2020-12-31
Happy Newyear 2021
The end of 2020. Year of the rat.
2020-12-24
Merry Christmas from the staff at Sokoban.dk
Title: Christmas 2020
Author: DrFogh
Date: 2020-06-24
Skin: Aymeric du Peloux
Warning: if you use a skin not with the same background color as floor color the level will not look as good.
By the way, did you notice Aymeric du Peloux finished his collection Myriocosmos? After 12 years abscense from the Sokoban scene!
You will find the levels here. No? Just sign up and you will get them.
2020-11-28
Title: Transition of Power
Author: DrFogh
Date: 2020-11-28
Skin: YSokoban Decorated C by George Petrov
2020-11-08
Title: Circular Challenge – Endless Expandable
Author: DrFogh
Comment: You can make this level as wide as you want. I stopped at 7 collumns. And again I didn’t want to spoil the symmetry but you can stone B7-C7-D7 or N7-O7-P7
Date: 2020-04-27
Skin: Chess 3 by Andrej Cerjak
2020-10-18
Looking for perfection? You will not find it with this level. And I published a second version with even more dead boxes than the first. I think this is not the case with the third version but I am never sure.
Give it a try. I allready found 2 dead boxes (not counting the 4 upper right). Can you find more?
Title: LGTBQ+
Author: DrFogh
Comment: No need to move G11 or H8.
Date: 2020-10-18
Skin: Sokoban 1994 by Radcliff
2020-10-10
My aim with my bigger circular levels is usually to have a graphically recognizable design and make a level around that with as few dead boxes as possible.
To obtain this I try to make the first 10-20 moves “obligatory” but in the proces often find there is other ways to open the level and reconstruct it by blocking these.
Obviously I didn’t succeed with my first version of LGBT+ since Anian discovered that and found a solution with no need to move 5 boxes (4 upper right not counted) and 3 unneeded floors.
I think this version is better:
Title: LGTBQ
Author: DrFogh
Comment: No need to move G11
Date: 2020-10-05
Skin: Sokoban 1994 by Radcliff
Did you solve last weeks challenge? Here is the solution.
2020-10-03
For some time Rikitin is seen as the big crook at the Sokoban scene.
Let’s not forget Rikitin made thousands of original levels. Many of these remodelled by other authors.
To support this statement I ran a test on Rikitins Atlas levels (around 1000 levels) and found 3 levels found in some other collections on my harddrive. Just for the record I think I got practically every existing levels including all levels by Razorflame, all levels found at Sokobanonline.com, all levels found at Game-Sokoban.com and all Miks levels (Yes, I bought these).
I found 3 copies.
One in a collection with 217 levels by an other author. In the other authors collection i found 7 levels also found in other collections.
One in the MF8 collection. Yes, Rikitin made a level for the MF8 competition.
One in Jordi Domenechs Sokodrawings, a compilation of interesting designs by different authors.
I tampered a little with a level by an unknown author:
Title: Remodel
Author: Unknown Author and DrFogh 🙂
Comment: Use Sokofind to find the original level
Date: 2020-09-15
Skin: Beeman. Remodel by DrFogh 🙂
2020-09-27
Title: Circular Challenge 40 – LGTB
Author: DrFogh
Comment: No need to move D8 in my best solution. There might be more.
Date: 2020-08-30
Skin: Sokoban 1994 by Radcliff
2020-09-12
Missing sex in Sokoban? Then you will enjoy these disturbingly politically incorrect levels 🙂
Collection: He and She
Author: DrFogh
Date: 2020-09-12
Skin: Balls by Hans-Dietrich Pester of course
2020-08-29
Not many updates recently. Actually a few things happening worth mentioning but lacking the time you will only get a new level. Oh no. Two new levels. Using a solver is plain cheating. No solver has any problems solving levels as small as these.
Collection: DoubleUp
Author: DrFogh
Skin: Blue Granite by Merlinj W
2020-07-25
Today you get three variants of a Circular cross.
Skin: Balls by Hans-Dietrich Pester
2020-07-19
2020-07-06
Didn’t really get Club right, did I?
Due to an unplugged glitch you can reduce Club to the level at the left.
Don’t look for it in the new levelfile and you will not find it in any future releases from me.
I know the new Club have some weaknesses (At least 3 boxes not needed to move) but it is surely better than the first version.
Title: Circular Challenge 15 – Club
Author: DrFogh
Comment: First version 2019-09-18. A catastrophy with no need to move more than 10 boxes.
Date: 2020-07-06
Skin: Heavy Metal 1 by Gerry Wiseman
2020-06-30
Did the reviewers go crazy back in 1988?
2020-06-27
Did you ever have a look at Mike Daas’ Sokoban: The RPG or his levels at sokobanonline.com ?
2020-06-27
You got Diamond, Heart and Spade. Did you miss Club?
At last here it is. Been a little reluctant to publish it since i had my hands full building a better Mercedes. And maybee i will want to build a better Club. Do not have time to do both at the same time.
Title: Circular Challenge 15 – Club
Author: DrFogh
Date: 2019-09-18
Skin: Francois Marques 2
I will give you a few challenges:
Challenge 1: My best moves solution is 376 moves, 120 pushes with no need to move J4, H7 and I8. Can you do it better?
Challenge 2: My best pushes solution is 466 moves, 114 pushes with no need to move J4, H7, I8 and H10. Can you do it better?
Challenge 3: Can you find solutions with other combinations of dead boxes and maybe with more than 4 dead boxes. Fewer only count if the dead boxes are in positions not included in solutions with more dead boxes.
Challenge 4: Does the level have a solution with an added wall at K17?
2020-06-09
Once in a while I get a little tired constructing small convoluted levels solved from the beginning. And it is guaranteed you will need to move all boxes however much you try to avoid it.
Title: The Ball
Author: DrFogh
Comment: Design started february 2018.
Date: 2019-07-04
Skin: Yoshi Classic+
No update for Mercedes.
2020-05-31
Title: Circular Challenge 18
Author: DrFogh
Comment: Time for a small and comparatively easy level.
Date:-2020-02-01
Skin: Bulldozer by Expert Software
Bulldozer was the skin for Expert Softwares Sokoban player. Made before Gerry Wiseman made his Night Shift skins.
And the last update for Mercedes.
2020-05-21
It is spring in Denmark so while you enjoy my last Mercedes I will take a ride in my Kia Ceed Stationcar. (Better value for the money than Mercedes. Well… Less bragging value)
This is not perfect since you will find at least 8 dead boxes but I don’t care. It is spring.
2020-05-22: Added a few words to “How to Build A Mercedes”
2020-05-17 – My oldest unpublished level
Title: Can’t Get Them All
Author: DrFogh
Comment: Inspired by a scrapped version of IAG-Big Theta.
Date: 2018-04-07
Skin: XSokoban
2020-05-05 – Fake News
Do you know how I work with YASC? Of course you don’t. I will give you a little insigth.
- I open the editor with a level from somewhere. E.g from the collection Sokomaxx by Mic.
- I edit the level and save it. And don’t bother to change the name of the level.
- I think the level looks better rotated. And rotate the level and now give the level a new name. Done.
- And check if the level already exist. Yes it does. Somewhere on my harddisk I find a similar level named Sokomaxx 4×2. The only difference from my new level is a 90 degree clockwise rotation. My brandnew level was published 22 years ago!
But I didn’t realise the location of the “original” was in my folder for new constructions: Sokoban/YASC/Levels/Workshop
And this is why a factchecker (Anian) found news at Sokoban.dk that is not true. The level is totally unique.
So with a little delay I can present Circular Challenge 30 – Fake News:
Title: Circular Challenge 30 – Fake News
Author: DrFogh
Comment: Made this nice level. Checked for duplicates and thought Mic made
it 22 years ago but this was only fake news. The level is totally unique.
Date: 2020-04-19
(If this fake news have any influence on the upcoming presidential election in USA it is totally unintended)
2020-05-01
Sitting in my favorite Sokoban Gaming Armchair I decided to make a fantastic circular level with two lines of four boxes.
After some trials and errors, a beer or two and an hour or two I came up with this nice little level:
As always I checked if somebody had made the same level before. And to my great surprise (It just happened once before) I discovered Mic made this level more than twenty years ago. You will find the level in Mics collection Sokomaxx from 1998. The collection is not free but you can buy Mics levels from the site Games4Brains.de. Highly recommended.
I stuck to the concept with 2 lines of four boxes and ended up with the level below. (Just spiced it up with a little longer boxlines. )
Title: Circular Challenge 28 – Not A Mic Copy
Author: DrFogh
Comment: Made a nice circular level with 2 lines with 4 boxes. Discovered Mic made the same level 22 years ago. Then made this instead.
And yes. You can spoil the symmetry by stoning B15 or F15 but not both
Date: 2020-04-21
Skin: Games4Brains
NB: You can easily make your own version of this level. Just add as many boxes to the lines as you want. And remember to quote me as coauthor 🙂
How long lines can the solvers handle?
Sokolution managed lines with 10 boxes while YASS managed a whopping 15 before it gave in.
Funny thing is if I make the first push (Takaken doesn’t support circular levels. I thought. Actually this is not true. You can switch this property on and off in Takaken. Thanks for that information from Matthias Meger) Takaken solved lines with 10 boxes. Sokolution thought it was easier given the first push and managed the same length as Yass: 15.
2020-04-20
Yes. I got mail from China.
And yes. This is the final version
Title: – Circular Challenge 26B – Double Broken Egg
Author: DrFogh+Anian
Comment: I didn’t realise a box at J12 need not be moved at all. Credit to Anian for finding that.
Date: 2020-04-18
Isn’t it amazing how easy Sokoban solving is? Just solve 26B and you allready solved 26A.
2020-04-17
After 5 years of silence Přemysl Zíkas undusted his harddrive and published the collection “25 études romantiques oubliées” at his homepage
Title: (12) Treble clef
Author: Přemysl Zíka
Don’t forget to read (and hear) the presentation of the collection at Jordi Domènechs blog
2020-04-17
Toiling away with a level for hours and days and within a day or two after publishing I usually receive a mail from China: “The level can be solved without moving X boxes”.
I love the challenge!
In Easter 2020 different solutions lead to different numbers of dead boxes and the maximum dead boxes were “only” 5.
I think I found a cure for that (I’m a doctor after all). Very close to a perfect cure but I still had issues with J6. But no problem. Change it into a wall and rename the level with a new snazzy title 🙂
The level is easy as the first 23 pushes are practically obligatory and not hard to find. The problems arise after that and I think you will have a harder time finding the rest of the solution than in CC25.
I did a lot of eksperimenting changing J12 into a wall (And J6 back into a box on goal) but I don’t think that is possible.
Title: Circular Challenge 26A – Broken egg
Author: DrFogh
Comment: A revised and stronger version of CC25. Managed to reduce the dead boxes to one. Let’s make it a wall! No dead boxes 🙂
Date: 2020-04-09
Skin: Beeman
And now I’m waiting for a mail from China…
2020-04-09
Happy Easter
Title: Circular Challenge 25 -Easter2020
Author: DrFogh
Date: 2020-04-09
Skin: Easter by Brian Damgaard
2020-04-03
If you want to play new levels a good site is Sokobanonline.com.
The presentation of the levels is nice and if you are an author you get your level on the frontpage until somebody else have made new levels.
Only drawback is there is no easy way to download levels to play them in your favorite Sokoban Player.
Most of the time a handful of authors produce levels of good quality.
One of these authors is Kjs722 who made a beautiful circular level named Cosmos 27-104. The level above with the SokobanOnline skin.
I would have loved to make that level for my forthcoming Circular Challenge collection. (Sorry, no planned publishing date. Probably 2020 or 2021.)
But I could still experiment with reduction and expansion of Kjs722’s design and ended up with the above suite.
Kjs722’s title refers to best moves and pushes. I will not err on that but just name my levels Kjs722-1, Kjs722-3 and Kjs722-4. And I left Kjs722-5 and higher for you to create.
You can play Cosmos 27-104 at SokobanOnline.com and download the rest of the levels here at Sokoban.dk.
2020-03-31
Maybe you were a member of the Yahoo Sokoban mailgroup “You like Sokoban? Interested in puzzles? Here!”.
The group was created 1999 and has been active for 20 years. More than 1000 members. (No doubt a lot of these inactive).
Yahoo changed its group services and the Yahoo Sokoban group have been inactive since 24th of december 2019
Don’t panic. A Sokoban group has been created at groups.io and this is certainly the place to go if you want to discuss Sokoban or maybe just want to get help for a difficult level.
Actually the group has been more active for the last two months than the Yahoo group has been for the last 2 years.
E.g. you will find an interesting discussion about screen.77 in the Original Extra collection. I wrote about this back in 2016 but it seems I didn’t quite get it right. You can read the discussion here
The groups.io interface is easy to learn. And you don’t even need to learn it since you get (If you want to) everything in your mailbox and can answer mails without ever going to Sokoban@groups.io’s homepage.
You will also find a new Sokoban group on Facebook. Actually created before the group at groups.io.
However great this initiative is I think the Sokoban group at groups.io wil be the new forum for Sokoban entusiasts.
First thing is the discussions are happening at groups.io.
And you are totally free from the usual Facebook sludge.
2020-03-30
Title: (126) Sokoban Revisited
Comment: You have to solve the letters from left to right. Tell me if anything else is possible. bjertrup58@gmail.com
Date: 2017-04-25
Skin: Boxworld by Jeng Jong Liang
I didn’t publish this level before and you can’t download it from here.
You need to go to The Download Page where you can download my new collection Original 3.
If you are a regular user here at Sokoban.dk you have seen most of the levels before, but not all.
If you want my comments (boring or thrilling. Who knows) for the levels download Original 3 from Sokoban.dk
If you only want to compete for a lowscore you will find Original 3 at LetsLogic.com
2020-03-15
My last Mercedes wasn’t much better. Anian solved the level without moving O5. Disappointing to say the least. A new version with this possibility blocked is coming up. While you wait for that try your solving skills on this:
Title: Circular Challenge 17 – Lazy Level
Author: DrFogh
Comment: My best moves solution 149/52, no need to move 3 boxes, no need to use one floor.
My best pushes solution 177/50, no need to move one box. Lazy Level? I have no intention trying to change this level.
Date: 2019-11-24
Skin: Chinese Checkers B by Gerry Wiseman
2020-02-29
Tired of Mercedes? Then buy a Toyota. Makes nice cars too 🙂
(And I will publish some brand new levels in a not far future.)
Here I struggle to bring my Mercedes beyond the prototype stadium. Now you can’t solve the level by going left at the top. Actually I made that impossible. And you need to do a little more boxmoving to get the bottom right.
Enjoy
Title: Circular Challenge 20 Mercedes Rev 2
Author: DrFogh
Comment: My best solution has 5 dead boxes and 1 unneeded floor. Probably possible to find more.
Date: 2020-02-29
Skin: YSokoban by George Petrov
2020-02-23
Guess the Mercedes is not build yet… Read the last development
2020-02-22
Forget about the first version. This one is better.
Title: Circular Challenge 20 – Mercedes Rev
Author: DrFogh
Comment: Anian found 21 dead boxes in the first version. Here it is not 21 but it certainly is not 0 either.
2020-02-16
Once a while (About once a year) I am asked how to develop a Sokoban level.
I wrote a story creating the level below.
Title: Circular Challenge 20 – Mercedes
Author: DrFogh
Date: 2020-02-01
Skin: Boxworld by Jeng Jong Liang
2020-02-01
Being a little lazy recently with no updates since new year. But here is a new level at least.
Title: Circular Challenge 14 – Diamond
Author: DrFogh
Date: 2019-08-23
Skin: Soukoban by Stafan Modig