Towards the end of last year, I came to a delightful realization: jigsaw puzzles are quite enjoyable. Sure, the COVID quarantine nudged me in their direction initially, but even when staying inside wasn’t mandatory, my wife and I still carved out time to enjoy a good puzzle every few weeks. So, when Wilmot Works It Out, the follow-up to 2019’s fantastic organizing game, hit the shelves this autumn, the timing couldn’t have been better. It’s truly the most remarkable gaming homage to jigsaw puzzles that I’ve come across.
In this new adventure, Wilmot has shifted his focus from warehouse duties to the comforts of his home. He’s now a member of a puzzle-of-the-week club, tasked with completing them just as he once managed the chaos of his warehouse. The game features a lighthearted and whimsical musical score, with a sweet subplot involving the postal workers responsible for delivering Wilmot’s puzzles. Unlike its predecessor, there’s no rush here—just a steady stream of puzzles to solve at your leisure.
These challenges start with as few as nine pieces, and while they never become overwhelmingly large, there’s a clever twist. Deliveries often include extraneous pieces meant for a puzzle from a future or previous week. This setup provides a unique sorting challenge and sidesteps the daunting initial chaos typical of new jigsaw puzzles, while still allowing players to tackle them in their own style. Whether you’re gathering edge pieces, sorting by color, or hunting for that elusive piece, the freedom reminiscent of real jigsaw puzzles is preserved.
Even though you’re not physically handling pieces, putting puzzles together in Wilmot Works It Out is surprisingly tactile. When you connect the right pieces, they fuse together seamlessly, forming a single image. The art guides your way, as all pieces match Wilmot’s modest square shape and conveniently orient correctly without requiring rotation. As you progress through a couple of puzzle “seasons,” the straightforward early graphics evolve into intricate, demanding designs. These not only challenge your pattern recognition but also sprinkle in playful “jokes” through the artwork itself.
In essence, Wilmot Works It Out encapsulates that joyous “AHA” moment—when you find the piece you’ve been searching for and everything fits perfectly.
For those interested, Wilmot Works It Out is accessible on both PC and Mac platforms.
