While Waiting Review

Standing still is a strategy I often reserve for horror games when I’m hiding from a monster (or from a random sound that made me think there was something spooky stalking about). In 99% of all other genres, I’m smashing the sprint button in an attempt to get to the next conversation, chest, or boss fight as quickly as possible. Perhaps that’s why Optillusion’s While Waiting feels like such a unique experience; I can do nothing at all and still reach the end’s 100th level.

While Waiting is made up of little moments and simple mechanics, taking you across a slice-of-life journey in which you’ll play as Adam, an ordinary human who grows old, falls in love (and out of it), joins the workforce, attends parties, and well, you get the gist. He’s you and me, and if you like the reflective storytelling of games like Unpacking, then you’ll appreciate it here, too. Perhaps my favourite element about this adventure is that as mundane as Adam’s life can be, we get to see his life through the perspective of his grand imagination, which turns clouds into a carnival-like shooting game, baggage claim into a conveyor belt of oddities, and a software bug into a makeshift session of Solitaire.

Every level gives you a short list that hints at what you can do to uncover While Waiting’s hidden whimsy, such as “These noodles are raw” or “Oh, what a mess I’ve made”. As you move around and interact with items, it’s up to you to experiment and figure out what condition satisfies the vague tasks the game gives you, and if you’re successful, you’ll be rewarded with cute little stickers to mark them complete. Letting your curiosity lead you is a great strategy for every situation you’ll find Adam in, and there are plenty of humorous moments to be discovered.

That said, you can’t 100% the game in a single playthrough, as there’s always a “Do Nothing” task to complete on each level, which is only achievable if you don’t do any of the other things listed. If that sounds a bit boring, I don’t blame you (and the game won’t blame you either). You don’t necessarily have to stay in one place, though, and you can still interact with items that don’t pertain to the hint list, so if you’re worried that this is more of a patience simulator, I’d say it’s still pretty enjoyable when you’re waiting. The lively piano music and charming cartoon-like art style also make it a joy to have on your screen, whether you’re actively playing or engaging in the title’s namesake.

Each level is also quite short, which is great if you’re going for the “Do Nothing” sticker but challenging if you’re trying to explore and complete the other three or four tasks on your list. The game doesn’t wait for you to say, “I’m ready to move on,” as there’s an invisible clock (and occasionally a visible one) ticking down until you’re forcefully moved to the next thing.

Surprisingly, I found the game more enjoyable when I was doing nothing and letting Adam vibe through his life. This is mainly because moving around and using items is incredibly slow. The game sticks to traditional, easy-to-use controls that everyone’s accustomed to, but everything you do feels so sluggish that waiting seems like the more convenient option.

Despite my frustrations with the controls, While Waiting still resonated with me. From start to finish, Adam’s life feels deeply human and, as such, very relatable. Time still carries on whether you’ve decided to like all the posts on Adam’s social feed, lead baby ducks to a pond, or sit back and relax on a car ride. Finding fun ways to wait or simply embracing patience both feel like profound ways to engage with the adventure. No matter what you do, you’ll go from waiting for Santa as an excited kid to waiting for your chairlift to glide you down a staircase in your elderly years — but how you fill the time in between is up to you.

While Waiting is a patience sim, puzzler, and thought-provoking tale packaged in 100 levels, and though the movement could be improved, I recommend it wholeheartedly. I fully believed that it would feel repetitive at some point, but every situation is so unique, offering clever ways to complete each task. You won’t be yearning for variety — there’s a lot of it. If you want to pass the time in fun, creative ways and/or see what happens if you don’t do anything at all, then this is a great title to pick up for a chill time. After playing it, you might start noticing all those little in-between moments where you’re waiting in your life; I tend to pick up my phone when a second of downtime comes, but maybe I need to take a page from Adam’s art of patience.