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Tim Schafer’s newest project revealed and it involves Russian dolls

by: Dan -
More On: Stacking
A couple weeks ago, 1Up was able to interview Tim Schafer about his newest project and pretty much got nothing out of him as to what it would be. Yesterday it was revealed that Tim Schafer’s Double Fine production company had partnered with THQ and will be bringing Stacking to Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network in Spring 2011.

What is it? It is a third-person adventure puzzle game that involves a family of Russian stacking dolls that were separated by tough economic times. The lead character is Charlie Blackmore, the youngest and smallest doll who goes on a quest to bring his family back together.

I know that the plot sounds funky, but the way the game works and the actual storyline interactions sound like it might be fun. As each doll is captured its unique abilities will help assist in the capture of more dolls and get deeper into the games storyline. In addition, each challenge or puzzle will have multiple ways to solve them, which is a bit of a departure from the classic design for puzzlers. Take a look at the screens below and the release after the jump to get a better feel for what to expect.

Stacking, a Quirky Collaboration between THQ and Tim Schafer’s Double Fine Productions, Scheduled to Debut on Xbox LIVE Arcade for Xbox 360 and PlayStation®Network Early 2011

Imaginative Third-Person Adventure Puzzle Game Delivers Great Storytelling and New Puzzle-Solving Challenges in a Visually Lush Setting

AGOURA HILLS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--THQ Inc. (NASDAQ: THQI) and Tim Schafer’s Double Fine Productions expect to release their second co-production in early 2011: Stacking, a third-person adventure puzzle game that makes players laugh while challenging their perception and intellect.

In Stacking, a family of Russian stacking dolls has been separated by tough economic times. The youngest doll, Charlie Blackmore, begins a heroic effort to bring his family back together. But he’s one size smaller than any other doll in the world. Game players will help Charlie, who is all too accustomed to being overlooked and dismissed – too small to be of any real consequence – discover that his size can be his greatest strength.

Created by Double Fine project lead Lee Petty, Stacking is scheduled to be available this spring as a download on Xbox LIVE® Arcade for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, and also on the PlayStation®Network for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system.

Stacking is the second downloadable game produced by THQ and the award-winning Double Fine Productions. The adventure of Stacking requires players to capture and stack dolls together, then use each doll’s unique abilities to solve the game’s challenges. As more puzzles are solved, new dolls are acquired and the game’s visually lush, carefully constructed story unfolds.

Unlike most adventure puzzle games, every challenge in Stacking will have multiple solutions and players will be encouraged to discover them all. They’ll also discover a wide variety of new characters and side activities, which will allow them to accumulate hundreds of in-game awards.

“Stacking is distinctive in its overall cinematic look as well as its approach to puzzle solving, and we believe the game will appeal to both the casual and hardcore video game player,” said Martin Good, Executive Vice President, THQ Kids, Family, Casual Games, and Global Online Services. “We are pleased to expand our library of digital download offerings and do so with high-quality games from the wonderfully creative team at Double Fine Productions.”

Double Fine Productions founder and CEO Tim Schafer added, “We’re really excited to be doing another game with THQ, building on the success we had with Costume Quest, and delivering another great adventure told in an entirely new way. What Lee has created with Stacking is something truly awesome – a game with a great story and puzzles, and a completely fresh method for interacting with them both.”