The more puzzle-obsessed and/or bilingual gamers amongst us already know that sokoban (Japanese for "warehouse keeper") is the kind of sliding puzzle game where the avatar needs to push crates to marked locations around a grid-like room, presumably wondering why the boss was too much of a cheapskate to spring for a forklift. Sticky Blocks, Aaron Maupin's new variation on the concept, features that familiar design and introduces blocks that stick to other blocks as well as your avatar. One could imagine being annoyed if that happened in a real-life warehouse, but when it's a game, it's a lot of fun!
You use the [arrow] keys to move your purple sticky block around the puzzle grid. When you bump up against a colorful block, it immediately sticks to you. The block won't leave until you deposit it in the proper location. Once it's attached, it also sticks to other colored blocks, creating an increasingly large and unwieldy formation you must lug around everywhere you go. As you can imagine, finding the correct order and location to stick these blocks is the key to solving each level, and one mis-step could ruin everything.
As the levels progress from easy to hard, new wrinkles in the plan are introduced. Never fear, though, as a click of the mouse or the press of the [R] key restarts the puzzle. For an extra challenge, if you finish the level with a designated set of blocks still attached, you get a star rating, and gaining enough of those opens up the even more mind-bending bonus level, and the out-right devious secret levels. There's 64 puzzles in total, so start pushing!
Analysis: There's something refreshing in the honesty of the clear, simplistic design of Sticky Blocks. It's something that screams "Hey! This is a game about moving crates around, and we're not going to pretend anything else!" No hiding behind a facade of title screen art designed to mislead people into playing, or a story that bends itself backwards trying to justify why exactly moving blocks into place will allow you to defeat Cthulhu or whatever. Even the frankness of the title is something I can appreciate: This game is about blocks. Said blocks are sticky. You can figure it out from there.
The level set-ups are consistently clever with a reasonable difficulty curve, and the added challenge of the star ratings is certainly welcome. The graphics are sparse but playful, and the music is dream-lke, if a little unmemorable. I particularly liked the level titles which, in addition to be impishly humorous, serve to push you in the right direction. I wish the controls were a little less sticky (no pun intended... okay, it was intended a little), and the inclusion of an "undo" button would have been nice, but Sticky Blocks has polish and the framework is solid.
Most people intuitively know what kinds of games are their "thing". Some break into a cold sweat when, for example, confronted with Klotski or Rush Hour, and some can't get enough for them. If sokoban happens to be your craving, Sticky Blocks will surely satisfy!
Update: I believe that it's worth mentioning that the pre-release version I played lacked the facebook overlay which seemed to be affecting the overall smoothness of the game in its official release. In the comments below, the developer has assured that the issues some are having are being fixed. Since the facebook script was moved above the gameplay window, movement flow is much improved.
Is anybody else getting the obnoxious little 'share with friends' facebook widget blocking part of the game screen?
There's an arrow glitch(whenever you press 'em, the page scrolls).:)
I'm not getting the same issues. Try a different browser?
It's a nice game, but the camera on the scrolling levels is atrocious. Sometimes it doesn't scroll until you're right at the edge of the screen, so you can't see where you're going and inevitably screw up unless you already know what's there. Once or twice it didn't even scroll at all, letting the purple block leave the screen completely.
Scratch "once or twice", it happens all the time now. It's ruining what would otherwise be an enjoyable game.
I'm also getting the facebook widget overlap (on Chromium), which is mildly irritating, but I could deal with it.
However, the game is frustratingly slow (Adobe Flash 10.2 preview on Linux), which is preventing it from being enjoyable for me.
Through 26 levels with the star but level 27 looks tough.
Really enjoying this one.
Hi Peter, we have corrected this potential issue on the site. Apologies and have fun.
Hi JiGuest,
We are looking into this potential issue and will get back to you asap.
Thanks for the feedback.
Hi everyone,
The problem with the scrolling browser should now be fixed if you have javascript enabled in your browser. (Most players do)
If you don't you need to click on the game itself to give it priority over the browser so that the keys control the game and not the scroll bar.
Hope this helps!
Regards
Jonathan
I really want to try this game, but it doesn't load. The rest of the page does, but in the space I know the game is supposed to be, its just blank.
The issues must be fixed. None of that was happening to me. It's a nice game. But I'll have to come back when I have more time. I only got to level 8 for now.
The fix to the weird webpage scrolling problem on IE has apparently broken the game in FF. Works fine on IE and Safari, but for some reason it now doesn't load on FF... waiting for the site owner to fix this...
Nice idea, but not being able to see the whole playing area at once makes it unplayable for me. Sorry.
I couldn't get past 19 ... oh well, it was fun till then.
It's working much better for me now. Fun, thanks.
Hi guys,
Please try again now. I'm really sorry for the bother you have all had. I think I have overcome the difficulties with the scroll bar and the game not showing in Firefox due to an earlier attempt at fixing the game.
Let me know if its all good for everyone.
I was almost done with the standard levels and went back to 39 to try and get the star. I couldn't do it, so I went back to the menu to try the bonus levels and...
ALL OF MY PROGRESS WAS GONE. Also, the game never actually seems to save to a file, since I always lost most of my progress when I closed my browser and restarted the game, so this may be the source of the problem.
Overall, though, I was incredibly impressed with the puzzles. Some of the star solutions are pretty slick.
Please fix the saving bug so I can try the bonus puzzles!
I love this game.
The person who made these puzzles must be a genius. Just look at the beauty of lv50: it seems so easy at first, but when you go after the star it's almost impossible. I just can't do it (which is kinda sad, since I can't get to bonus lv8 then).
I have beaten every other level with a star, though it took me a couple of hours.
I would so love an Undo Last Move button instead of having a Reset button
Horribly stuck (haha) on lv 31. Anyone made a video walkthrough yet?
MmeTurbulence, stuck at 31 as well. How in the heck do you get rid of that last block?????
Ahhh, the power of posting!
Nice game and tricky puzzles... but anyone know how to complete level 36?
Level 36? Aaaaagh! Any ideas?
Level 36?!! I suppose starting out is the hard part and I can't even do that
Yay! Power of post
Hints for level 36
Don't let anything be to the left of a blues or to the right of the reds (doh).
No need to touch the oranges until the very end.
You don't need to use any kind of disconnect trick.
The first colour you pick up is not the first color you solve
Try constructing a 2x2 single-color block
If all else fails, here is a solution:
-Move right to pick up a blue.
-Skirt round everything to pick up the two top left reds to the right of purple+blue.
-Back down and it to pick up the next two reds and form a 2x3 block
-Easy sailing from here on
I desperately need help with 24!! Great game!
Level 24 looks hard at first, but once you understand where the green blocks have to go and how they move around the puzzle, it becomes easier. Notice they get caught and release one another from the "grabbers."
In fact if you avoid the green blocks that start off racing at you, the bottom lock takes care of itself within a few seconds of starting the level.
The main strategy is getting the green blocks to travel into the narrow corridors by themselves.
Grab a green block traveling upwards and place it in the top "grabber" then wait for another green block to move next to it and release it.
Ok now I'm stuck on 35 XD
Level 45 has me stumped.
WANTED: Someone to write up a walkthrough for this game for us.
REWARD OFFERED
Thank you! :)
Hi, anyone finish 45 and can offer hints?
Wow, first time seeing the power of the post in action re level 45. I'll try to reconstruct what I did and explain in a bit.
Level 45
I'm sure there are more efficient ways of doing this but here's what I did:
Go right three spaces, pick up a block that will stick to the right of the purple block.
Left, down two, right five, then up two to pick up a block that will stick to the left of the purple block. Go up again to pick up a block on the right.
Down, right, down three, left six, up three to pick up a block on the right. You should now have one block on the left side and three blocks tall to the right of the purple block.
Down, left two, up six, right two, pick up a block on the right side. You now have four tall on the right. Up, right, and pick up another block on the right. Left five, down three and get rid of the first set of four. You'll have orphaned one orange block. Leave it for now.
You now want to make a four-block tall tower on the left. There are other ways but I did:
Up five, right twelve, down three, left and pick up a block, left and pick up another block. Right, up four, left five, down three, left three, down to pick up that orphaned block and you should have four tall.
Go down, then left three and done!
Thanks Islander! I was one move away! :}
I was sailing through, it was amusing but not too too challenging, until I hit level 31. I am horribly horribly stuck. I can get almost all the blocks off me, except the last three.
Please Please Please someone post a video walkthrough.
Please help with level 35!! I'm pulling my hair out!!
Can anyone advise on level 30? Do. Not. Understand.
Nevermind, power of post finally worked for me.
lucky you, but could you still let us know how you went through lvl 30? =)
36 is killing mee :(
I just finished the game.
All 64 levels!
It's one of my new all-time favorite puzzle game.
PLEASE help with 35. POP has not worked for me and I have tried a million times... I just have no clue for this level.
This game feels annoyingly similar to Jelly Blocks.
Please help me with Level 47 - I am stuck!
Level 35
I stared at it for about two days. Then, in frustration, I just grabbed all the blocks and sent the orange block to its home. That's when I realised that
Green blocks, even if stuck to other blocks, are released when the target block, in this case orange, is sent to its 'home' as long as the blocks that it's attached to are detached from the purple block.
If you are still stuck
Attach purple block to the top of the blue block at the bottom. This will also attach the orange block to the left side of the purple block.
Go up one to attach the blue block to the left of the orange block.
Go up one again to attach the second orange block to the left of the blue block.
Go left to attach the blue block on top of the orange block.
Wait until the green block is on its way up then run like mad and attach it to the top of the blue block that you've just grabbed. The green block MUST be travelling up when you do this.
Release the orange block that's next to the purple block into its home.
This will detach the green block so that it can safely travel upwards and then right into its home.
If you want the star achievement, quickly grab the loose blocks while the green is on its way home.
Hope that all made sense!
SC - Thank you!! Thank you!! My remaining hair folicles thank you. I had the structure, just never clued in that the green block had to be travelling up when I collected it. Much appreciated!
I beat the game. I was going to do a hint-through but my progress was erased.
Apparently it gets erased after beating the last (sixth) secret level. Strangely enough, I can still replay the last level by clocking start.
Help! Have been staring at level 31 for two days...my diet-plan clearly isn't working!
I finished the game except the bonus #8. Need the star on level on 46 and 47 and don't know how. Can anyone help me please?
I'm stuck on level 22; can someone please help? Many thanks in advance.
I finally figured out 31, although d*****d if I can do it again to write up how! Now I'm stuck on 37. I can see exactly how to do it, but a single mis-move and I have to start over :(
Hey JIGuest for 22 if you
always approach the green blocks from above, and take the orange blocks up one by one that should help
I don't know how to get the star for that one though
47:
You need precise timing for this one. Go below the rectangle, avoiding greens, and take out the right orange block. Next, go above and attach above the left orange block (avoiding greens). Position yourself above the orange goal, but don't remove the block yet. When the green is in the upper left corner, quickly move left and down. You should be able to avoid hitting the green block this way.
Next, when a green block is at the bottom moving left, attach the orange block to it. Go up to the orange goal and remove the orange block. The green should move into the space in the left.
If you want to end the game now, just attach the outside green block to the left of yourself and push it into the left space when the block in the space is below. If you want the star, you have to wait for the outside green block to pass, then attach to the green blocks in the rectangle one-by-one. You'll make a long horizontal line with the green blocks. Use the last green block in the rectangle to attach to the orange blocks (you'll need all of them). This is the tricky part, since it's easy to time it wrong and attach yourself to the block in the space to the left. I recommend quick trial-and-error rather than waiting and trying to figure out when to start collecting blocks in the rectangle.
You should now be set to collect the outside green block when it makes its next pass. Just move into the space in the left at the right time to finish the level.
It probably would be more clear if I just made a video for this one. If you time it right, you don't need to wait much.
I FINALLY figured out 22:
Get one of the two single orange blocks on your left, then get the other one below that one.
Then
take that configuration up, put the upper left one in the first goal, and leave the other (which is now detached from you) where it is.
That lets you
get the double one by sticking to its right block.
A bit more for 47:
If you understand my previous post, but you don't know the right time to strike get the star, here's when: Proceed through the level from a fresh start, waiting when appropriate but no longer. Once you get the outside green block in the space to the left, wait for the other outside green block to pass. Inside the rectangle, the blocks are rotating in a group of 2 and a group of 3. You should attach yourself to the second green block to pass in the group of 2. This has worked for me without fail over multiple replays.
Nice one cheers Lucie.
I am ashamed to say that I still can't do level 31 - POP didn't work for me...Help anyone?
Level 31
Yeah, this is a very frustrating level! So here's the exercise plan
Go right twice
Down four
Right once
Up twice
Down once
Up twice
This will leave you witha 3x3 square with a block missing from the bottom middle and the purple square stuck to the bottom right blue block.
Go left 6 times
Down three
Right once to detach the purple block
Up once
Down once
Right
You should now have a very nice looking slimline figure..
The rest is easy.
sc thanks so, so much. I can't believe I didn't get that! I was WAY overthinking it!
Working on a walkthrough.
Hi folks!
I`m stuck at level 48, anyone any clue?
I`ll be grateful to any help ..!
for 48,
You need to position the blocks into the gates on one side at a time, and take advantage of the outer gates to unstick yourself after positioning blocks on the inner gates. You need to go back and forth a bit, so it's not just positioning one side and then the other.
More in-depth:
Stick above the upper right blue block. Next, stick above the upper center red block. Next to the upper right orange. Set these in the gates so the top blue gate is taken out. Go through and around the left gates and stick below the rightmost orange block. Carefully stick the orange below the lower right red block. Enter the gates on the right, removing the orange and positioning the red.
It should be clear from here, but I'll continue just to be sure. Stick above the upper left red, then above the upper left blue. Push the red into the gate, removing it and positioning the blue in the orange's gate. Stick above the upper left orange and push it into the upper orange gate, pushing the blue down into its gate. Stick to the right of the final blue to push it into its gate and remove the blues. Stick above the orange, then below the red. Push the red into it's gate. And you're done (with the star).
Stuck on 29. I know it's probably super simple but I just can't see it.
29,
Combine the colored blocks of the same color to make 2x3 or 3x2 rectangles.
Thank you, Thank you Blue..I'm out and even got my star!
I'm stuck on level 32 and bonus level 5. Any tips?
For 32
first
go down 1 to stick to the blue block below you. then left 2 and down 1 to stick to the next blue block.
Up 1, right 3, up 1, right 4
then
go down to the bottom orange block and approach it so you stick to it's left side. then bring it cautiously up, right, then up to stick to the next orange block and send them home.
next
next carefully avoiding the red block block to the lower left of you go and get the blue block on it's own at the orange gate. Make sure to stick to it's right side. Then carefully skirting that annoying red block again slide it in underneath the lonely blue block beside the blue gate and pull them home.
now
Slide right 3 spaces and down one so you are snugly stuck to the annoying red block's left side. Now go right down to the bottom and slide right under the lower red block that's sticking out a bit, then left and up to send them home.
nearly there
Go back up till you're almost at the top and just to the left of the sticking out orange block and go ahead and stick to it's left side (you know you want to). Then, move over and get stuck to the underside of the next orange block. I reckon you can take them home yourself
the rest is easy but to get the star
Stick to the underside of the blue block first. Then, pick up the lower red block first by sliding downwards and sticking the purple block to it's left side. Now go up to pick up the last red block by sliding the other red one under it. Bring them all home now - easy peasy!!!??
Phew! Can kind of see why there's no walkthrough yet! Hope that helps!
can someone please help me get the star for level 50??? @.@
Yesss! After a week and a half of playing on my laptop at work, I finally finished the whole game. I personally found Level 49 to be the most difficult, more because there appears to be any number of ways to solve it, so it required a lot (A LOT) of trial and error. I polished off 50 (with the star) after my 4th or 5th attempt.
atomic,
I'm not sure if this is the "official" method for the star, but here's the basic strategy of what I did. First off, I columnated and unstuck a pair of orange blocks in the bottom-left (BL) chamber by grabbing the BL blue from the bottom, sliding through the middle to the bottom-right (BR) chamber, grabbing the right orange from the bottom, pulling it back through the middle to the BL chamber, grabbing the left orange from the bottom, and then dropping the attached blue in the BL blue box. Carefully avoid the two oranges in the BL chamber, move to the BR chamber, grab BR blue from the right, grab the bottom orange and drop the blue into the BR blue box. Head up to the top-right (TR) chamber, grab the TR blue and drop it in the TR blue box. Back to the BR chamber, take the BR orange from the bottom, through the middle and attach to the bottom of the two oranges, making a column with purple at the bottom and three oranges on top. I believe you can handle the rest!
I can't say enough how much I enjoyed this fantastic puzzler. It's so cleanly designed, the controls are responsive and simple, the concept is clear and the music, while somewhat repetitive, is entirely appropriate and remarkably calming while playing the harder levels.
I hope the makers of Sticky Blocks are planning a sequel!
PS:
None of the bonus or secret levels are particularly difficult, but Secret Level 6 warped my brain for half an hour or so!
Update