The Scientific Method
HIGH Excellent tutorialization.
LOW Getting stuck in a cycle of trial and error.
WTF So that’s how a pressure cooker works!
A very literal portmanteau of two previous titles, Sokobond Express takes the chemistry-themed puzzling of Sokobond and blends it with the pathfinding gameplay of Cosmic Express. The result is a tight, well-tuned puzzler with an almost preternatural ability to teach the player its mechanics. This same systematic orientation, however, also proves to be a stumbling block when it comes to creating a memorable, resonant experience.
Laid out on a top-down grid, each level plays out as its own distinct puzzle. To solve each stage, the player must plot out a path for an atomic element to cross this grid and reach the exit. Once the path is established, the player activates the puzzle, and the atom moves along its predetermined route, collecting other atoms to form a chemical compound along the way. In the process, the player must account for the number of electrons on each atom, the walls created by their path through the level, and the physical structure of their compound. In order to succeed, order of operations becomes paramount — bond with wrong element first and there may be electrons left over. Take a wrong turn and the player can be blocked by their own trail, or end up with their compound out of bounds.
While this all sounds complicated, in practice it feels natural and straightforward. In fact, the ability to communicate its systems in an innate, almost instinctive fashion is what most impressed me during my time with Sokobond Express. There isn’t a single written tutorial, and all of these mechanics are taught purely through gameplay feedback. There’s an elegance to this design that permeates the whole experience — never once did I feel lost as to how any of these systems functioned, even as new mechanics are introduced, ramping up the complexity in the later stages. As such, any sticking points were generally the result of my own oversights.
For the moments where I did get stuck, there is a well-thought-out hint system to help alleviate any frustration. Far from the win button that most titles offer, Sokobond Express takes the approach of only revealing the final shape of the chemical compound, but not the route needed to create it, nor reach the exit. Effectively only solving half the puzzle for the player, this system never feels cheap or pandering, and almost functions as its own mechanic rather than just a help button.
That being said, even with the hints, several of the late-game puzzles are overly fiddly. On several occasions I knew the correct solution, but couldn’t pull it off because things weren’t positioned in quite the right way, leading to me having to brute force my way through. While these moments did present unwanted friction, they are the exception and don’t reflect the majority of the experience.
Aesthetically, Sokobond Express takes a noticeable step down from its gameplay. Billing itself as a minimalist puzzler, the style is pleasant and unobtrusive, but lacks a sense of identity and fails to differentiate itself from similar titles on the market. To their credit, the developers have clearly prioritized function over form — the user interface is clean and easy to interpret, playing a large part in the intuitive design of the mechanics. However, the chemistry theming goes underutilized, and could have been leveraged to craft a more visually-unique style.
Unfortunately, the science and chemistry trappings end up feeling like window dressing, rather than natural extensions of the gameplay. The Hydrogen, Oxygen and Nitrogen atoms could just as easily have been the letters A, B, and C with numerical values attached to each — the fact that the player is creating chemical compounds never moves beyond the abstract. While I would concede that the core of a good puzzle game lies in its solutioning (and I don’t think an embellished narrative would benefit Sokobond Express) I can’t help but wish for a more holistic integration of the subject matter with the aesthetics and gameplay.
That’s not to say that Sokobond Express is completely devoid of personality, though. Upon completing each level, the player is rewarded with a piece of chemistry trivia. From a description of bioluminescence to an explanation of how pressure cookers work, these factoids are varied, well written, and humorous, providing a welcome injection of vitality to an otherwise cerebral and detached experience. Although to be honest, while I consistently enjoyed reading these, they reinforce that the theming is disconnected from the gameplay, rather than something that justifies it.
Sokobond Express’s biggest strength is also its most significant obstacle. By putting all their eggs into one basket, the developers have crafted a mechanically excellent puzzler with a strong logical backbone and a remarkable ability to communicate its complex notions. However, by neglecting the thematic side of the equation, Sokobond Express hews too closely to its source material, ultimately feeling academic to a fault. The result is an exercise in solving puzzles for their own sake, and while the puzzles are of a uniformly high quality, the overall experience lacks the hooks to make a truly lasting impression.
Rating: 7.5 out of 10
— Ryan Nalley
Disclosures: This game is developed by Jose Hernandez and published by Draknek. It is currently available on PC. This copy of the game was obtained via publisher and reviewed on the PC. Approximately 5 hours of play were devoted to the single-player mode, and the game was completed. There are no multiplayer modes.
Parents: At the time of this review this game had not yet been rated by the ESRB. However, the gameplay consists of moving atoms across a grid, and as such, contains no objectionable material. From a content perspective, this should be appropriate for all ages.
Colorblind Modes: There are no colorblind modes available.
Deaf & Hard of Hearing Gamers: This game offers subtitles. The subtitles can be resized. Sound does not factor heavily into gameplay, and all audio cues are coupled with visual indicators. This game is fully accessible.
Remappable Controls: No, this game’s controls are not remappable. This game can be played with either a keyboard and mouse or a controller, but there is not an option to remap controls for either configuration. This game does not offer a controller map diagram, but there are two primary modes of control:
With keyboard and mouse, the game can be controlled entirely through a point and click interface — clicking the left mouse button to select atoms and then dragging to layout the path, and by interacting with onscreen buttons/prompts to progress. If a keyboard is used, the Space, R, and H keys function as interface shortcuts to activate/pause the puzzle, reset the puzzle, and reveal hints respectively. The tab key is used to speed the puzzle up once activated. The Z key is used as an undo button if the puzzle is reset accidentally, the X button is used as to stop the puzzle once activated.
With a controller, the directional pad/joystick is used to layout the path for the atoms and the A button is used to select atoms and speed up the puzzle once activated. The B, X and Y buttons are used to activate/deactivate the puzzle, reset the puzzle and reveal hints respectively. The X button also functions as an undo button if a puzzle is reset accidentally.
Following this introduction, Ryan dove headlong into the 16 and 64-bit eras, culminating in the year 2000 with a fateful visit to the local game shop.On the recommendation of a saintly store clerk, Ryan picked up a copy of Deus Ex and, shortly thereafter, embarked on the vain quest to find a game that tops it.
This journey has led Ryan to GameCritics where he attempts to articulate why he still finds this medium so compelling.When not playing or writing about games, Ryan can be found watching competition reality television with his wife, their dog, and three cats.
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