Reviewed: August 13, 2002
Reviewed by: Mark Smith

Publisher
Dexterity Software

Developer
Hamumu Software

Released: July, 2002
Genre: Puzzle
Players: 1
ESRB: Everyone

8
4
4
10
8.0

System Requirements

Stockboy is the latest title from game publisher, Dexterity Software, and in my 20 years of gaming I can honestly say I have never played a game this complex, involving, or addicting.

As I was installing this game I really had no idea what to expect. From the name alone I was envisioning a game that would have you stocking store shelves – something like the old Tapper game that had you scrambling to server beer (or root beer) to thirsty patrons. Instead, I found a game that was very puzzle oriented, similar in style to last year's Fitznik, only much more complex. While you can still trace some core gaming elements back to the granddaddy of all block-moving puzzle games, Sokoban, Stockboy offers so much more.

Here are just a few of the items you will find in the more than 150 puzzles included in this game:

• Barrels must be pushed around to deliver them to special goal squares of the same color.
• Balls work similarly to barrels, except that balls keep rolling until they hit another object.
• Critters come in four different types (inchies, blobbies, piggies, and fluffies) and eight different colors -- that's 32 different types of critters, each with a different behavior pattern. Aqua inchies will shoot energy blasts at you. Yellow piggies will chase you around, devouring any objects in their path. Blue fluffies will freeze any objects they touch. Red blobbies will randomly explode bombs they bump into. Stockboy's critter population adds truly massive amounts of the variety to the game.
• Bombs can explode objects such as barrels and critters. Several bombs in a row can explode in a chain reaction that really lights up the screen!
• Detonators can remotely explode bombs from a safe distance.
• Lasers will destroy several objects in a straight line.
• Teleporters instantly move you from one spot to another. Critters can also use teleporters to move around a level.
• Acid will dissolve any critter on contact.
• Doors block passageways to other parts of a level and can be opened with keys, switches, or pressure pads.
• Pressure pads will temporarily open a door while you or another object keep it depressed.
• Keys can open doors permanently.
• Switches toggle doors open and closed.
• Arrows alter the paths of balls, laser beams, and critters.
• Cranks, when activated by you or a critter, will rotate all the arrows on a level by 90 degrees.
• Critter generators pump out new critters continuously.
• Spikes are deadly and must be avoided at all costs.
• Shields give you temporary invulnerability.

Each level in Stockboy features a unique challenge with some occasional restrictions – called “Do Not’s” - thrown in just to make things even more difficult. You may have to blow-up ten yellow critters without destroying any red objects, or reach an exit within a certain time limit.

At first glance, any of these levels is overwhelming in complexity, usually with dozens of objects and creatures moving around in their pre-programmed routines. Usually after a few minutes of surveying the situation and figuring out the best way to accomplish your goals you will realize that there is often a lot of distractions thrown into the level just to confuse you.

Many levels feature simple yet handy tools to help you accomplish your goals. Even tools have their own puzzle to them in that you must use them in the same order as you pick them up. This order is shown in the vertical Tool Belt along the right edge of the screen. If you aren’t careful you may have to throw away a potentially useful item to get to the one you really need.

While some levels require quick reflexes and nimble fingers, these are few and far between. Most levels simply require the use of a keen analytical brain and some good puzzle-solving abilities. To this end, controls are very simple, reduced to the four basic movement keys and the FIRE key, which you are free to configure in your “employee profile”. My only complaint with the controls is that you cannot really hold down the arrow keys without risking filling up the keyboard buffer then accidentally moving too far in a particular direction. Just remember that one tap of the key equals one square on the board.

The amazing thing about Stockboy is that it allows the player virtually unlimited possibilities in solving each level. With so many wild and crazy critters and objects to manipulate and combine, you could play this game over and over and never solve a puzzle the same way twice. Of course there is always that one “best way” to solve it for minimal time and maximum points.

Some levels are devilishly clever in that in order to get the required points for a gold star you have to bend the rules of the puzzle. One such level required a point total that was impossible to get without destroying several red objects. The DO NOT for that level was to not destroy 21 red objects. It took me several attempts before I realized I could start a chain reaction and destroy up to 20 red objects before exiting the level successfully with more than enough points.

Points come into play as you complete each level. You are scored during the game by destroying objects. Your score is multiplied when you can chain explosions; the longer the chain, the larger the point totals. At the end you are given bonus points for various criteria such as Rescues, Deliveries, Disposals, Destruction, Collection, and a Time Bonus. This is how you earn the big points and earn valuable Stars.

Stars are awarded based on a preset number of points for each level. While it’s pretty easy to get a bronze or silver star on your first or second try, it could take you many, many attempts to earn that gold star. There are 999 stars to be collected through Stockboy and these can be spent in the Employee Gift Shop.

The gift shop is nothing more than a menu of features that you can unlock by spending your stars. While many of these items are nothing more than new characters, there are some prizes that include new game modes and some very special features that I will discuss in a moment. Even more challenging is the fact that there is a sort of puzzle in the gift shop itself. You cannot “afford” every item with the stars earned in the main game alone. This means you need to unlock additional game modes that will allow you to earn even more stars. Plan your shopping spree carefully or you may inadvertently get locked out of some cool bonus features.

This point-based reward system is so remarkably simple I’m surprised it hasn’t been done more often in other games. It really serves as a great incentive to not only play this game but to replay it to the point of perfection.

Stockboy is sure to challenge the entire family and to this end the designers have allowed you to create multiple player profiles (employees). You can custom design your own male or female worker, setup your own set of commands, and tweak a number of options that will remain specific to your character. This allows multiple people to play and maintain their own games on a single PC.

Despite the charm of the almost pre-school like graphics and character design, the overall game graphics quality is mediocre at best. Locked in at 640x480 and using only a minimal color palette, Stockboy won’t win any beauty contests. Sticking to primary colors, and sprite animation this is as simple as it gets, but that’s okay. This game is about puzzle solving – not drooling over 3D visual effects and high-res textures.

I was very intrigued to see that the designers even incorporated a “colorblind mode”. This alters the graphics in such a way that people who cannot distinguish the basic colors used in this game will still be able to tell the objects and critters apart. I’m pretty sure this is a “gaming first” and incredibly thoughtful of the design team.

There is some really clever level design in Stockboy that keeps the levels consistent with various themes. One level in the month of July has the multi-colored critters arranged in the pattern of the American Flag. Another level is patterned after Space Invaders with critters that move back and forth and you get to fire lasers at them. Pencils are even arranged near the bottom to act as your shields.

Music is also a bit primitive. The game comes with ten song files, although only half of these are used during actual gameplay. The music is pre-midi quality dating back to the days of Adlib or Soundblaster music. It’s not terrible music and in retrospect, is probably suited to the genre of the game and the dated graphics.

Of particular note is the inclusion of a Music Composer that allows you to create and edit your own music tracks. Of course you must unlock this feature before you can use it, but once you have you will be presented with a serious musical editing system. It’s not as powerful as Sound Forge or Cakewalk, but it is plenty powerful to create your own music if you are so inclined.

If you aren’t in a composing mood you can still use the Music Setup mode to customize which songs in the music directory play during certain parts of the game. You can assign up to five songs that are picked randomly during gameplay along with custom title and menu tracks.

Dexterity Software boasts 50+ hours of gameplay and this is no lie – in fact, it’s probably more of an understatement. I’d be willing to guess that there are nearly 100 hours of gameplay in just the main game once you have unlocked the three additional game modes; Super Summer Blowout, Pest Control, and Inventory Clearance. But wait! There’s more…

How about your very own level editor? That’s right. When you purchase the full copy of Stockboy you get the Stockboy Level Editor (of course you will have to unlock it before you can use it) that allows you to create your own challenging levels. This is a fully function level editor that allows you to create levels just as complex and challenging as the ones that come with the game. Use your imagination and create the level of your dreams - or nightmares. You can then share your levels and download other levels via the Internet for unlimited gameplay potential. Stockboy is truly a game with no conceivable end in sight.

Stockboy is a highly addictive puzzle-solving game that with tax your brain and keep you glued to the computer for hours on end. Its low system requirements make it accessible to just about anyone with a PC that can run Windows 95, and the challenging gameplay will appeal to kids and adults alike.

And since it's shareware you don't even have to take my word for it. Download your copy today and try it out. You will find it is well worth the $19 for the full copy, and with a 60-day money-back guarantee you have nothing to lose but a few hundred hours of your life and maybe your sanity.