Sokobalien Review

Game: Sokobalien
Genre: Puzzle
System: Nintendo Switch (Also available on Steam (Windows), PS 4&5 and Xbox One)
Developers|Publishers: Cavylabs, MadCat Corp | Afil Games
Age Rating: US Everyone | EU 3+
Price: US $4.99| UK £4.49 | EU €4,99
Release Date: April 18th, 2024

A review code was used, with many thanks to Press Engine.

Sokobalien gives a new twist to a very familiar gameplay type: Sokoban puzzle games. Sokoban games originally let you push boxes to a destination, usually in the least amount of moves. Pleasant puzzles to figure out, and though the concept might sound simple, it’s often more difficult than you think. After all, you can’t pull or jump over the boxes; you have to get behind the box you want to push. Let’s see how Sokobalien manages this familiar formula.

A Sokobalien puzzle stage set against an orange background. The player has 21 coins, as seen in the top left corner. The level consists of a green, grassy platform floating in space with cows and a blue alien player character. Yellow glowing buttons on the platform project light beams upward. Icons at the bottom show game controls for walking, pushing, restarting, undoing, and accessing options. The simple orange backdrop suggests a change in the environment or time of day within the game. Published on: LadiesGamers. — Two cows to beam up! One of the earliest easy levels

Gather Farm Animals To Beam Up

Sokobalien has a new twist on this familiar kind of gameplay. You help an alien who aims to build the biggest space farm in the galaxy. That makes sense, right? You help him by pushing cows, sheep, pigs and chickens into the correct UFO beams so that he can beam them up. I decided not to feel sorry for the animals, as really, the little plots of land they are on can’t be fun either. And who knows, they might be going to paradise by comparison. Also, as a side-quest, collect all the hats you can!

An in-game shop screen in Sokobalien featuring the option to purchase a 'Helicopter' hat for the alien character. The player's coin balance of 50 is at the top left corner, with a purchase price of 25 coins displayed on a green button. The silhouette of the helicopter hat is shown in a white card with a play button indicating the option to preview or select. The background has a purple sky with a landscape silhouette and a windmill at the bottom. Published on: LadiesGamers. — One of the hats you can buy with your coins

There are 100 levels, and solving a level is rewarded by coins. With the coins, you can collect over 30 hats to put on the alien. Instead of his normal space helmet, he can wear the most outrageous headwear, giving the game a fun touch.

Ramping Up The Difficulty

You have to solve each level to go on to the next. At the start, it’s smooth sailing, but somewhere along level 15, things are getting harder. Disappearing blocks are introduced and push buttons that a cow (or another object) will have to hold down. And that is just the first obstacle put before you. But that’s the challenge you want in a puzzle game like this!

In-game screenshot of Sokobalien showing a three-dimensional puzzle stage set against a dark purple backdrop. The player's score of 3794 is visible in the top left corner with a golden coin icon. The game's interface includes a 'WALK/PUSH' function, along with buttons for 'RESTART', 'UNDO', and 'OPTIONS'. The level consists of a grassy platform in space with a blue alien character standing next to a yellow glowing button that's projecting a light beam upwards. Three wooden crates are positioned strategically on the platform, with a hint text in the upper right corner stating, 'Crates can be pushed and used to activate buttons.' Published on: LadiesGamers. — Crates are introduced

There are no time limits to make Sokobalien harder than it already is; it’s down to the puzzles. You have the freedom to undo your moves, one by one. Or you can restart a level as you see fit. There are no hints and no way to progress to the next level unless you solve the one you’re at.

As I’m not much of a puzzle buff, I would have liked some hint system to prevent me from being frustrated, but I’m sure you are better at these puzzles than I am.

A puzzle stage in Sokobalien showing an isometric view of a grassy platform in space. The player has a score of 116 coins displayed at the top left. The game board has an irregular shape, with yellow glowing buttons activating light beams. Two cows and the blue alien player character stand on the platform. Game control icons for walking, pushing, restarting, undoing actions, and options are displayed at the bottom. The backdrop is a plain dark purple. Published on: LadiesGamers. — The brown blocks disappear once the button isn’t held down

Visuals, Controls and Music

Sokobalien has a clean look; you see the alien and the animals top down. The background can be changed into five different tones; just choose what works best for you. The background music made me think of the old Scooby Doo shows: a bit mysterious but fun and quirky.

The controls on Switch work well, though I was surprised that it’s the D-pad that makes our alien move and not the Left stick. Sometimes, it needs two pushes to get him where I want him to be, but it didn’t influence my gameplay.

Another puzzle stage in Sokobalien with a bright blue sky background. The player's coin count is 50, displayed in the top left corner. The grassy platform features cows standing near yellow glowing buttons with light beams, and the blue alien player character holding a colorful umbrella. The game's controls are shown at the bottom, with a simple color bar indicating some kind of progress or selection. Published on: LadiesGamers. — This one took me quite a while to figure out!

Conclusion for Sokobalien

If you like Sokoban-inspired puzzles, then Sokobalien is a great buy. For the price asked, you can have the game on your handheld device and take it with you. A great pick-up and play puzzler!

Final Verdict: I Like it a Lot