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I’ve found that Sokoban-inspired puzzlers – essentially the concept of pushing boxes around – are often lacking in either variety or difficulty, with some like the recent Glyphs of Gitzan suffering in both departments. So, when Sokolab entered the gaming area and developers Afil Games claimed it offers a cerebral challenge, as well as innovative mechanics, I became intrigued.
Could Sokolab actually be one of the best Sokoban-style games? Or does it fail to back up such bold claims?
Sokolab comes out of the blocks slowly, with the first level featuring a little unnamed robot in a small 3D tiled area, a single box and solitary green square that’s presumed to be the end-goal amongst the grey tiles. Pushing the box three places to the right is all it takes to complete, before moving on to the next. The few puzzles following it merely increase the number of boxes and alter the layout of the tiles. It’s fine, albeit fairly unimaginative, but given a chance, it soon begins to shine.
In total there are fifty puzzles, all of which do require the ordinary looking boxes to be manoeuvred towards their designated spots. What changes are the obstacles you have to overcome in order to achieve this, with a whole range of cool mechanics introduced.
Electrical boxes come into play when placed on certain tiles, while standard pressure switches are thrown into the mix too. You’ll have to raise or lower barriers to clear a path to navigate the grid and reach the goal. And then there are elevators that allow vertical traversal to and from different floors within the same puzzle. That’s before taking into account the explosive green goo and the reflective mirrors that add yet another twist to proceedings, amongst other things.
Every addition to Sokolab is a welcome one, however it’s the sheer combination of different ideas in a level that just takes the complexity up a notch in the best way. The pacing of the fresh ideas being incorporated is perfectly implemented, offering a chance to get familiar with a mechanic over increasingly difficult stages, before changing the dynamic once more through another innovation. Understanding the mechanics is an important part of overcoming the conundrums, but it’s logic that gets you there in the end.
Ensuring logical outcomes to each and every puzzle is what makes Sokolab so enjoyable. There will be times where the scenario laid out in front of you appears daunting and perhaps overwhelming. Sure, it’s pretty tough at times, but a little trial and error along with smart thinking is all you need to feel the elation of success. The ability to undo any erroneous moves or reset the level completely, lessens the frequency of any frustration as you attempt to figure out the tricky solutions.
Making use of the undo and reset features will also net you a large chunk of the 2000 Gamerscore available, so it’s essentially rewarding failure as a morale boost. Most of the rest is earned by simply finishing the first 25 levels, which is an odd place to stop considering the fascinating ideas found beyond this point. You should definitely stick with it after cleaning up all the achievements.
Unfortunately, I can’t spend this whole review praising Sokolab, for there are minor downsides to mention. The overall aesthetic is bland as hell, with the backgrounds being the biggest offender, consisting of scientific objects copied and pasted across the screen. From a practical point-of-view however, the tile design makes it difficult to see whether there’s a difference in verticality during some levels. It’s not a deal-breaker, but a mild irritant on occasion.
Ultimately, Sokolab manages to conjure up puzzles that are of a high quality, something rarely seen in the realm of Sokoban-style offerings. This is mainly due to an influx of new mechanics at perfectly placed intervals to ensure the experience stays fresh. As such, simple box pushing transforms into cleverly complex problems, which are increasingly satisfying to solve. It would be nice if the visual presentation was a little better, but that’s not the end of the world.
Sokolab costs a few quid in exchange for a few hours of great puzzling, and I think that’s darn good value!
Explore a World of Puzzles in Sokolab – https://www.thexboxhub.com/explore-a-world-of-puzzles-in-sokolab-a-new-box-pushing-adventure/
Buy Sokolab from the Xbox Store – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/sokolab/9n23wfnms054