How to play STAMP: every package type and how to stamp it

STAMP looks simple: packages come down a conveyor belt, Gary stamps them. The catch is that every package type needs a different move, and using the wrong one counts as a mistake, exactly like not stamping at all. Here’s the full list, what each box is worth, and how to stop panicking when the belt speeds up.

The basics

• Packages slide along the belt and pass through the stamp zone in front of Gary.
• You have to make the right move while the package is inside that zone.
• Right move: points, money and a boost to Gary’s performance bar.
• Wrong move or missed package: the performance bar drops. Let it drain and the shift is over.
• The belt keeps getting faster, and the mix changes: plain boxes get rarer and the tricky ones show up more often.

Common: just stamp it

Move: a normal swipe. Worth: 10 points.

The plain cardboard box. No tricks, no speed requirement. The only way to fail it is to overthink it. Early in a run most of the belt is Common boxes, which is the game giving you time to find your rhythm.

Fragile: swipe up

Move: swipe upward. Worth: 15 points.

Handle with care. A regular swipe on a Fragile box is an error, so watch for the label and change direction. In early versions Fragile asked for a slow swipe, but at high speed the boxes crossed the zone faster than a slow swipe could finish. Swipe-up kept the idea of a different, careful gesture without making it physically impossible.

International: double stamp

Move: two quick swipes in a row. Worth: 20 points.

Extra paperwork, extra stamps. One swipe isn’t enough; you need the second one inside a short window. It’s the box most likely to throw off your rhythm when it shows up right after a Common.

SOS: hit the emergency button

Move: press the red EMERGENCY button. Don’t swipe it. Worth: 25 points.

Something is wrong with this box. Instead of stamping it, you hit the emergency button on the side of the screen. The game freezes for a beat and tells you if you got it right.

This is the one to respect: pressing the button for the wrong box, or pressing it with nothing in the zone, costs points directly, and so does letting an SOS box slide past untouched. Ignoring a dangerous package is the worst mistake you can make on the floor.

Tip: you can move the emergency button to the left or right side of the screen in the settings, so the game plays well one-handed whichever hand you use.

BANAS: the golden bonus

Move: stamp it as many times as you can. Worth: 8 points per hit.

Gold, rare, and the best thing that can happen on a shift. The first BANAS shows up a little way into a run, a second one only if you’re playing well, and on long shifts it comes back about every minute and a half. While it’s in the zone every swipe counts, with no limit. It doesn’t slow the belt down: you get the same short window as any other box, so mash it.

Five tips for a longer shift

1. Read the box before you move. Most early mistakes come from swiping out of habit.
2. Fragile is about direction, not speed. Swipe up and move on.
3. Commit to the double stamp. Two fast swipes beat one careful one.
4. Never ignore SOS. Missing it hurts as much as pressing the button wrong.
5. Set the emergency button on your thumb’s side before your first run.

STAMP is free on iOS and Android. Download it and see how long Gary lasts.