Game: Sokodice
Genre: Puzzle
System: Nintendo Switch (also on Steam, iOS & Android)
Developers | Publishers: The Socially Awkward Studio
Age Rating: US E | EU 3+
Price: US $5.99 | UK £4.49 | EU € 4,99
Release Date: March 12, 2021
Review code used, with many thanks to The Socially Awkward Studio
Inspired by the classic crate-pushing puzzle game, Sokoban, Sokodice is developed by The Socially Awkward studio. A tiny independent game studio based in Toronto, consisting of a developer/artist and a musician.
On-screen tutorial
Roll the Dice
Sokodice is a challenging puzzle game, set in clean, minimalistic stages. To solve the puzzle you must roll the dice around a stage to match the number of the dice with the number on a designated tile. The idea is to move both die around the stage in as few moves as possible. The number of moves is indicated at the bottom of the puzzles. Each die needs to land on the corresponding number with that number showing at the top of the dice. So if there’s a three on the board, you need to make the die land on that spot with the three facing upwards.
Set Amount of Moves
Once you manage to move both dice to the correct positions you move on to the next stage. As I’ve mentioned there are a set number of moves required to complete the puzzle. However, you can go over that set number of moves without being penalized. You don’t earn stars for completing the stage, you just move on to the next puzzle. Instead, you get a little gold cube beside the levels you have finished within the set amount of moves.
I like this system as you have a choice of either completing the puzzle within the moves or just managing to complete the puzzle using loads of moves. It takes the pressure away and makes Sokodice relaxing to play.
Match the Numbers
With the little bit of a twist of having to land on a target spot with a certain number on the dice, it makes Sokodice an interesting game. In the first few stages of Sokodice, you are introduced to the controls. They’re easy enough to pick up and you start with one die on the stage to show you the ropes. After that, another dice is introduced to the stage and you’re dealing with two dice instead of just one. Other stages can have four dice to manoeuvre into place and the challenge goes up.
Some stages are easy to complete and others are more tricky or they were for me. I was very lucky if I managed to solve a stage in the set number of moves, most of the time I was way over but I solved it in the end. You can go back and solve the puzzles again at any time if you wish to complete them within the set amount of moves.
New Mechanics
New mechanics are added every ten stages to shake things up. From ice that makes your dice slip and slide to wind turbines that push the dice a few spaces, or tiles that the dice can’t stay on for long before they disintegrate below the dice. There are dice that turn on their own axis when you move them so you can’t guarantee what way they will land. It keeps the game fresh by introducing the new mechanics into the 100+ stages. You can also make the dice invisible so you can see the stage underneath them. The see-through mode is a good idea but using it you can’t see the numbers on the dice, I think the numbers should be visible to the player.
Visuals and Controls
Sokodice looks clean and I like the look of the game with the puzzle on view for you to see it all. It is backed up by a relaxing soundtrack that fits the gameplay well.
Since Sokodice was originally a mobile game it’s great to see the developers have kept the touchscreen controls for the Nintendo Switch version of the game. You can also use the joy-cons to play the game and both control systems work as they should.
The game takes a little while to load when you turn it on, for a small puzzle game it’s surprising to have a long load time at the start of the game.
Conclusion
Sokodice is an entertaining puzzle game. With just the right amount of challenge that requires thought and a little strategy to complete the puzzles.
With 100 plus puzzles to finish, Sokodice will give you plenty of dice moving, brain-twisting hours of enjoyment. It would also be a good game to play a few stages of while you are commuting to work using the portability of the Nintendo Switch.
Final Verdict: Two Thumbs Up