AmaZoo

AmaZoo is a block-swapping game set in a semi-automated warehouse—a nod to the original Sokoban series. Instead of pushing blocks from a top-down view though, the gameplay relies on lifting and dropping boxes in a side-view perspective. Despite some quality-of-life limitations, AmaZoo offers interestingly compact and tricky puzzles.

Your character, KoKo, is a new worker lost in a giant corporate warehouse, and the goal of each level is to bring them to the exit on the right side of the screen. There can be multiple obstacles in the way though, from high walls to hazardous lasers, and that’s where moving boxes around comes into play. Aside from the plain cardboard ones, you’ll also have to use trolleys, fragile pots, heavy crates… The puzzles ingeniously leverage both the strengths and the perils of each type of box.

Several rooms include real-time elements, in the form of moving platforms and patrolling robots. The levels are presented in sets of six; these sets cannot be interrupted and must be cleared in order, however the levels are paced with creative variations to prevent fatigue. As an optional challenge, you can try clearing each set under a specific number of moves. Notably though, the game features no undo option.

While the first levels are rather straightforward, the difficulty ramps up and turns significantly challenging by the second half of the game—even though the rooms are still the same size, which is a testament to the quality of the puzzles. The intuitive mouse controls and the cute animations also help smooth out some of the design shortfalls.

This description was written by Oriane Tury.