I’ve reviewed lots of “Sokoban” style puzzle games where you push blocks around to solve puzzles.  But the problem is that they may have different coats of paint, they’re still mostly all the same.  So it’s nice and refreshing to play one that has new ideas.  In Hogtie, you play as a cowboy who must rope pigs and drag them to their pen.  But you’ll have to deal with aspects like the placement of the pig, avoiding mud (pigs won’t go in their pen dirty), barrels that block your way and how you can use your rope to move them around, and much more.  Hogtie is available on Switch and PC but reviewed on Switch here.

The stages are set up in a grid fashion, and you can move your cowboy and horse up, down, left, and right, one space at a time.  When you get close to a pig, your cowboy will start twirling the lasso.  You can then press the button to rope the pig.  The pig will follow your movements as you roll it around.  Your job is to get the pig into the green pens to pass the level.  The fewer moves you use to do that, the more stars you’ll earn.  Stars help you unlock new areas and biomes, and if you get three stars in a stage, you’ll unlock something you can use to customize your cowboy or horse.  You’ll play stages on a world map, and there are even pigs there you can corral to earn some extra stars.  The three biomes you can play on include desert, snow, and even space!

Some of the obstacles you’ll have to think about is how your pig reacts to your movements.  It’ll follow your moves, but if it hits a wall, it might get closer or further from you depending on the stage layout.  And if you get too far from a roped pig, the rope might break.  But a stretched rope between you and your pig can also move barrels around, too!   If your pig rolls in mud as you drag it around, you’ll have to find water to dip it in because a dirty pig won’t go into its pen.  You’ll also have to watch out for trampolines and other obstacles, too.  So yeah, if you like “Sokoban” style block pushing puzzlers, you might want to give Hogtie a try as it’s a pretty creative take on the genre.

Kid Factor:

Nothing too violent or objectionable here.  You do rope and roll around a pig, and you can occupy the same square as a pig and squish it, but it pops right back up when you move and doesn’t seem to mind.  You must be raising Squishmallow pigs!  Reading skill is helpful for some of the menu texts, but not necessary just to play.  Younger gamers may need help with the tougher puzzles, though.  Hogtie is rated E for Everyone.

Tags: Game Reviews