Stacking (video game)
| Stacking | |
|---|---|
 Official logo | |
| Developer(s) | Double Fine Productions |
| Publisher(s) | THQ |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation Network, Xbox Live Arcade |
| Release | PlayStation 3 Xbox 360 February 9, 2011[1] |
| Genre(s) | Adventure, puzzle |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
Stacking is a adventure/puzzle video game developed by Double Fine Productions and published by THQ; like Double Fine's previous Costume Quest, it is a smaller title created during the development period of Brutal Legend, and will be released on the PlayStation Network in North America on February 8, 2011 and in Europe and on Xbox Live Arcade worldwide on February 9, 2011.[1] The game's development is being led by Double Fine's art director, Lee Petty.[2] The game is based on the Russian stacking matryoshka dolls; set in a world populated by these animated dolls in the 1930s.
Gameplay
The player controls the smallest doll, Charlie Blackmore, who is attempting to reunite his family that is being forced to work for an evil industrialist named The Baron.[2][3] Charlie is able to jump inside dolls that are one size larger than him and control them, as long as the larger doll is facing away from him.[2] If the player already controls a stack of dolls, that stack can jump into a one-size-larger doll as well. The player can also unstack the dolls at any time in order to enter dolls smaller than his current stack. Certain unique dolls, outside of Charlie, have their own special abilities—such as the ability to unlock doors, float to higher locations, or lure other dolls around, which can be used by the outermost doll. Thus, the player must stack and unstack the set of dolls possessed by Charlie to solve puzzles throughout the game.[4]
The various challenges for each mission contains multiple solutions, with rewards offered for finding all of them. For example; in a challenge where the player must clear out a lounge of rich people, players can either sneak in a poorly dressed man into the party, or have enough character flatulate into an art vent to clear everyone out. There are also rewards for completing side missions, discovering unique dolls, and finding and stacking a matching set of dolls.[3][5] A free-play mode called "Hyjinks" allows players to enjoy the game without the structure of the game's story, and features additional rewards.[6]
Development
Stacking is the second game, following Costume Quest, to come from Double Fine that was initially created during an "Amnesia Fortnight" event during Brutal Legend's development period. Tim Schafer had used the Fortnight during a time where the fate of Brutal Legend's publication was unclear, dividing the company into four teams to prototype smaller games.[7] The game's creator and project lead is Lee Petty, who had been the art director for Brutal Legend.[3] Petty had wanted to create a contemporary adventure game, maintaining the characters and stories while reinventing the normal point-and-click interface used for such games. After observing his daughter playing with matryoshka dolls, he realized that the dolls themselves could be the characters, the inventory, and the action verbs at the same time.[8] Schafer assisted in helping Petty to write the game's story and to design some of the puzzles.[8]
The game contains a central hub level, the Royal Train Station, and four additional levels that the player travels to through the Train Station. Each level was designed with a number of puzzles that allowed the player to approach in any order, while keeping the level size small and uncomplicated to prevent the player from becoming lost.[8] Most of the puzzles have been designed with multiple solutions; Petty stated they wanted to cater to both the casual player, who may only want to find one of the solutions to progress in the game, and the more dedicated player, who would likely spend time to discover all of the intended solutions.[8] This was furthered by allowing the player to freely roam through previously-completed areas to complete all the puzzles, including after completing the main story.[8] The levels themselves are designed using a mix of the Great Depression and Victorian era designs, using virtual household items such as marbles and safety pins, an inspiration that came from interest in dioramas and miniature stages.[3][5] The game itself presents cutscenes with dialog in the fashion of silent films, where a text plaque is shown to show the dialog after it is acted out.[5]
As part of the game's promotion, Double Fine offered a set of matryoshka dolls based on characters in the game; the initial run was sold out in less than 24 hrs.[9]
References
- ^ a b Nelson, Randy (2011-01-19). "Stacking pops onto PSN Feb. 8, XBLA Feb. 9". Joystiq. Retrieved 2011-01-19.
- ^ a b c "Please allow me to introduce you to… Charlie Blackmore". Double Fine. 2010-11-23. Retrieved 2010-11-23.
- ^ a b c d Herring, Will (2010-12-24). "First Look: Stacking". Gamepro. Retrieved 2011-01-14.
- ^ Steimer, Kristine (2010-11-23). "The Skinny on Double Fine's Next Game". IGN. Retrieved 2010-11-23.
- ^ a b c Funk, John (2011-01-19). "Hands-On: Double Fine's Stacking". The Escapist. Retrieved 2011-01-19.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Nunneley, Stephany (2011-01-26). "Stacking to include "Hijinx" mode, all sorts of bodily functions". VG247. Retrieved 2011-01-26.
- ^ Alexander, Jem (2010-11-24). "'Stacking' is Double Fine's next game". Official Xbox Magazine. Retrieved 2011-01-14.
- ^ a b c d e "Double Fine's Lee Patty Shares His Vision For Stacking". Sony Computer Entertainment. 2011-01-14. Retrieved 2011-01-14.
- ^ Doctorow, Cory (2011-02-01). "Whimsical, fantastical matrioshke". Boing Boing. Retrieved 2011-02-01.