While Waiting, The Ultimate Waiting Game

Will you be able to wait patiently?

For Patient And Impatient You

Test Your Waiting Skills Or Give In To Your Curiosity

While Waiting is just as its title says—it’s a game about waiting and life. It features over 100+ comical waiting scenarios where you do nothing to clear the level. Patience is key, right? No shortcuts to speed up the waiting time in this game. But of course, sitting around and doing nothing is boring. Each scenario has multiple interactive elements and surprises for you to explore while waiting. Find something among the many interesting items to kill time with! While you’re at it, complete sets of meaningless challenges to make your wait more bearable and fun.

The game might be simple in terms of gameplay, but it hides meaning behind the silly content. You play as the nameless (as of writing) male character, following his life cycle from birth until death. You get to experience both comedic reactions and thought-provoking moments as the game delves into the profoundness of life in itself.

Innovative Ideas And Expanding Games

Optillusion is a game studio with two offices in Shenzhen, China and California, USA. They were founded in 2019, and aim to “explore the possibility of games” and “experiment with innovative ideas,” noting also that they create games that they like. While Waiting is not their first game—that title goes to Moncage, a puzzle adventure game where you explore a strange world trapped inside a peculiar cube. It received positive reviews and feedback, saying that it’s a “very good relaxing puzzle game” and a “game worth playing twice.”

As suggested from the trailer and snapshots of the game, While Waiting is heavily inspired by the mundane-ness of daily life. “When I am waiting for something – maybe because I am a game designer – I always try to find something to play. It could be a game in my mind to keep me busy, or just daydreaming,” Optillusion founder and developer Dong Zhou shared to Pocket Tactics in an interview. “We want to create a game from every mundane moment, to help players find their own ways to kill time. That’s where the inspiration for the game comes from.”

In an industry where fast-paced games and microtransactions are the norm, While Waiting is a game that sticks out for being a tad slow—you’re just waiting, after all. Zhou praised those aspects of other games, saying that it’s a good business model especially for people who want instant feedback and gratification. “But I do want players to have the patience to enjoy a slow-paced game like While Waiting,” he added.

The Game Of Life, Bite-Sized

In a sea of action-packed games with superb graphics, While Waiting stands out as a comedic little casual game with simple visuals. It also aims to present a story of human life, and how mundane experiences are all part of its journey. For a game like this, you don’t really need to bring out the hand-eye coordination, and instead just let yourself have fun and explore the wonders of the world. Following the protagonist named Adam on his life’s journey throughout the game might just pull on some heartstrings and tear ducts here and there.

“It might make you cry. At least, it will make you feel emotional and think about the meaning of life. We put a lot of effort into the narrative of the game. I don’t want to spoil things but I am sure the ending will surprise you!” Zhou concluded.

While Waiting does not have a set release date as of writing, but it is now available to wishlist on Steam. A demo is also available, so make sure to check it out!