This review was written for [url=https://thinkygames.com/]Thinky Games[/url] and has been cross-posted here. Please see [url=https://thinkygames.com/features/double-trip-is-the-perfect-sokoban-for-beginners-and-those-after-a-cosy-break/]the original article[/url].
Curator page : [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/44695991-Anokturnus/]Anokturnus[/url]
A Monster’s Expedition is… wait. No, sorry, wrong game. Yet, it’s hard not to think of A Monster’s Expedition when looking at Double Trip, a sokoban puzzle game whose inspiration is quite clear. In this sokoban, though, you get twice the fun as you have to control not one, but two jelly characters that need to help each other. I can sense a few people grimacing behind their screens, but we’re not talking about simultaneous control, don’t worry!
The game opens directly into the overworld, a pretty archipelago with islands linked by bridges. The first striking element of Double Trip is how soothing the atmosphere is: the sweet acoustic guitar, the sound of the ocean, the wind blowing, the sunrays… I love a good cosy game from time to time.
The controls are kept simple. You can swap between your two characters at any moment and use the whistle action so that the unused character automatically follows in the footsteps of the one you control. You can also choose to play in two-player mode, allowing you and a fellow puzzle-lover to work together, controlling one blob each.
The goal of each level in Double Trip is to bring both characters through the exit portal, which is usually either across an obstacle like a hole or a pool of water. This brings us to the two main mechanics of the game: stones and logs. Stones can be pushed like any Sokoban block, they can be dropped in holes to create a bridge, while logs can also roll if pushed on the side. Logs can’t make bridges over holes, but will make bridges over water. They are used far more often than stones, so you can see why the A Monster’s Expedition vibes are strong.
And yeah, that’s all there is to the game! Double Trip is not a long game, it consists of around 30 puzzles for a duration of 2-3 hours. I mentioned in my Electrifying Incident review how short games, unfortunately, often don’t fully exploit their potential. Much like The Electrifying Incident, Double Trip also avoids this trap. It doesn’t try to bring too many things to the table and stays very basic in its approach, allowing it to take full advantage of the few things it offers.
The emphasis is obviously on the teamwork; most of the puzzles require constantly switching characters and thinking for two. There’s no special trick to find, only how and in what order the characters need to play their part. The lack of room (a common constraint in Sokoban games) is especially well used in Double Trip, the trickiest puzzles are the ones in which you can’t work together as you’d like to. Although the mechanics are basic and the levels very small, I liked the efforts made to create multi-step puzzles; at least I constantly had the feeling the puzzles took more steps than I anticipated. I also liked how late-game puzzles completely isolate the two characters from each other, because who doesn’t like a dose of purely classic Sokoban?
There are three kinds of levels in Double Trip. The normal levels are the ones you need to solve to progress in the overworld, which are usually very easy. The extra levels are slightly harder and also unlock as you progress, but they require you to solve overworld puzzles before you can reach them. The overworld puzzles are neither meta puzzles nor interconnected puzzles, just puzzles in the overworld… but this is where it gets trickier. They are not hard, but I still think they are noticeably more difficult than the rest of the game, and I loved that, of course!
It’s completely clear that Double Trip was inspired by the big puzzle names, and that’s always a good thing for smaller games like that. It’s not even conjecture based on the puzzle design, just look at my jelly blobs! You unlock customization options and colours as you clear extra levels, and what would be more fitting to push logs than the Draknek Monster itself?
Double Trip was a nice experience, even though it’s too easy for my taste. It’s the perfect game if you’re a beginner or if you want an approachable and cosy break. Double Trip is also one of the very few multiplayer Sokoban games. I played it alone, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the game was best enjoyed with someone.
One last thing, I completed the demo of Double Trip, and the levels featured in it are not in the full game, so I’d suggest you check it out. There are only 6 puzzles and no real overworld challenge, but the difficulty ramps up quickly, and the last few levels are worth it.
