TheXbox Game Passis celebrated for its day-one releases and big hits. It’s the service of choice for both Xbox and PC gamers who want access to dozens of free titles that they can play as long as they have a membership.
But the gaming service also includescountless lesser-known and older titlesthat are just as worth your time as the bigger names. One of these forgotten Xbox Game Pass games isStacking, a2011 Double Fine game that still holds up today,almost 15 years later.
Stacking Has A Fun, Unique Premise
Stack Up Against The Nefarious Baron
The premise behindStackingis possibly one of the most innovative I’ve ever seen in a game. You play as Charlie Blackmore, thesmallest doll in a line of Russian stacking dolls. Wobble your way through a sepia-toned Steampunk world where other Russian nesting dolls live and work, on a quest to rescue your family from the “Baron.”
Charlie may be small, but he has a mighty power: He canjump into any doll of the next size and use its abilities. Stack the dolls and utilize their skills to progress through various locations, like a train station and a high-flying zeppelin.
Skills include the ability to unlock doors, lure away other characters, and float up above dolls' heads.Each puzzle has multiple solutions, so use yourcreativity to bypass obstacleslike locked doors, irate chefs, and observant guards.
If the idea seems vaguely familiar, that’s because the lead developer ofStacking, Lee Petty, went on to directHeadlander. This Double Fine Metroidvania uses a similar premise, where players control a character who claims robots' bodies by affixing its head onto them.
Stackingis the puzzling version of this, requiring no platforming and providing a more relaxed play style. Explore and find all the different ways to overcome challenges in the charming, whimsical world of Stacking.
Stacking Is A Forgotten Double Fine Game
It’s One Of Xbox Game Pass' Hidden Gems
Double Fine, headed by industry veteran Tim Schafer, is known for classics likePsychonauts, Grim Fandango, Day of the Tentacle,and many more. These games have become well-known names in the gaming industry and perfect examples of Double Fine’sodd but whimsical game design.
Despite a solid 84 onMetacriticand a matching 8.1 from players,Stackinghas beenmostly lost to time. It isn’t nearly as well-known as Double Fine’s other games, and that’s a real shame. The quirky puzzler is well worth your time, and it’s completely free to play on theXbox Game Pass.
