Game: Sokobos: Aphrodite’s Trial (DLC)
Genre: Puzzle, Sokoban
System: Steam (Windows, macOS & Linux)
Developer|Publisher: Daisy Games
Controller Support: Yes
Price: US $1.99 | UK £1.52 | EU € 1,43
Release Date: November 15th, 2022
Review code used, with many thanks to Daisy Games.
Sokobos is a Greek-themed puzzle game that couldn’t be better. Its DLC Aphrodite’s Trial offers more of that Sokoban goodness through 30 new puzzles.
Before diving into what new devilry this DLC brings, it’s worth reviewing how it connects (or not) to the base game. You need the base Sokobos game to run Aphrodite’s Trial. But you don’t have to finish the base game before embarking on the DLC.
Skip and Undo
The Sokoban genre involves pushing boxes in orthogonal directions. Sounds simple enough on paper, but some Sokoban puzzles are difficult enough to lose hair over, including ones in this DLC. Thankfully, Sokobos and its DLC give you the ability to skip levels and undo moves.
If you’re stuck, no need to rage-quit or start breaking amphorae. You can skip any level (except the final level) and get on with the story.
The undo button is even more indispensable. If you’ve messed up and made the puzzle unsolvable, you can undo an unlimited number of moves.
New Trials Await
The goal of each puzzle is still to move decorative objects to the right place. If you’ve played Sokobos, you’ll find those objects very familiar: benches, hedges, statues, columns, etc. You’ll also make use of familiar mechanics: paint puddles, breakable vases, gates and buttons, bridges, and rotating spots. What’s new are the following items.
Greek fire pots are immovable, but pushing an object into a fire pot will explode both objects. You don’t want to destroy furniture, so be careful!
Paint barrels work like paint puddles, except you have to break barrels before they turn into paint puddles. As before, pushing any object onto the puddle causes it to be painted and removes the puddle.
There are locked gates that can be opened permanently by picking up a key. There are also giant purple crossbars which block your path but can be pushed around. I most enjoyed working with these crossbars.
Are the new mechanics fun and worth purchasing the DLC for? A solid yes.
Worth Your Every Drachma
Like the base game, in this DLC difficulty generally increases over time. But the game tends to give you shorter, easier puzzles when teaching new mechanics.
If you’re looking for a challenging and well-designed title, this is it. It’s the hardest puzzle game I’ve played in recent years. If you’re not a logic aficionado (and I’m not), it’ll take persistence. Plus conscious re-strategizing, and not just randomly pushing things around. But the game is neither impossible nor unfair.
While playing Sokobos and Aphrodite’s Trial for this review, I skipped puzzles that were taking too long. I spent about 5.5 hours on the base game (completing two-thirds of it) and 3 hours on the DLC (completing half of it).
I managed to beat the final level at last, but it’ll take me a while to finish the levels I skipped. I would expect to spend at least several hours on Aphrodite’s Trial.
Ancient and Greek
Like the base game, Aphrodite’s Trial is a simple but well-designed package. It uses the same cute sound effects and graphics that are a nice throwback to the 80s.
The DLC’s story is unconnected to the base game but similar to the original tale. It’s about two separated lovers trying to find their way back to each other. The plot is, again, something that might appeal to ancient Grecians. I appreciate that there are short cutscenes after every few levels.
Conclusion
Considering the base game had 60 levels, the DLC’s 30 new levels are a very generous offering. I recommend both to Sokoban lovers looking for a tough challenge. Considering the quality of puzzles and the asking price on Steam, both Sokobos and Aphrodite’s Trial are a steal for their price.
Final Verdict: Two Thumbs Up
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