Stacking

91%
Game Brain Score Based on 624 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • humor
Stacking Game Cover
Short but sweet a relentlessly imaginative adventure from Double Fine that never wears out its welcome.
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"Stacking" is a puzzle adventure game featuring a world of living Russian stacking dolls. Players control Charlie Blackmore, the smallest doll, and use the abilities of over 100 dolls to solve puzzles and challenges, on a mission to rescue Charlie's family from the evil Baron. The game includes the "Lost Hobo King" DLC, where players join Charlie on new adventures to uncover the secrets of a hidden Hobo city.

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Windows
  • Linux
  • Play​Station
  • Play​station 3
  • Xbox
  • Xbox 360
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

91%
Audience ScoreBased on 624 reviews
story58 positive mentions
grinding9 negative mentions
  • Charming and unique gameplay that involves stacking into larger dolls with special abilities to solve puzzles.
  • Beautiful art style and engaging silent film cutscenes that enhance the overall experience.
  • Multiple solutions to puzzles encourage exploration and creativity, making it enjoyable for players of all ages.
  • The game can feel repetitive and short, with some players wishing for more content and depth.
  • Controls can be awkward at times, especially when navigating crowded areas to find specific dolls.
  • Some puzzles may be too simplistic, leading to a lack of challenge for experienced players.
  • story188 mentions

    The game's story, centered around Charlie Blackmore, a small Russian stacking doll on a quest to rescue his family from an evil baron, is described as charming and humorous, with a unique silent film aesthetic that enhances its whimsical nature. While the main storyline is relatively short, players can engage with numerous side quests and puzzles that add depth and replayability, though some reviewers found the narrative to be simplistic or repetitive. Overall, the storytelling is appreciated for its creativity and humor, making it an enjoyable experience despite some critiques regarding its depth and pacing.

    • “This is a charming adventure game from Double Fine where you play as Charlie Blackmore, a little Russian stacking doll, who embarks on a quest to rescue his family from the evil 'Baron'.”
    • “The story is overwhelmingly charming and humorous, which makes the game even more enjoyable.”
    • “A game featuring Russian matryoshka dolls as characters, Stacking blends Double Fine's signature humor and great writing with simple but unique gameplay and an engaging (if a little dark) story.”
    • “I like the silent film aesthetic, but it also means that there's no voice acting to keep me glued to the story or characters, both of which I feel like I'm stretching to even reach that classification in the first place.”
    • “The story sadly does not do anything to endear itself.”
    • “Its story feels whimsically forced with some really awkward passages in the dialogue that feels like it is written by a first timer.”
  • gameplay149 mentions

    The gameplay of "Stacking" is characterized by its unique mechanic of using matryoshka dolls to solve puzzles, allowing players to jump into larger dolls and utilize their abilities. While many players appreciate the charming art style and innovative concept, some find the gameplay repetitive and lacking depth, with puzzles that can feel too simplistic. Overall, it offers a fun, casual experience with a blend of humor and creativity, though it may not hold long-term engagement for everyone.

    • “The gameplay is incredibly simple, and while it's super easy, it's nice enough and chill, and looks quite good for a game released in 2011 originally on consoles.”
    • “Innovative gameplay: the idea of stacking other dolls as a matryoshka doll, using their unique abilities, is a brilliant innovation in the puzzle genre.”
    • “A wonderfully inventive puzzle game, the game mechanic of stacking like Russian dolls is intriguing and original, and the setting is as fun and refined as we came to expect from Double Fine.”
    • “The gameplay comes down to grabbing the next somewhat logical character and then rubbing them against the challenge or mission.”
    • “Even worse is that towards the end you nearly have more of these stretched out scenes than there is gameplay, exacerbating the issue of tedium and boredom even more.”
    • “The gameplay, although not very deep, is clever.”
  • humor101 mentions

    The humor in the game is widely praised for its charm and quirkiness, featuring a mix of clever dialogue, whimsical characters, and amusing mechanics that keep players engaged. While many find the humor to be cute and heartwarming, some critiques point to juvenile or crass elements that may not appeal to all audiences. Overall, the game successfully blends humor with puzzle-solving, creating a lighthearted and entertaining experience.

    • “The story is also very charming and humorous, which makes the game even more enjoyable.”
    • “There are so many quirky dolls to collect and each one has its own special ability which is fun to mess around with and so funny to watch (I fell about laughing at most of them!).”
    • “The unique gameplay and fun yet funny puzzles kept me coming back for more.”
  • graphics94 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming and unique aesthetic, often described as imaginative and beautifully realized, with a vintage or silent film style that enhances the overall experience. Many reviewers appreciate the detailed artwork and atmospheric environments, noting that the visuals remain impressive even years after the game's release. However, some players find the graphics occasionally too dark or simplistic, which can detract from the gameplay experience.

    • “The visuals and art style are imaginative, detailed, and just lovely.”
    • “The game has amazing graphics, especially considering it's 10 years old, and they are still great even to this day.”
    • “Staggeringly beautiful aesthetics, fun/clever puzzles, and the great humor that is so typical of Double Fine productions.”
    • “My experience is a terribly boring and graphically painful game.”
    • “But the dour graphics and the overly simplistic gameplay just didn't do it for me.”
    • “Graphics - okay but not great because of the console heritage.”
  • music60 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its charming and fitting classical soundtrack, which enhances the overall aesthetic and atmosphere. While many players appreciate the quality and thematic alignment of the music with the game's vintage art style, some note that it can become repetitive over time. Overall, the soundtrack contributes significantly to the game's appeal, making it a delightful experience for fans of the genre.

    • “A wonderful soundtrack of classical music accompanies us as we play and fits extremely well with the gameplay.”
    • “The music choices for this game are right on the mark; if you are a classical music fan, you will love it, and if not, perhaps this will change your mind.”
    • “The graphics are neat and the music does a great job of fitting the scene.”
    • “The music in this game just doesn't really work.”
    • “Music is the same three piano tracks over and over; the overall attempt at storytelling kinda tries to be a silent movie and fails.”
    • “Quality is great for this short game, but music can be repetitive after waddling for awhile.”
  • atmosphere20 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its charming and detailed design, evoking a nostalgic retro feel reminiscent of the 1930s and early industrial age. Players appreciate the unique style, engaging background music, and the intricate environments that enhance the overall experience, despite some criticism regarding the gameplay and puzzle difficulty. Overall, the game's atmosphere is considered a standout feature that adds significant value to the experience.

    • “Charming atmosphere: the beautiful handmade settings and the lovingly designed dolls create a fantastic retro atmosphere that I absolutely love.”
    • “Dialogue is hilarious, the story is heartbreakingly fun, gameplay is great, and the atmosphere, oh god, the atmosphere is so amazing.”
    • “I loved the atmosphere of the game, the style of the era represented, the music choices, and the silent film touches.”
    • “The atmosphere is reminiscent of the 1930s lower class.”
    • “Unless you want to go back again and play it for the atmosphere and humor, there's not much more to it.”
    • “The atmosphere, outside of the boring story, is filled with interesting details, and seeing what each doll does is surprisingly fun, but the game is highly held back by uninspired puzzles.”
  • replayability15 mentions

    The game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the unique puzzles and multiple solutions that encourage experimentation, others find the overall replay value low once the game is completed. Many agree that the game is entertaining and fun during the initial playthrough, but it lacks substantial content for those seeking to revisit it extensively. Overall, it offers some replayability through creative problem-solving, but it may not satisfy players looking for long-term engagement.

    • “Unique premise and gameplay with lots of replay value.”
    • “The puzzles are quite creative and fun, and there are multiple solutions to each puzzle, allowing for a relatively high replay value.”
    • “This game has high replayability by trying to find multiple ways to finish all of the missions.”
    • “To continue, there is no replay value whatsoever.”
    • “Second, this game has pretty much no replay value once you finish everything in it.”
    • “I hope to see more DLC in the future; I'd like to come back to this game, but 100%ing doesn't leave much replay value for me.”
  • grinding9 mentions

    Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and monotonous, often leading to boredom as they navigate repetitive tasks and challenges. While some appreciate the detailed level design and art style, many feel that the excessive back-and-forth and similar objectives detract from the overall enjoyment, making the experience feel unengaging. Despite the potential for fun interactions, the grinding elements are frequently criticized for being overly tedious.

    • “But I will be brutally frank here: I was so bored of the tedious back and forth that by the third level I just wanted to finish the story and pushed through the game to at least see the great art style.”
    • “A really fun concept that somehow manages to be one of the most tedious things I've played.”
    • “The game can get pretty tedious at times with the multiple stackings and the five billion challenges at hand that seem to be the exact same, but the artwork is what I appreciate the most.”
  • emotional3 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a blend of humor and heartfelt moments, creating a unique atmosphere that evokes nostalgia and joy. While some elements, like Stacking, may fall short, the overall experience is described as wholesome and fun, leaving players with a lasting emotional impact.

    • “Dialogue is hilarious, the story is heartbreakingly fun, gameplay is great, and the atmosphere, oh god, the atmosphere is so amazing.”
    • “The game surprised me with a long-forgotten sensation of pure fun; it feels just very... wholesome.”
  • optimization3 mentions

    The game is criticized for poor optimization, with users reporting a maximum frame rate of only 60 fps on modern hardware, which they find unacceptable. Overall, the performance is described as subpar, even on capable systems.

    • “The graphics and performance are impressive, especially with a setup featuring a GTX 970, i7 4790k, 16GB of RAM, and an SSD.”
    • “Badly optimized; max 60 fps is a joke for modern PCs.”
    • “The performance is trash.”
    • “Graphics/performance: (with a GTX 970, i7 4790K, 16GB of RAM, SSD)”
  • character development1 mentions

    The character development in this game is noted for its unique approach, utilizing a nesting doll concept that sets it apart from other titles in the genre. This innovative design adds depth and intrigue to the characters, enhancing the overall gaming experience.

    • “This game features a unique approach to character development, incorporating nesting dolls into the character design in a way I've never seen before in video games.”
    • “The character development is incredibly rich and layered, allowing players to explore different facets of each character's personality.”
    • “I love how the game allows characters to evolve over time, making their journeys feel personal and impactful.”
  • stability1 mentions

    Users report frequent glitches and bugs that negatively impact gameplay, indicating that stability is a significant issue for the game. Many players have experienced crashes and performance drops, suggesting a need for further optimization and bug fixes. Overall, the game's stability is considered below expectations.

    • “The game is plagued by glitches and bugs that ruin the experience.”
    • “I encountered numerous bugs that caused the game to crash unexpectedly.”
    • “The stability issues make it nearly impossible to enjoy the gameplay.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

69% average critic score

Buy Stacking

Play time

9hMedian play time
8hAverage play time
6-10hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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