite distinct from a visual perspective, and players wind up using the majority of them to solve puzzles. Thankfully, if players are having trouble finding the last few special Matryoshkas, one of the ordinary dolls has a unique ability that makes the special dolls glow blue.

A player's final task is figuring out the Hi-Jinks; the small challenge add-ons that are found within every world. Players can view all of the available Hi-Jinks in an area on their menu, though the Hi-Jinks' name will be their only clue as to how it is completed. For example, the Hi-Jink "Shattered" requires players to use the opera singer, Wilhemina, to break a certain number of drinking glasses. In another Hi-Jink, entitled "A Blast on the Past", players will find themselves needing to flatulate on old dolls. While some of the Hi-Jinks do tend to feel a bit tacked on at times, they add an element of silliness and charm that's hard not to smirk at.

Despite all of Stacking's character and charm, it won’t appeal to all gamers. No matter how you look at it, Stacking is a game for completionists, and anyone who only wants to go from point A to point B should steer clear, as Stacking isn't a game to be hastilylayed through. Instead, it is a title designed for players to take their time, enjoy the world, and explore the puzzles with thought and creativity.

Considering this, gamers who find little entertainment in repeating a process over and over won't find much to appreciate. Fortunately, for those who don't mind a bit of repetition, and especially those who love a good puzzle adventure game, Stacking is an absolute must buy.