Stacking

[h2]A game where you stack and unstack lovely little dolls[/h2] That's about all I remember from my playthrough. ... That's not true. I watched the trailer and now I remember this unique little gem! You solve puzzles by stacking and unstacking lovely little dolls to unlock new areas, find keys, and... witness a bit of farting as well. No really, it's a great game. It's like a silent film starring Russian nesting dolls, and somehow it all just works. Double Fine did a fine job with this one. :) [h2]7/10[/h2] [h3][url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/45905648-Gork%2527s-Game-Grind/]Check out my curated list of games[/url][/h3]

Stacking is one of the most inventive and charming puzzle adventure games released during the rise of experimental indie titles, combining creative mechanics with a whimsical world unlike almost anything else in gaming. Developed by Double Fine Productions, the game transforms the simple idea of Russian nesting dolls into the foundation for an entire society, complete with its own politics, humor, and emotional storytelling. Beneath the playful visual design lies a surprisingly clever adventure filled with flexible puzzle solving, memorable characters, and subtle social commentary that gives the experience far more depth than its toy-inspired premise initially suggests. The story follows Charlie Blackmore, the smallest nesting doll in a world populated entirely by living matryoshka dolls. Charlie’s family has been separated and forced into labor by an oppressive industrial baron who exploits workers across the land. Determined to rescue his siblings and stop the Baron’s growing influence, Charlie travels through various locations filled with unusual characters and increasingly elaborate obstacles. Although the game maintains a lighthearted and humorous tone throughout most of the …

I loved this game. Very beautiful, very cute gimmick, really fun puzzles, super enjoyable to play. Stacking is a real hidden gem (less than 1000 reviews at the time of writing this). I honestly don't quite understand. It's visually super charming and has excellent gameplay. It's child friendly but not childish. The puzzles are fun... seriously people, at the time of writing this it's on sale for 1.63€ and it's easily worth the ~8€ when it's not on sale. Get this. If you have any love for puzzle games and whimsical atmosphere, this is one of the best games on Steam.

A simple puzzle game about a nestling doll saving his family and rewards you on the various methods that you solve the puzzle. However, it is a bit boring if you want to 100% the game. I only bought this game since I only had access to the PS3 demo in my childhood and fell in love with the stacking abilities. Despite the game being 14 years old (Steam release only), it's a original game as there is barely any puzzle games that have nestling dolls as their main setting. It's a pretty wholesome plot in which you are saving your siblings and other child from child labor in the 1900s. The game rewards you if you solve the puzzle in various ways or just messing around with a pieces of a canvas or golden accessories for specific nestling dolls such as a sailor hat for the seagulls. What I did not like was how wonky the game was and how they showed a new, interesting mechanic in the last level. The game was wonky from my experience, as the game crashed when I either opened visuals in settings or, at one time, just alt+tabbed. The interesting mechanic was how the two dolls' abilities can interact with each other (Oil and fire), but they do this at the near end of the game, which I wish t…

While I like Double Fine's other games, particularly Psychonauts, I really didn't enjoy this. The overall art direction, while as adventurous as you'd expect from Double File, left me cold. Something about having still painted doll faces which "talk" by opening and closing at the waist, coupled with the murky sepia tint and gamma, just didn't work for me. Added to that the cutscenes' silent-movie flicker and fundamental dullness really made them an unpleasant chore to watch, rather than a reward. As many others have said, the puzzles are basic, and the "padding" of trying to do each puzzle multiple ways (each of which is equally simple) didn't engage me. Other reviews forgive this by saying this is a kids game, but I don't think that's the case - silent movie styling is definitely not an obvious kid-oriented choice. The Kirby style underlying mechanic could have had potential and it might actually make a good 2D indie puzzler, but this game's not for me.

Mediocre.