Snow Stack

The game

A little explorer in a parka steps out of his camp, in the middle of a vast snowy plain. Wolves and polar bears charge straight at him; his axe strikes on its own. The gold from every beast he takes down bursts out and flies into his bag, where it piles up into a tall column that sways as he runs. There’s only one place to bring it: the camp’s chest.

The chest buys one thing at a time, and a sign above it always tells you what: a bigger bag, a sturdier axe, an archer tower, a porter, boots… As soon as it’s paid for, it appears in the camp, and the chest moves on to the next one. Farther from camp live yetis, then mammoths: tougher, but much richer. Everything in the game, from the characters to the music, is made by Kamori’s code.

How to play

Phone

slide your finger anywhere: a joystick appears right under it.

Computer

the arrow keys or W, A, S, D.

• Hunt: the beasts come out of their dens and charge at you; your axe hits anything in front of you. A wolf goes down in 2 hits and drops 3 coins, a bear takes 3 hits for 5 coins. Above every beast you take down, a “+3” or a “+5” shows what it was carrying.
• Stack: the gold flies into your bag on its own. When the bag is full, “FULL!” pops up and chevrons on the ground show you the way to the chest.
• Empty your stack: stand on the golden circle, right next to the chest. Your explorer turns to face it and your stack pours in, faster and faster.
• Dodge the bites: before it bites, a beast winds up, and a red “!” warns you. A bite knocks a few items off your stack: just walk back over them to pick them up again.

Tips to go further

• Watch for the red “!”. As soon as a beast winds up, step aside: it misses you, and your axe hits it as it goes past.
• Head back when your bag is full. Past that point, the beasts’ gold stays on the ground. Follow the chevrons to the chest, empty your stack, and set off again.
• Go farther out when you’re ready. The camp is surrounded by rings: wolves and bears close by, then mostly bears, then yetis, then mammoths. Farther out, the gold comes as gold bars (10 coins) and then diamonds (100): a full bag out there is worth far more than one filled near the camp.
• Get the Big bag first. A bigger bag means fewer round trips for everything else.
• Let your towers and porters do the work. The tower archers shoot the beasts that come near the camp; the gold from their prey stays on the ground, and the porters pick it up and carry it to the chest while you hunt somewhere else.

What the chest buys

In order: the Big bag (your bag holds more), the Sturdy axe (hits twice as strong), the Archer tower (it rises out of the ground at the edge of the camp, archer included), the Porter (a tent appears, and the porter picks up gold dropped near the camp), the Snow boots (you run faster) and the Spinning axe (it strikes all around you). Then the cycle starts over, pricier and stronger. The first time you step into a new ring, it’s announced on screen, like “Land of the polar bears”.

Frequently asked questions

Is the game really free?

Yes. There’s nothing to pay for: everything is bought with the gold you bring back to the chest.

Do I need to download an app or create an account?

No. Snow Stack opens in your browser, on phone and computer alike. The whole game weighs less than 2 MB: it starts in a few seconds, even on an average connection.

Is my progress saved?

Yes, automatically, in your browser: your camp and everything you’ve bought stay on this device.

How long does a game last?

The game never ends, but you play it in short trips of about a minute: you hunt, head home, buy, and you can stop at any time.