Woodo Is A Beautiful Puzzle Game About Life And Memory
We all have certain moments in time which are embedded in our brains. Sometimes, they are memories of a period in our lives that meant so much to us, whether it was a feeling, a smell, or something important someone said. Over time, our memories can shape and fade, and sometimes we struggle to remember what really happened.
Forgive my indulgence, but these are the thoughts and feelings that Woodo conjured up in me. On the surface, it’s a simple puzzle game set in a cartoon world. But beneath that colourful exterior are deeper ideas about life and memory, alongside an addictive puzzle-solving experience. Here’s why.
Woodo is a cosy diorama puzzle game. For those who aren’t familiar with dioramas, think of the museum displays you might have seen showing, for example, an ancient Roman settlement recreated in a 3D model, and you’ll be somewhere near it.
There is a story here, narrated through the experiences of Foxy, a child who has to leave the city, where she has everything she wants, and spend the summer living in the countryside. There, she meets Ben, a frog who introduces her to a different way of life that changes the course of her future.
A Heartfelt Story Told Through Foxy’s Memories
The story is family-friendly, like a tale from a children’s book. But, like all the best bits of young entertainment, it works for adults too, for the reasons I mentioned at the beginning. The narrator’s writing is extremely good, balancing child-friendly warmth and lightness with a willingness to explore deeper ideas about the human condition. In terms of writing, it also features one of the best ending monologues I have seen and heard in a game. There are some wonderful characters to meet along the way, including a bunch of troublemaking geese, a pet spider, and a mouse with a house.
Bringing Wooden Dioramas To Life
The gameplay begins with a map divided into six chapters. The concept is simple: you start with a diorama scene, which might be a breakfast table in a house or a fishing boat on the river. Each scene is packed with detail, but initially everything has a brown, wooden finish. On the right side of the screen, a scrollable bar displays a list of objects that need to be matched to their correct positions in the diorama. You do this by dragging each object across the screen and fitting it into the appropriate place. Once positioned correctly, the surrounding area suddenly becomes animated and full of colour. When you have cleared every object from the bar and completed the diorama, it’s time to move on to the next one.
Woodo is super addictive and completely capable of consuming your time. While reviewing it, I would wake up and, instead of reading my emails, think, “Let me have a quick half an hour on that diorama.” But it’s not just the simple gameplay design that works so well. It’s also the way you control the camera, zooming in and out of each model to uncover its secrets. You might discover a doorway that needs a particular piece to complete it. Once you have done that, you can open the doorway and find an entirely different little world inside, complete with more objects to place.
That’s what makes the game so clever: its world-within-a-world feature. At one point in one of the dioramas, the characters are looking down at something on the floor. When you zoom in, you discover an entire miniature city, which you then have to bring to life by placing the necessary objects.
A Helpful Hint System That Could Use More Restraint
If you get stuck on a puzzle, you can use a help button that guides you towards the location where an object needs to go. There is a small cooldown between uses, but you can keep pressing the button until you complete the puzzle. I do feel that it is far too tempting to use, and I would have preferred a little more restraint. Perhaps the help button could only be used a certain number of times per level, for example.
And visually, Woodo is absolutely fantastic. The artwork is sublime, and the beautiful animations that appear when each world comes alive are a real delight. The characters are lovely, while the world they inhabit is packed with charm and warmth. The menus are easy to navigate, and the controls work well – that’s always a bit of a plus. The soundtrack is charming and full of whimsy, while voice-over actress Miriam Teak-Lee does an amazing job with the narration.
A Memorable And Rewarding Puzzle Experience
Woodo is a stunning game; one that proves to be incredibly addictive. It is one of those rare games where I couldn’t wait to fire it up for another go. I loved the nature of the story, the beautiful memories and the emotions it brought to the surface.
Whether you’re looking for something to play on your own or with a young family, Woodo excels.
Important Links
Woodo Invites You To Rediscover The Simple Joys Of Childhood – https://www.thexboxhub.com/woodo-invites-you-to-rediscover-the-simple-joys-of-childhood/
Buy from the Xbox Store – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/woodo/9pgq8f7dj7xp
There’s an Endless Summer edition too – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/woodo-endless-summer-edition/9nm30qtndc78
