"Find the other sock, you bastard!"
—Bitter Housewife
A 64-year-old plumber one day from retirement. A bitter Housewife. A missing sock. What more do you need?
Sockman is an obscure Spanish Indie Game developed by a single person called Chema Cobas, over the course of five years. It was released on Steam and Itch.io in 2018, and comes with an English translation.
Domin "Sockman" Dominguez is an elderly plumber who will retire in just one day. However, when he returns home with the intent to relax, he is confronted with an unprecedented disaster: a sock is missing, and his bitter wife wants him to find it. The result is an adventure through an underground system to complete the pair.
Sockman contains examples of the following:
- Boss Battle: The final level of each world consists of this. The mini-games also end with this (see Unexpected Gameplay Change below).
- Death Is a Slap on the Wrist: The player has infinite lives, and is merely forced to restart the current level if they die. This will probably happen a lot.
- Excuse Plot: A sock is missing. Go find it!
- MacGuffin: The green orbs. Collecting them opens the way to the key, which unlocks the exit.
- One-Hit-Point Wonder: One hit and you must restart the current level all over again. Fortunately, you have infinite lives.
- Platform Game: The core gameplay consists of running and jumping to different platforms and collecting the key to unlock the exit to the next level, while avoiding enemies and obstacles.
- Song Parody: "Mr. Sockman"—the song from the game's trailer and the closing credits—is one of "Mr. Sandman", popularized by The Chordettes.
- Underground Level: The entire game takes place in underground tunnels.
- Unexpected Gameplay Change: The player can find a hidden arcade cabinet once per world, and if they have coins to spend, get to play clones of classic arcade and ZX Spectrum games like Breakout and Cannon Ball.
Mr. Sockman, bring me a sock.
Start to run and go down and below.
If you feel old, that's the spirit we reach for
So you can beat those levels with three fingers!
Sockman, you're so alone.
Don't have nobody, I'm your only hope.
Please, bring me that sock I dreamed!
Mr. Sockman, jump and be thrilled!
Start to run and go down and below.
If you feel old, that's the spirit we reach for
So you can beat those levels with three fingers!
Sockman, you're so alone.
Don't have nobody, I'm your only hope.
Please, bring me that sock I dreamed!
Mr. Sockman, jump and be thrilled!
—"Mr. Sockman", the trailer and closing song