Competition Anyone?If you search for the origins of Sokoban, you’ll quickly run into the same line repeated over and over: that the game was created for a programming competition, which its creator, Hiroyuki Imabayashi, won.
It’s a neat story. But is it actually true? |
Hiroyuki Imabayashi
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The Myth
A number of English-language articles and blog posts state the same thing: Sokoban was supposedly entered into a contest and won. It seems to be implied that from there, Imabayashi founded his company Thinking Rabbit as a result of that success, then went on to be a successful developer.
The problem is that none of these articles ever cite a clear source. The “competition” detail just gets repeated and passed along.
The problem is that none of these articles ever cite a clear source. The “competition” detail just gets repeated and passed along.
Sokoban Original
The Evidence
Sokoban DOS port
More recent information suggests this story may not be accurate. A 2022 article, based on a reported LinkedIn conversation with Imabayashi, quotes him as saying:
“No computer game competition… I made it as just a hobby.”
This account lines up with Japanese sources that describe Sokoban being written in BASIC on an NEC PC-8001, then released independently on cassette tape in late 1982. Imabayashi soon founded Thinking Rabbit in 1983 to continue developing pixel art puzzle games.
So where did the “competition” story come from? The likeliest explanation is a mix-up with a level-design contest, where successful level designs were entered into one of the games in the original Sokoban series. After Sokoban was successful, the company held a competition where fans could submit their own stages, some of which were included in Sokoban 2. That community event may have been mistranslated or misremembered as a “game programming contest.”
Japanese sources describe an early user level contest — “Let’s Create the Ultimate (Sokoban)” — run after Sokoban’s success, to solicit player-made stages; some later releases (e.g., Game Boy Sokoban 2) reportedly included winning entries. That likely got mistranslated or conflated over time with a “programming contest.” I’ve contacted Mr. Imabayashi for direct confirmation and will update this section if I receive a reply.
“No computer game competition… I made it as just a hobby.”
This account lines up with Japanese sources that describe Sokoban being written in BASIC on an NEC PC-8001, then released independently on cassette tape in late 1982. Imabayashi soon founded Thinking Rabbit in 1983 to continue developing pixel art puzzle games.
So where did the “competition” story come from? The likeliest explanation is a mix-up with a level-design contest, where successful level designs were entered into one of the games in the original Sokoban series. After Sokoban was successful, the company held a competition where fans could submit their own stages, some of which were included in Sokoban 2. That community event may have been mistranslated or misremembered as a “game programming contest.”
Japanese sources describe an early user level contest — “Let’s Create the Ultimate (Sokoban)” — run after Sokoban’s success, to solicit player-made stages; some later releases (e.g., Game Boy Sokoban 2) reportedly included winning entries. That likely got mistranslated or conflated over time with a “programming contest.” I’ve contacted Mr. Imabayashi for direct confirmation and will update this section if I receive a reply.
A True WinIf Sokoban wasn’t born in some sort of competition, a competition which might have given early marketing exposure, but instead was a successful hobby project, that's incredible, and completely self driven. Sokoban went on to sell hundreds of thousands of copies and inspire decades of puzzle design — from Chip’s Challenge, Pokémon ice puzzles and even zelda block pushing puzzles, to modern games like my own Puzzledorf. What an incredible legacy.
It’s a reminder that a single good idea, created at the right moment, can ripple through gaming history without the push of a formal prize or competition. |
Pokemon Ice Puzzle
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Puzzledorf
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Carrying the Legacy ForwardSokoban’s appeal has always been in its simplicity: a few rules, infinite depth, and that satisfying “aha!” when you find the solution. That design philosophy is alive today in numerous games that continue to be created, including my own Puzzledorf — a Sokoban-inspired game that adds its own unique twists, such as different coloured blocks each with their own target, and other moveable obstacles, that change how you think about space and movement.
Sokoban, a hobby project that stood the test of time, going on to inspire future generations. What a legacy. |
Experience my Sokoban game
Can you escape the land of puzzles? See my twist on the Sokoban formula in Puzzledorf.
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“Puzzledorf is a wonderful little puzzle game. It is simple yet elegant, and delivers its content beautifully.”
8.5 – Everyone's Arcade
8.5 – Everyone's Arcade
