OXXO Unblocked — Play Free Online

OXXO is a 3D block puzzle by Hamster On Coke Games, the label of a developer who signs his store page "Mike aka Hamster On Coke" and who also made Scalak, Zenge, PUSH and Art Of Gravity. The full game came out on Steam on 7 August 2019 and is also sold on the App Store and Google Play. The version on this page is a browser build hosted on Kongregate, and its files are labelled as a demo, so expect a selection of puzzles rather than the whole game.

The idea

The developer's own description of the goal is short: group blocks that are alike, because they like being together. Each puzzle sets out a small arrangement of blocks marked with symbols, and you move and turn pieces until the matching ones end up next to each other. The board is three-dimensional, and turning blocks in all three directions is the main trick the game is built on.

There are no tutorials. The store page says this outright: you are meant to work out each new rule by playing with the pieces. There is also no way to fail. You cannot run out of moves or time, so the only question is how long a puzzle takes you.

What changes from level to level

OXXO keeps adding new mechanics instead of repeating one. In this build, the level files are grouped by feature, and their names point to what you will meet:

• Connectors, drawn as lines between pieces, including versions that can be rotated.
• Lasers, with beams that run across the board.
• Buttons, which get their own set of levels.
• Movable areas, parts of the board that are marked as able to move.

A level select screen lets you pick puzzles, and the game is played with the mouse.

Who it suits

This is a slow, thinking game. It sits well beside the sports games on Football Legends as something to play when you want quiet focus rather than quick reactions. Players who like spatial puzzles, where you have to picture how a piece will look after turning it, will get the most out of it.

Tips

• Experiment freely. Since nothing can go wrong, trying a move just to see what it does is the intended way to learn.
• When a new mechanic appears, spend a moment poking at it on its own before trying to solve the whole level.
• Turn pieces more than you think you need to. A block that looks wrong from one side may line up once it is rotated.
• If you get stuck, step away and return. Puzzles of this kind often click after a break.
• If you enjoy the demo, the complete game is available on Steam and on phones.