The latest bite sized offering from Double Fine Productions sees you take on the role of diminutive Russian (Matryoshka) Doll Charlie Blackmore. You’ll be battling to save your family from an evil industrialist known only as The Baron. To achieve your aim, you’ll need to climb into and control a series of larger dolls. By using their unique abilities, you’ll be able to solve puzzles, access new areas and engage in various shenanigans.
With its silent movie style introduction and expressive painted dolls, Stacking boasts a distinctive look and feel. It is quite amazing how much detail has been put into the characters and their surroundings and it’s not difficult to settle into the enchanting story. A lot of attention has also been paid to the musical score and ambient soundtrack. The audible hustle and bustle of everyday life in this turn of the century world is accompanied by piano, violin and what sounds (to my untrained ear) like orchestral music. Dolls attend to their business, alone or in groups, and all have a few lines to say, some of which are quite funny.
Each doll possesses a special talent that you can activate once you inhabit its body. However, you can only climb into a doll that is a size up from the one you are currently occupying. It’s a novel mechanic and you’ll find yourself swapping in and out of bodies quite often in order to find the ability you need for a given task. The abilities range from the mundane (sipping tea, reading a newspaper) to the juvenile (farting, belching). Some skills are more obviously practical (unlocking), while others tend to facilitate enjoyable mayhem (glove slap, uppercut). Double Fine’s wonderful sense of humour shines through in many of the actions at your disposal.
There are four main areas in the game. You’ll start off in a train station, before attempting to rescue family members from The Baron’s ‘Gilded Steamship’, ‘Zeppelin of Consequence’ and finally ‘The Triple-Decker Tank Engine’. In each environment there are several brain teasers that need to be overcome in order to progress the story. Fun and longevity comes from finding multiple solutions to each challenge. Generally speaking, the puzzles are not difficult and talking to the dolls in the surrounding area will often point you in the right direction. Failing that, the game provides a three tiered hint system which begins with vague clues before finally offering you the solution outright. A thirty second timer prevents you from skipping straight to the solution, so they’ll be no instant gratification unless you’re able to solve the problem yourself! Regardless, you’re unlikely to find yourself stuck for long, if at all.
As your adventure moves along, your friendly hobo pal, Levi, will decorate your secret hideout at the train station to reflect your achievements in the game. It’s a neat way of showing what you’ve accomplished, but it certainly isn’t an essential part of the experience and may not hold your attention for long.
It’s hard to fault Stacking, but there are a few issues here and there. Occasionally, the camera will seem a bit lost if you unstack in crowded or tight area. Also, if you’re in a small doll, or just playing as Charlie, you’ll often be unable see the speech bubbles of larger characters without backing up first. The smaller the doll, the faster it waddles, but if you’re accustomed to lightning fast action games, even the tiniest doll will feel like it’s moving in slow motion.
Even if you’re not a fan of the genre, the charm and ingenuity on display in Stacking will probably win you over during its relatively brief running time. So, pack your sense of humour and join a small doll on a big adventure.
