Blockoban is the latest from JP (pepere.org), who has just launched a new website that features user-created content, called Bonus Level, along with fellow game designers, Wouter and Tonypa. With names like that attached you can expect high quality, and Blockoban delivers. It's a game where you slide blocks around and try to match their colors to specific spaces. That simple mechanic is fleshed out with challenging level designs and high quality production values, delivering an experience that will keep you hooked.
Simply click on one of the blocks, and then click in the direction you want it to move. A striped rectangle will pulse out of the respective side, like a cardinal gel—a nice touch. When you click, the block slides in that direction until stopped. Located on the board are dots that fit neatly into the donut hole in the center of the movable blocks. Your goal is to move all blocks onto the dots of the same color. Easier said than done—solutions often require tricky uses of a one block as support for another; in a way that allows all of them to settle on their final resting place.
Analysis: Puzzle fans, particularly people who enjoy Sokoban variants, will get a kick out of Blockoban. Those of us less familiar with block-moving mechanics may be put off by the difficulty. A puzzle can persist like a knot, teasing with its apparent lack of an out, and then suddenly something that seems obvious, yet hidden, presents itself and you solve the level. A major strike against it is that levels can only be unlocked serially, so the more casual player cannot sample the content and skip puzzles that seem too difficult. Another strike, and this is a general sin, is the inability to turn off the audio, which while loaded with 70s disco charm, isn't something you'd want forced on you. Fortunately, the level editor is easy to use, allowing you to contribute to the game in the same session length that you'd devote to playing it.
Slide those blocks around like Tom Cruise in Risky Business, when he's wearing socks and there's the music, you know? It's like that. Play Blockoban.
Comment Preview
Leave a comment
Favorite Games [edit]
Choose between Top Rated or random Recommended games. Setting is saved automatically.
Recommended
Casual Game Downloads
Support this site through your purchase of any game in this section. Thank you kindly. =)
Worth the trip
Recommended external site links
Recent (Flux) Visitors
Are you in Flux? SIGN-UP NOWSupport JIG
Monthly Archives
 |
 |
 |
All games mentioned and images appearing on JayIsGames are Copyright their respective owner(s).
All other content is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
Game Walkthroughs
IRC server: irc.jayisgames.com
IRC channel: #casualgameplay
Comments (may contain spoilers)
You can turn off the audio, but only in the intro screen, unfortunately. (You can go back there at any time by clicking on "Stop," but you will lose any progress you've made on a certain level.)
I'm currently on level 10, it looks fairly easy, though.
Posted by: minmay
|
April 27, 2008 8:40 PM
The text link doesn't work.
Posted by: Evan
|
April 27, 2008 9:19 PM
Oops. Thanks, Evan! :)
Posted by: Jay
|
April 27, 2008 9:25 PM
Kind of a neat game, and I am finding it easier to solve than the most standard Sokoban. However, when I hit the save&next button after level I-can't-remember, it seemed to go into an infinite waiting loop. I got tired of that after about 30 seconds, and figuring that the button had not been lying about the save after each round, I reloaded the page (since the whole game freezes up during that waiting stage). No dice. I am back to level 1, the others are locked, and I don't think I'll bother playing more.
Posted by: OrigamiMarie
|
April 27, 2008 10:20 PM
I've done Sokoban puzzles before and thought I was pretty good at them, but I'm stumped by the first level of this. I always have one left out however I try it. Grr.
Posted by: Dhiroj
|
April 27, 2008 11:22 PM
Bug: At one point, I tried to move a block, and the board disappeared. I was stuck in move-block mode, but it wouldn't let me move it anywhere. And the buttons at the bottom didn't do anything.
I don't have any steps to reproduce; sorry.
Posted by: Peter Hosey
|
April 28, 2008 1:22 AM
Thx for the review Patrick and JIG team.
And thanks to the authors of these comments, there are very useful!
Peter Hosey, your feedback is itneresting, if you can give me more info, you can use the contact email on bonuslevel.org homepage.
OrigamiMarie, it was a server failure, I have to manage this in a better way. What is more surprising is that you lost your progression, it should be saved. Please contact me also using the contact email on BL homepage.
Posted by: JP | April 28, 2008 7:14 AM
Difficulty curve's too shallow for me - got bored before reaching a level requiring actual thought.
Also, it crashed just after I completed "Slim". Remained stuck indefinitely on the 'Wait' animation.
Those grumbles aside, the game looks like it has potential.
Posted by: Dom
|
April 28, 2008 8:50 AM
Anyone annoyed by the music on this game or any other game should use Flash Mute http://www.indev.no/?p=projects#FlashMute It basically just disables all Flash sound, so is good if you want to listen to music while on Flash games.
Posted by: Wulfo
|
April 28, 2008 10:46 AM
A nice one. I like puzzle type games and it's one I can enjoy.
Btw., is it only me, or does the game really not tell you that tiles that have that distinctive marking in the corner will move synchronized when you move one of them? It's level 4, I guess. Not a big issue, though, but I just thought it might be good if you know about a rule before you experience it :)
Posted by: bioLarzen
|
April 28, 2008 11:45 AM
I got level and feel like an idiot. Once I got three into place, I just looked at the board as if it was a single-block puzzle and then it was a no-brainer. I'm on level 5 or 6 now.
Posted by: Dhiroj
|
April 28, 2008 12:37 PM
Same as the others... Endless "Wait" loop after beating the Slim level.
None of these levels were really difficult. The Math one gave me the most problems before I realized moving the edge row was stupid. :P
Posted by: Sky | April 28, 2008 7:51 PM
Okay, that's the trouble. If you have an account with bonuslevel.org, your saves persist across sessions and it doesn't blow up after level Slim. That's not a very good advertisement for the website; if there is going to be a restriction like that it should be plain that you are being blocked for not being a member, otherwise people will think the game is buggy and likely not sign up with the website at all.
Posted by: OrigamiMarie
|
April 28, 2008 8:56 PM
Thx a lot I wasn't aware of this bug after the slim level for non regsitered member. I will look at this as soon as possible!
Posted by: JP | April 29, 2008 1:48 AM
You *can* mute the music, but you have to see the mute button on the loading screen before you bring up the menu. The mute button should get a more prominent spot.
It's a cool variant on traditional Sokoban games, but it would be nice if it saved your progress in a cookie even if you aren't a member of the site. I accidentally clicked on the link to the game while it was still open, and my progress got reset. :(
Posted by: Simone Manganelli | April 29, 2008 2:14 AM
I'm terribly sorry for this bug.
The game was designed to save your level progression even if you are not a member.
It's now corrected.
Posted by: JP | April 29, 2008 3:47 AM
Still doesn't save my progress.
Fun game, but this is annoying.
Posted by: hespetre | April 29, 2008 5:13 PM
Saving is working for me now. You may have to clear your cache or force a reload on the page.
Posted by: pigmonkey | May 1, 2008 1:08 AM
Clearing the cache did the trick! Thanks.
Posted by: hespetre | May 1, 2008 12:39 PM