When you think of a memory, how do you remember it? Do you think of the emotions you were feeling, who you were with, what happened during, or the last factors/consequences of the event? Can you remember how something smelt or felt? Can you remember the noises you heard while everything transpired?
Depending on how you were born or raised, you may remember the most minute detail. Some can remember everything from the time they were born while others forget what they ate an hour ago. At PAX East 2024, Daedalic Entertainment showed us a cozy game where the player rebuilds the memories of the narrator from wood pieces; that cozy game is called Woodo.
Woodo sets the cozy mood right away with the sounds of spring/summer resonating through the headset. Birds chirping, a gentle breeze, and laughter in the air, the narrator starts reminiscing about her Grandmother’s Jewelry box.
As the player puts the woodblock into its proper place, the blocks spring to life filling with color. Once a section is complete, the narrator will start to tell you about her grandmother and the box. The box is colorful but ugly; it screams the 1920s to 1930s era if not even older.
Once we completed the wooden box, the story moved on to a memory of her spending time with a friend and their meal on a cute little porch. Rebuilding the set can be relaxing, however, some of the blocks can be difficult to find.
This is due to either how small the object is or because certain items are hidden within the cabinet. Finding the precise location for each wooden block can be difficult at first, but once you find it can be satisfying.
The story itself feels like it may just be random memories, but with such a limited glimpse at the overall story, it is hard to tell. Hopefully, as the story progresses there will be darker themes, a change in theme, or a connected point.
If it is all just reminiscing, the game will be fine to play at first but will get boring fast. The PAX East demo was fairly easy to play, but the demo station was not the most comfortable for taller individuals so it detracted from the overall experience.
Woodo is definitely a game I would be willing to play more of but if it doesn’t get to a point early on, I could lose interest quickly. Rotating items can be a bit complicated but if you liked the I Spy book or liked to find Waldo then you will probably enjoy this game.
Woodo is in development for Windows PC (via Steam), though a release date isn’t confirmed.
