Wilmot Works it Out feels like solving a puzzle on your living room floor

The tactile nature of turning a puzzle piece in your hand while scanning your canvas for similar textures, colors and shapes is satisfying and It is known to be good for your brain. But puzzles are often difficult to translate into digital form. That is not the case Wilmot works it outthe critically acclaimed successor to Hollow Ponds and Richard Hogg Wilmot’s warehouse.

While puzzle games often rely on unintuitive key combinations or clunky click-and-drag mechanics, Wilmot works it out repeats the speed-oriented controls in use Wilmot’s warehouse to create a puzzle game that really feels like solving a physical puzzle. In the world of Wilmot works it outyou still play as Wilmot; you are now unpacking and decorating your home with art, which has been conveniently disassembled into 1×1 cubes. When Sam the postwoman delivers a package, it’s time to unpack the paintings and reassemble them on your entryway floor.

The challenge isn’t just in the visual puzzles, which vary in difficulty, size, shape and theme (my favorites are the sea creatures in space). There are also red herrings: pieces that look like they are the same color or shape as other pieces, but actually belong to a different puzzle entirely. Sometimes the corresponding pieces for a puzzle haven’t even arrived yet and you have to continue solving while you wait for Sam’s next delivery.

The floor of the hallway acts as a large canvas, where you can organize the pieces into piles and work on putting together each work of art. When you push or drag a piece to the right spot by picking it up, a satisfying click and flash indicates you’ve found a match. The completed puzzles become works of art that you can hang on your wall – first in the hallway and later in more rooms that you unlock as the game progresses.

I could take or leave the decoration element of the game. I find the controls related to that element clunky and frustrating, and I’m more interested in solving more puzzles than organizing my artwork. But that’s the fun of it Wilmot works it out – you don’t have to spend time decorating if you don’t want to. And if you Doing If you want, there are unlockable items like hanging plants and pets that you can place throughout your home.

The art style is essentially the same as in Wilmot’s warehouseand I welcomed the pared-back look in an era of so much ultra-realism and 3D modeling. The 2D design just makes sense for a puzzle game where the puzzles are also 2D, and it gives a nostalgic atmosphere if you play a lot of them. Stockroom when it came out in August 2019.

Some may think that this game gets repetitive after a while, because it does. But I think that’s the point. It’s a predictable, reassuring game that’s kept interesting by the silly overarching storyline involving Postwoman Sam and her excess of Wilmot, and the puzzles seem to get more challenging as the game progresses. If you want A little to the left, Wilmot works it out is a must-play that will keep you entertained until it doesn’t. And at that point, take a break and return when you’re ready for another fun dopamine hit with solved puzzles.

Wilmot works it out was released on October 23 on Mac and Windows PC. The game was played on PC and ROG Ally X using a pre-release download code from Finji. Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, although Vox Media may earn commissions on products purchased through affiliate links. Additional information about Polygon’s ethics policy can be found here.