There’s Nothing Quite Like Stacking

 

 

First and foremost, Stacking is incredible. 

 

I just thought I’d put that out there in case the message gets diluted in what I’m about to say, or if you’re the busy sort of person that needs summaries to read rather than an article. Fundamentally, the above is all I’m aiming for. Stacking is awesome, and you should buy it. 

 

If you’re looking for something to show off to friends who don’t play games, or simply to warm your heart, Stacking is the one to go for. Double Fine have created something that is simultaneously revolutionary yet familiar; stunning yet nostalgic. Have you got the message yet? I’d like you all to buy this game, please. 

 

 

Stacking is set in a living, breathing world of Russian Stacking Dolls. You know the sort? They’re the ones your grandmother gave you when you were small, and you tipped over, and lost the littlest one and then forgot about. In the game, these dolls inhabit a Victorian world rich in beautiful steampunk design. The story follows the quest of the littlest doll in the world, Charlie Blackmore, who sets out to rescue his family from the clutches of the evil industrialist known as the Baron. Frankly, the story is not particularly memorable, but both the world created, and the manner in which you play, will stick with you for a long time. 

 

The main conceit is a stroke of genius. As the littlest doll, you can stack into any other doll from the back, provided they’re one size larger than you. Via this method, you can stackstackstack into a very large figure, and manipulate him through the level. You can un-stack at any point, and change your selection of dolls. Each doll has their own ability, which can either be used simply for fun, or to complete ‘Hi-Jink’ challenges for rewards, or to solve puzzles to move the story forward. This is incredibly satisfying, and the sheer amount of variety involved in the various uses for dolls is fantastic. You can seduce dolls. You can scare them. You can blow bubblegum into their faces. You can levitate. You can go invisible. You can play the violin. You can even, in one rather surprising instance, raise a ‘train crossing’ sign out of your head. Each of these is used for something, and part of the joy in the game comes from the moment when you realise exactly what. 

 

 

The real star of the game, however, is the world that Double Fine (under the direction of designer Lee Petty) has created. Every level is rich in detail, and sound, and colour, and action. They’re themed: A station, a steamship, a zeppelin, and an enormous train, and each gently pokes fun at the conventions we associate with each. On board the ship, steward dolls stand waiting politely offering to help, but never provide any at all. Various eccentric guests inhabit the rooms, and everything is decked out in themed design: barnacles, octopus tentacles, and pale blue walls. The entire game also suggests that the dolls have built their world from things humans have thrown away. Lollipop sticks make wooden floors, and cigars form the smokestacks of the steamship. I have already spotted an obvious Mass Effect reference and a slightly less obvious (apparently unintentional) Bioshock reference, while the dialogue spoken by dolls is genuinely funny and well written. I don’t know how much Tim Schafer is involved in these smaller games from Double Fine, but I would deeply suspect his hand in this. 

 

 

The puzzles, to be fair, are not particularly difficult. They play as though someone had transposed point and click adventures into a three dimensional engine, and are often just as witty and inventive as those seen in the Monkey Island series. The lack of difficulty, I feel, is more than made up for by the sense of realisation one gets when a particularly peculiar solution is found. Often, if you think a solution might work, it actually does. 

 

I hope my excitement and enjoyment is palpable. I’ll leave you with one anecdote that should, I hope, sell you on this game. The main menu (accompanied by some beautiful Chopin piano music) features the darkened silhouettes of dolls standing perfectly still. The camera scrolls through their featureless ranks. As you progress through the game, and unlock the enormous amount of unique characters within, however, these dolls are revealed in the menu. Watching them scroll by, I felt a real connection to these characters. ‘I used you to vanish an Egyptian mummy,’ I thought. ‘I used you to sneak some rats around the ship’, and ‘I walked around with you slapping people with a glove’. Each doll I saw reminded me of an adventure I’d had, and provoked a real sense of nostalgia. 

 

 

I love this game. I properly love it. And I think that you will too. It’s not too long, but doesn’t outstay its welcome, and it’s a truly unique gem. 

 

Stacking is incredible.