SokoMage Review – Switch

This is review of SokoMage for Nintendo Switch. The game is available for €/$ 4,99 in the Nintendo eShop. SokoMage is also available for Steam, Xbox and Playstation

As a writer for a video game news outlet, you sometimes get review keys dropped in your lap. You begrudgingly accept the key invite, with the notion that the game fits our site’s mission to support smaller developers in getting their games out there. I guess it’s part of our—and my—personal journalistic integrity to report on the game. Not that Sokomage has any features that go against my preferences, but the general concept just wasn’t the type of game I was ready to dive into.

An hour after installing Sokomage on the Switch, I was completely sucked into it. I kept pulling my wife over to my little OLED screen on the couch, debating possible ways to solve the brain teasers Sokomage threw at me, or us.

And apparently there is a sokoban craze at the moment as it seems that SokoMage is created on the foundations of an earlier attempt of the developer to create the same game named Slap the Rocks. Fundamentally the gameplay is completely copied with some additional features added on and reskinned a part of the sprite set.

The Sokoban Twist

These brain teasers come in the form of, not surprisingly, Sokoban-like puzzles. But instead of shoving boxes around a warehouse, your mage character needs to curl ice discs across a playing field filled with shrubbery and rocks. These discs can be slapped across the maze but stop when their path is blocked by a bush or a rock. You need to use the ice discs to fill holes in the ground, allowing you to progress through the maze and reach the Menhir-like gem that clears the stage. Sometimes, you’ll need to sacrifice discs by placing them in strategic positions to support moving other discs to their destinations. In other occasions you need to weed the shrubbery to clear a path or create a point to change the direction of the discs. As you progress, the game drip-feeds new maze elements, gradually ramping up the complexity.

Challenging Mazes, Rewarding Solutions

SokoMage offers 30 levels. That doesn’t sound like much, but unlike traditional Sokoban, these levels get big and complex fast. I’ve spent 30 minutes wrecking my brain on a single maze. Sometimes, the obvious path to clearing the level isn’t communicated visually. You’ll end up doing a lot of trial and error, ‘building’ towards a solution. This brings out a bit of engineering skills, along with insights and pattern recognition. Since you can clear shrubbery, you have plenty of options to mold the maze into a path. I do believe there’s only one solution to each maze, and almost always, you have to shape the maze. Most times you have to create the pattern for your discs to move around. This adds a surprising amount of depth.

Sokomage also lets you rewind steps or restart the level completely. Since these features are mapped to the X and Y buttons instead of being buried in menus, it feels like the game actively encourages you to experiment and reassures you that you won’t get stuck in a dead end.

Bang for Your Buck

This game costs less than a Starbucks Grande Latte and will keep you busy for a good couple of hours. So the bang-for-buck ratio is pretty high, but it’s weird that the Steam version is considerably cheaper, though. It’s aesthetically simple but pleasing enough. The music is okay, but the short loop can get on your nerves after a while. Still, this game leans comfortably on its solid core gameplay, with well-designed puzzles. Add another score point if you want to go for the PC route.

Tip: at the time of writing the PC Steam version of the game is discounted in the Steam store and costs €/$,69.

Check out our other Nintendo Switch reviews and news.