There are numerous variants of this program for different operating systems. Originally, it was developed by Japanese programmers who won an award with it in the early eighties. Levels 1 to 50 are the original Sokoban mazes, taken from the first Sokoban program for the PC which I encountered in 1992, a freeware program by Alan B. Liss.
My version is programmed using Borland Delphi 1.0. Levels 51 to 90 are from the Unix program XSokoban, which also uses the 50 original levels and adds 40 more freeware levels.
Allan B. Liss writes: “”If you complete all 50 levels, there won’t be any fireworks, just that warm fuzzy feeling of satisfaction one gets when one overcomes a challenge. You could always give Mensa a call or something.””
Well, the puzzles are not quite as difficult that you must be a Mensa member to complete them, and you can be assured, each of the 90 levels can be solved, but some of them are very, very hard.”
Another thing that really makes Sokoban 97 v2.25 enjoyable for me is how it manages to stay interesting even after playing it multiple times. Many games feel repetitive after a while, but here, the experience still feels fresh because of the small details and different ways you can approach the gameplay. As you continue playing, you naturally start improving and understanding the mechanics better, which makes everything feel more rewarding. I also appreciate the balance the game maintains—it’s not too difficult, but it’s not too easy either. You can play it casually for a short break or spend longer sessions without getting bored. That flexibility is one of the biggest reasons why I keep coming back to Sokoban 97 v2.25. Overall, it’s the kind of game that doesn’t just entertain you for a moment, but actually gives you a consistently enjoyable experience every time you play.
