Review - While Waiting

Publisher: Optillusion

Developer: Optillusion

Available on: PC (Steam), Nintendo Switch

Review Console: Nintendo Switch

The universe is mysterious, but in the zillions of years of its existence, there are certainties. There is life. The beginning, the middle, and the end. There is passing along yourself and what you have learned. Then, there is the biggest certainty of all: Time. Time is everything. Going to and from work. The arrival and departure of a plane. The rising and setting of the sun. But, time is incrementally felt in the concrete certainty of waiting.

While Waiting is a game where you can finish it without doing a thing, but complete it by doing anything but waiting. It's a story shown through its mesmerizing comic-book style presentation that covers the rewarding, and unrewarding, moments of waiting. While Waiting is a game with a lot to say and a new perspective on how we see day to day life.

While You Wait

While Waiting is something of a visual novel. Each level presents a different moment in life. While Waiting literally begins with landing on Earth and being born. Across the entire experience, players experience a large multitude of waiting scenarios. Waiting to for toast to eat breakfast or waiting for the school bus are just some of the scenarios listed. There are 100 levels throughout the experience and each level is unique.

In each level, players have the chance to interact with anything and everything, or, do nothing at all. Each level has a set of objectives that are entirely optional to complete. For those that don't want to wait, these objectives involve mini games and interacting with the environment. One level is about falling asleep as a kid. It's entirely optional to do nothing and drift to sleep, or attempt to locate your toy teddy bear. Each level runs for a very short time before the primary objective finally happens. In this case, I did nothing and fell asleep, which was the way to complete the level.

And Wait

There's an absurdness and comedic aspect to most of the 100 levels. One level had me skip commercials to play Snake on the screen while another dealt with an imaginary warrior trying to defeat an evil witch. Another level had me daydream into the sky and pretend to shoot targets with a cloud shaped nerf gun, only for a very real soccer ball to come at my face. There's plenty of enjoyment to each level for those that want to see every possible way to kill time.

The other option isn't doing nothing. While Waiting is a game for everyone and yes, it's a game that can be done without having every touched a single button. The game does get surreal at times to, making the colorful visuals and imagination standout even further. The self-awareness and comedy is on point. One level involves waiting for a mobile game to raise HP.

Something to think about

I've always believed video games have a means to telling stories in a new and bold viewpoint. There's something special that is attained from participation than simply watching something. A game all about waiting may feel nonsensical, and it is, but While Waiting is so much more than that. It demonstrates the value of patience, but most importantly, time.

How are we using time? Is it being used wisely or wasted? Are seconds ticking by while we are laughing with our friends and loved ones or are those fleeting moments spent alone? We all have this big moments that require waiting. A driver's license, college, finding a significant other. Sure, the strong desire to obtain these things exist, and the wait can be agonizing. However, it has one appreciate the payoff of hard work and not giving up.

Consider This

While Waiting is a reflection of a perspective of time and what we do, as well as what me might discover. That time waiting teaches patience but also teaches something new. Perhaps a new discovery and a new interest. Something that we like or don't like. Maybe an appreciation that the best things in life do take some degree of time but it's appreciated when that wait is over. We wait for life. We wait for death. In the fragility of life, we are on borrowed time. How can that time be used?

It's a truly profound message that While Waiting has created, and with 100 levels, there is a lot to interpret. Perhaps the only drawback is that once this story is done it is done. There is no replay value. However that isn't necessarily a bad thing. While Waiting has a story to tell. That story has a beginning, middle, and end.

While Waiting to Play This Game

While Waiting is certainly one of the big highlights of 2025. It's focus on simple visuals and a heartwarming style give one a lot to think and feel. More games should move themselves to go the distance like While Waiting has.

Many will come away with very different feelings, but if anything, perhaps a new appreciation of the little cracks between when life is happening and waiting to happen. While Waiting is worth the wait and I hope that many enjoy the wait.

WHILE WAITING IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

While Waiting was review on the Nintendo Switch thanks to a key supplied by the publisher.