Stick to the Plan Preview: Good Boy!

Developed by Dead Pixel Tales and published by SpaceJazz and coming soon to PC is Stick to the Plan. A 3D indie puzzle game where you must guide a little dog carrying a big stick through a series of complex puzzles and get to the exit. Travel across several levels through the title’s themed worlds as you help little Roberto the dog find the biggest and best sticks.

In a world where most games have you fighting for the very sake of the world. Commanding you to throw yourself into death-defying situations. Having a game with such a simple and cute premise is a welcome change of pace for me. And I will admit, even at this preview stage Stick to the Plan offers something really special. And whilst its premise might seem a little too light or silly for some it is all in service of a game that is probably one of the most chilled and relaxing I’ve played all year.

Stick to the Plan is set to release September 12, 2023, the game can be wishlisted on Steam where a demo is available for download.

In a change to most other games I preview, Stick to the Plan does have a short story in its preview build. And it is a simple one. You play as Roberto the dog, who one day comes across a big stick and now must try and navigate his way around whilst avoiding obstacles and finding even bigger sticks! It is a simple but cute story that is told rather well via some short comic book-like cut scenes that appear every few levels or so. And really adds an extra layer of charm to the whole affair.

Stick to the Plan has some charming cutscenes.

It makes for a fine sample for the look, feel, and tone of the final product. and I look forwards to seeing more from it as the final release draws closer. Honestly whilst this title could easily have gone without a story and still been as charming this does add a nice extra flavour to it. Beyond this, the rest of the text is delivered well. The tutorial text is clear to read and the tutorials themselves are well presented and easy to understand. There isn’t really much to criticise here. Stick to the Plan has a wonderful presentation. With a cute story and what little text there is, is easy to understand. Even for someone like myself that can struggle with overly stylistic fonts and texts.

I feel it goes without saying that a puzzle title is made or broken on the strength of its puzzles and gameplay. And I have to say that Stick to the Plan really nails it with this preview build providing a brilliant slice of gameplay. Each puzzle is presented well, giving the player a gradually complex series of puzzles. All with a learning curve that is smooth enough to ease you into the flow of everything. Yet is difficult enough to provide a challenge to even some more veteran gamers.

In Stick to the Plan you must reach the exit to win.

I won’t lie however dear reader. Some may find the difficulty in the preview build a tad too easy. But for me that isn’t much of a problem. Mostly due to the fact that difficulty really fits the tone of the game itself. This is, to me at least, designed to be a ‘cosy’ experience. A light, relaxing game that, whilst it has its own challenges, is not something that you’ll find overly taxing or stressful. It is the perfect game to play during a lunch break or after a stress-filled day.

The preview build of Stick to the Plan takes place over two worlds worth of levels. Each world, as well as having a distinct look to it, also introduces at least one new gameplay element into the mix. And if the final level with the credits on is anything to go by then is a pattern that will continue out for most of the rest of the title. This all goes to show a sweet level of creativity. It is one that makes me excited to see what else the developers behind this have to show.

Later levels become far more complex. But not too hard.

There isn’t much to really talk about with Stick to the Plan. I’d hate to evoke dark spirits here but, it just works. The core gameplay loop is drum tight and works brilliantly well. The difficulty curve is well handled. And none of the puzzles ever feel like they take too much out of you. Sure, some are harder than others. And I spent longer on some than others. But I never felt as though it asked too much of me. And each one was completed swiftly before too long. The only criticism that I have is that the preview build is rather short. But it is a preview build after all. And given its job is to make the people playing it want to play more and get the main title I think it is fair to say the game succeeded.

Every inch of this preview build of Stick to the Plan is drenched in a cosy charm. From the artwork on the main menu to the cutscenes, and of course, the levels them self every inch of the title has a warmth to it that is hard to describe. There frankly is no getting around it. The game is cute and sweet. And given how commanding and demanding some other titles I’ve been playing recently have been, switching gears into a game like this has been fantastic. With each of the levels having a cartoonish look to them. One that is well presented aesthetically. But also is clear enough to be read and to understand where to go and where everything is.

Stick to the Plan’s “Wishlist us” Screen is the prettiest I’ve ever seen.

As previously stated, in this build there are two worlds. One is a more urban scheme and the other is more industrial. Both have a distinct feel to them. Which makes both of them feel unique and yet have great visual harmony with each other. One of my favourite elements is the soundtrack. I’d hate to say it again. Honestly, at this point, the phrase is running the risk of feeling overused in this preview. But it is really cosy. It has a relaxing warmth to it that really lends itself to the game as a whole. Stick to the Plan is a soothing game. With it commanding enough of your brain power with its complex puzzles. And yet being presented in such a chill way that it never feels like it asks too much of you. Which in this day and age really is a-ok in Ol’ Chris’s books.

Stick to the Plan was previewed on PC.

Writer and theatre director Chris is a lover of all things indie. Armed with a trusty Master’s Degree and over a decade of film and videogame reviewing expertise you can be sure they can get the job done so that they can ask the big questions in life, like “When is Metroid coming out on the N64?”.

Dead Pixel Tales 2023-08-04, 6:25 pm

Hi! Dead Pixel Tales here!

Thanks a lot for the preview!! We have loved to read you, your text is so sweet for us, it keeps our motivation super high! Please, send us an email to [email protected] so we can send you a Steam key. We would love you to play Stick to the Plan when the game launches ^^

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comment *

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>

Notify me of followup comments via e-mail.