Welcome back efficient gamers! Join us as we dabble with one of the Epic Games Store free games, Wilmot’s Warehouse by Hollow Ponds. In this review, we shall be providing our first impressions from the first hour of gameplay. So, lets jump in!
REVIEW
Wilmot’s Warehouse 1 Hour Review
,What is Wilmot's Warehouse?
Wilmot’s Warehouse is a puzzle game developed by Hollow Ponds and published by Finji. You take the role of Wilmot, a warehouse attendant. Throughout the game you will be expected to put away and organise stock efficiently and delivering said stock to eager co-workers at the serving gate. In a mix of Tetris and memory puzzle aspects, you are against the clock to provide timely and effective service.
Gameplay
After playing through a simple and quick few minute tutorial, you start in the warehouse ready to apply what you have just learned. The game runs on a cycle. You receive a delivery from which you have the chance to catagorise and more items around the warehouse for ease of access. This is done on a time limit of a few minutes. Sounds plenty right. At the beginning it is ample time. But, the load increases as the game progresses with increasing amount of different items to move.
Once the delivery phase is complete, whether you move everything or not, the co-workers come running. At the serving hatch empty hands pop their requests for items in the warehouse. It is your job to fetch and deliver. Some requests reward stars for service which can be used for upgrades. At first you can only carry 6 items at any one time so knowing what to carry and when is important.
The service phase tests you memory of where you put your items. Each item has an icon which can be grouped logically via colour, concept etc. Basic symbolic representation. As you progress the levels, more and more items become available to store to test you organisation skills and memory.
The third phase is the stock count. The player has unlimited time to reorganise the stock room to maximise efficiency and formulate effective space management for increased speed of service. The state of the warehouse will indefinitely change multiple times throughout the time playing the game. A category of pattern tiles could latter be grouped by colour, stripes and circles, or something completely different. Concepts such as building materials, science, food, and symbols can be enforced too. Everyone’s game is bound to end up different in some way or another.
Other upgrades that help are rotate stock around Wilmot for easier placement, a boost when your hands are free, increased carrying capacity, and even removing columns of the building to make more space.
Overall, the gameplay is simple, pick up and go, and very fun. It is also quite engaging when considering the memory and time management element. Trying to organise a stock room before the co-workers arrive with a big delivery can get the blood pumping!
Visuals and Sound
Today’s games are often sought after for their blisteringly good visuals and pure sounds that captivate and lure a player in. All that is not needed here. Wilmot’s Warehouse would not work as well if it was a realistic warhouse simulator. Instead, Hollow Ponds have designed the visuals and sound very well that matches the game.
The visuals utilise basic symbolic tiles for stock and a charming, smiling face for the Wilmot block. The customers have a little more substance and character. For an elaborate memory game involving stock, the use of a visual radius also adds to the effectiveness of the title and goal of the game. As the game progresses you will rely on the simple stock icons for remembering which sector you have placed them.
As for the sound, it can be simply described as elevator music that adds calm to the ever increasing chaos building up around you. Nothing more is needed from this department. It’s perfect!
Verdict
Overall, Wilmot’s Warehouse is a delight to play. Very simple and easy to pick up. The game mechanics fully allow for memory function to flourish as well as you ability to organise efficiently. It also doubles up as a good learning tool to work on such skills under pressure. Not only that but the title holds great charm. From the grinning protagonist, the eager co-workers, cute stock tiles, to the calming music.
For this 1 hour review, I would like to give Wilmot’s Warehouse by Hollow Ponds an 8 out of 10. The game tests you with good and engaging fun with simple but effective puzzle mechanics. It is definitely a game that will see frequent replays as your skills and association brain power develops. A charming combination of memory training and Tetris! You can find this freebie on the Epic Games Store until the 13th of August so don’t wait too long to grab your copy.
And that is your lot. Will you be picking up Wilmot’s Warehouse? Or have you already been enjoying this indie game? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. Stay tuned for more news, reviews, and guides. Until next time, smile and game!
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