Woodo preview: A tranquil, beautifully crafted puzzler

Meditation is a love or hate activity. The idea of sitting and breathing to switch one’s thoughts off is lovely and yet, for many, idealistic. There are plenty of meditative activities though beyond the stereotypical cross-legged, fingers-pinched humming variety. For example, gaming can be incredibly therapeutic. Studies have already established the positive benefits of gaming on our mental health. It can lower our stress levels and provide us with a sense of community.

While it may somewhat help quell your thoughts, your brain is perhaps instead occupied by noise surrounding quests, combos, and skill trees. Well, what if I told you that I’ve found something that’s just about as meditative as gaming can get? I had the opportunity to go hands-on with indie developers Yullia Prohorova and Timur Bogotov’s upcoming Woodo at this year’s Gamescom and I cannot overstate how rapidly the game flew up my list of most-anticipated upcoming titles.

Woodo is a deep cleansing breath, a gateway to calm, and a gentle slice of entertainment all in one. Its premise is simple. Based on the concept of dioramas, this 3D puzzler sees you place wooden blocks to assemble an array of animated scenes. These scenes tell the coming-of-age story of Woodo’s leading character, Foxy.

Take a look at Woodo in action below.

Soothing, relaxing, comforting … It’s hard to pick the right word because they all apply. I was quite quickly drawn in by Woodo’s concept but, and I hate to admit this, the question of whether the game might grow to be dull or boring did cross my mind. I can safely say that I was utterly wrong to have such a thought. Woodo is expertly engaging despite its simplified concept as such care and attention has been poured into every minute detail that it’s almost transfixing.

As Foxy narrates the game’s tale, you’ll work your way through a number of wooden scenes. Each comes with a selection of blocks which you simply drop into the right place and as you do, piece by piece, the scene springs to life - and I mean it when I say piece by piece. You don’t have to wait until you reach completion on a scene. Simply dropping the bird block where the relevant bird is placed will see the creature begin tweeting a merry tune, for example. Plants will sway in the breeze, a nearby cat will begin to purr.

What most impressed me about Woodo is just how alive the scenes felt. First of all, everything is beautifully textured so it really does feel like you're building a wooden model. The scenes are 3D and you can rotate and zoom in and out to your heart's content. What’s more, extra smaller puzzles are revealed upon completing certain areas. Say that you finish placing the wooden blocks required to build a cupboard, that cupboard may then spring open, allowing you to build the contents inside. In another instance, I placed a plate onto the table opening up a mini puzzle which tasked me with piecing together the components of a cupcake. Slowly, item by item, the scene would grow in vibrancy. I cannot stress enough just how heartwarming and joyful this process is.

Credit / Daedalic Entertainment

Woodo is the work of just two developers, two developers with an incredible vision and wonderful sense of attention to detail. Many of us flock to the cosy genre because it provides us with a sense of calmness, it helps us to feel restored. I’m not sure I’ve ever encountered a game where that’s achieved to a greater degree than it is with Woodo. A sunny morning walk, a warm cup of tea, a hug from a loved one … whatever it is that brings you peace, you’ll find that same sensation here.

Woodo remains without a launch date but is set to launch on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC via Steam.