Daedalic’s booth at PAX East 2024 wasn’t exactly full of a massive amount of must-sees this year (though it still had good stuff overall), but there was one game that caught my eye:Woodo,a puzzle centered around wooden dioramas, courtesy of developers Yullia Prohorova and Timur Bogotof. Still, with quite a bit to check out already, I figured that I could just afford to seeWoododuring the final day, not figuring that it would draw much attention. During that final day, I finally popped by Daedalic’s booth, and found a line with a sign at the end of it stating that there would be an hour-and-half-long wait at that point.
“This can’t be,” I thought to myself. I was certain this had to be a line to just get in and check out multiple games, like with last year, if memory serves me well. But no, I asked someone working at the booth about this, and indeed, this entire line was forWoodo.This line with the type of possible length that I had previously only seen at previous PAX events for the likes of Supergiant games was here for a simple, cute, folksy, puzzle game. I’m happy that a game such as this was receiving a lot of attention, but I was a bit baffled as to why it was drawing this much attention. So I decided to book a last-minute appointment to see the game right then and there, sat down (apologies to the person who was next in line) and decided to see just what was attracting such a crowd.
Feeling the Warmth
For starters, I can say that one of the reasonsWoodohad such a long line for it was because it had a surprisingly lengthy demo. But beyond that, the biggest appeal forWoodomight be that it very well could be the coziest game possible to come out of the recent trend of “cozy” games. From the eye-catching style built around polished, folksy, wooden decorations to the narration describing the wholesome tale behind the current scene, this is basically the video game equivalent of relaxing by a roaring fireplace with a huge quilt and an extra-large mug of hot chocolate. And that appears to be deliberate, as its own Steam page describes this as “A game that heals and supports like a hot tea with grandmother in front of a fireplace,” with the goal being to provide something that helps people feel better.
The Top Ten Games of PAX East 2024
PAX East 2024 has come and gone, having delivered four days of gaming goodness, which included these ten particular highlights from the show floor.
The setup is basically that we’re reliving a collected set of memories from someone’s childhood, and we have to create the memories by placing objects provided into the current diorama’s blank spaces. It’s a simple premise, but there’s indeed something comforting about it, like many classic puzzles. And while it’s easy to play, there’s still some level of challenge here as you rotate your current diorama, trying to locate the one space certain objects go into, especially when there’s a lot of detail (it helps that the pieces on the side rotate with you). You also have certain areas to zoom in on and interact with, where a few notable spots may be hiding from you.
As mentioned earlier, the aesthetics inWoodoare also particularly impressive. Huge dioramas are built out of wooden figures that a spectacular amount of polish and this charming style, feeling like actual decorations one might find as souvenirs or toys, complimented by warm color schemes. Fitting the “souvenir” part, the first major diorama also centers around someone’s Summer vacation in the country, and a friend they made that helped them enjoy the experience, told with excellent voice acting in various pieces as everything progresses, springing to life as you fill in your surroundings. Again, simple, but executed superbly enough to keep one wanting more.
Needless to say, it’s easy to see why folks would be attracted toWoodo,be it the simple-yet-relaxing and fun gameplay or its delightful visual flair, showcasing a lot of creativity. It’s one part classic childhood toy and one part coloring book, crafted into a larger game that can be enjoyed by all ages. No release date has been set yet (and as it’s a labor of love, it may still take some time), but expectWoodosometime later for the PC, with a Switch version to follow.
