While Waiting

While Waiting is a lovely puzzler that embraces patience and offers a tonne of fun if you let your curiosity go wild while you wait. Its variety, replayability, and charming style make it easy to recommend.

80%Game Brain Score

humor, story

replayability, graphics

87% User Score Based on 63 reviews

Critic Score 72%Based on 10 reviews

Platforms

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About

While Waiting is a single player action game. It was developed by Optillusion and was released on February 5, 2025. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

Presented by the team behind critically acclaimed "Moncage", this is a transformative adventure exploring the art of waiting. Clear the game by doing nothing, but discover the power of acceptance and patience in numerous situations from birth to death. Learn to embrace life as you wait.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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87%

Audience ScoreBased on 63 reviews

humor17 positive mentions

stability3 negative mentions

The game features charming art and a unique concept that turns mundane waiting moments into engaging gameplay.
It offers a variety of mini-games and tasks that encourage creativity and exploration, making it enjoyable for players who appreciate humor and lightheartedness.
The narrative depth and emotional resonance throughout the protagonist's life journey provide a meaningful experience that resonates with players.

The controls can be clunky and frustrating, making it difficult to navigate and interact with objects effectively.
Some mini-games are overly challenging and can lead to stress rather than enjoyment, especially with time constraints and unclear objectives.
The game lacks replayability for certain levels, as players cannot revisit completed levels to explore different objectives or tasks.

humor
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as a mix of clever, lighthearted moments and poignant insights, providing a balance that enhances the overall narrative. While some players found the humor to be mild compared to other titles, many appreciated the funny illustrations and pop culture references that kept them entertained. Overall, the game is seen as a casual, humorous experience that offers both laughs and thoughtful reflections on life.
- “✔️ Well-placed humor: the game balances its poignant moments with humor, adding a lighthearted touch without detracting from the overall narrative.”
- “I'm not completely done in my attempt to get all the stickers, but what I can say about this game is that it is a hilarious but also deeply insightful way of showing you the art of patience as you go through life from the day you are born to the end of your lifetime.”
- “The game’s sense of humor kept me smiling, and the variety kept me entertained.”
story
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
47%
20%
The game's story is praised for its narrative depth and emotional resonance, effectively portraying the life of an ordinary person through a series of snapshots and mini-games. While the storytelling is compelling and highlights the beauty in everyday life, some players feel that the interactive elements could be more engaging. Overall, the narrative is considered a strong feature, with a touching and varied experience that captures the ups and downs of life.
- “I really like the narrative, a story about a common person, just like people in our lives.”
- “✔️ Narrative depth through snapshots: by presenting snippets of Adam's life, the game weaves a compelling story that resonates on a personal level.”
- “A story game where you don't have to do anything!”
- “While following the story of a random individual from birth to death across 100 levels with little to no words, the visuals and environments in the scenes effectively convey a great deal.”
- “The 100 minigames offer plenty of variety – even if some of them add to the boredom rather than disperse it – and the overarching story will tug at your heartstrings and tickle your funny bone.”
gameplay
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
33%
20%
The gameplay is characterized by a diverse selection of mini-games that reflect various life situations, enhancing engagement and replayability. While the mechanics are generally simple and sometimes lack depth, the game compensates with humor, thought-provoking themes, and a charming aesthetic. Players appreciate the entertaining puzzles and the relaxing atmosphere, though some feel that smoother controls could improve the overall experience.
- “The game offers a wide array of mini-games, each corresponding to different life situations, keeping the gameplay fresh and engaging.”
- “With minimal mechanics and a quiet charm, it’s a short but thought-provoking experience that stays with you.”
- “The puzzles and challenges in each level are entertaining and often humorous, the story you build gradually tugs at your emotions, and the relaxing music perfectly complements the game, making the gameplay very addictive with great replayability.”
- “The gameplay itself is okay.”
- “Dont watch gameplay just play from the start blind.”
- “[made me think about life and the passage of time, simple gameplay you can pick up in a moment, each time-waster is unique and entertaining].”
music
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
23%
33%
The music in the game is described as relaxing and fitting the overall vibe, primarily featuring beautiful classical compositions that enhance the calming experience. However, some users noted that much of the music is flagged on streaming platforms, and while players can adjust the volume or turn it off, a streamer-friendly mode would be a welcome addition. Overall, while the soundtrack contributes positively to the atmosphere, some players feel a more varied selection could improve the experience.
- “The music fits the vibe perfectly, and I absolutely loved how relaxing it is to play!”
- “A very chill game with some really chill music, although a lot of it was getting flagged on Twitch & YouTube, so be aware if streaming or recording.”
- “This is complemented by soft classical music in the background.”
- “There is no voice acting, just sounds and music.”
- “A very chill game with some really chill music, although a lot of it was getting flagged on Twitch and YouTube, so be aware if streaming or recording.”
- “You can turn the music down or off, but I'm not sure if there is a streamer-friendly mode yet; it would be a great addition.”
replayability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
20%
40%
The game offers significant replayability with 100 levels that explore various life situations, providing diverse options and possibilities that enhance enjoyment, particularly for completionists. However, some users noted limited replayability due to the inability to revisit completed levels for different objectives, which may restrict exploration for certain playstyles. Overall, the game's variety and charm contribute to its recommendation for replay value.
- “I thought the concept was going to be very straightforward, but all the options and the possibilities each chapter offers made it immensely more fun, and definitely replayable, especially if you're a completionist.”
- “Its variety, replayability, and charming style make it easy to recommend.”
- “❌ Limited replayability: once a level is completed, there's no option to replay it after to explore different objectives, which might hinder full exploration for folks who have a particular way they like to play.”
- “There are 100 replayable levels, each of these is a situation in life where we have to wait, starting from childhood, youth, adulthood, and old age.”
graphics
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
20%
40%
The graphics are praised for their charming cartoon style and unique artwork, which enhance the gameplay experience. The visuals effectively communicate the narrative across various levels, complemented by cute designs and hidden easter eggs that add to the overall appeal.
- “I love the artwork and the unique gameplay.”
- “There are some really fun puzzles to solve along the way, with some really cute, simple artwork and a lot of easter eggs.”
- “Graphics: cartoon”
- “While following the story of a random individual from birth to death across 100 levels with little to no words, the visuals and environments in the scenes effectively convey a great deal.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players frequently express strong emotional responses to the game, particularly highlighting its ability to evoke feelings during pivotal moments and its touching narrative. The innovative design transforms everyday experiences into a profound emotional journey, leaving a lasting impact by the end.
- “I have to admit that I had so many emotional feelings toward the end of the game.”
- “While Waiting is an innovative indie game that transforms life's quietest moments into an emotional journey.”
- “All that said, I was not expecting a truly touching story to play out the way it did.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews indicate that the game's stability is a significant issue, with players experiencing numerous bugs that detract from the overall experience. Many feel that charging a premium price for a game in such a flawed state is unjustifiable and frustrating.
- “Charging people $20 to play a buggy game that punishes the player for wanting to engage with it is pure self-aggrandizing.”
- “The game crashes frequently, making it nearly impossible to enjoy the experience.”
- “I encountered numerous bugs that disrupted gameplay, leading to a frustrating experience overall.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a double-edged sword; while it prompts reflection on life and time, it can also feel tedious and frustrating as they navigate the mechanics of effectively wasting time.
- “Made me think about life and the passage of time; it can be tedious figuring out how to correctly waste time.”
- “The grinding feels endless and often leaves me questioning if it's worth the effort.”
- “I find myself doing the same repetitive tasks over and over, which makes the game feel more like a chore than fun.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's optimization is criticized for its demanding performance requirements on specific tasks, compounded by a challenging control scheme. Players often face the frustration of having to restart levels due to bugs that prevent proper resets, making the experience feel more punishing than enjoyable.

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72%Critics’ scoreBased on 10 critic reviews

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While Waiting
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15h Median play time

15h Average play time

15-15h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

While Waiting is a action game.

While Waiting is available on Nintendo Switch, PC, Mac OS, Steam Deck and others.

On average players spend around 15 hours playing While Waiting.

While Waiting was released on February 5, 2025.

While Waiting was developed by Optillusion.

While Waiting has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its humor but disliked it for its replayability.

While Waiting is a single player game.

Similar games include The Gardens Between, Suicide Guy, Morphopolis, SCHiM, Labyrinth City: Pierre the Maze Detective and others.

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