Developer: Hollow Ponds, Richard Hogg
Publisher: Finji
RRP: £11.39 (Humblebundle and Steam)
Released: 29th August 2019
Available on: Humblebundle and Steam
Played Using: Mouse and Keyboard
Approximate game length: 3 hours (for a single playthrough)
Warehouse work is hard but generally quite simple work. Things come in get catalogued and then later get sent out again. Sure there are a few other things that happen as well but for the most part that is what warehouse work is (not to be confused with factory work which is a whole other kettle of fish). There is a simple joy to warehouse work, a satisfaction in organising and putting something away correctly that few jobs have.
As a friend once told me after playing this game that it reminds him of his time working at Amazon, and to be honest I can see why. Wilmot’s Warehouse is essentially a simulation game of being a warehouse worker, although in Wilmot’s case he’s the only worker in the warehouse which is pretty unusual (and unsafe).
The main thrust of the game is for the player to grab the products that are requested and deliver them in as fast a time as possible while at the same time
trying to keep the stock organised and in good supply.
The faster you deliver the requested products the more stars you’re awarded at the end of each month (which is a single round).
At the end of each month a new delivery comes in with new products for you to store. What’s interesting is that how you go about storing the products is entirely up to you. Do the items you received seem a bit ‘nautical’ to you? Then perhaps you’ll create a nautical section, or maybe the boats are part of a ‘transport’ section and the diving helmets go into the ‘headwear’ section. Each product is depicted with an illustration that is in itself is up to interpretation. Where I see a sail you may see a parachute.
You only get a limited amount of time to organise the items that have come in from a delivery and once the service hatch opens you’ll have to be quick to try and get as many stars as possible. If the timer runs out though you aren’t penalised other than a telling off from your boss and a lack of stars.
At the end of each quarter (three rounds) you get to spend your stars on upgrades to either the warehouse or yourself. You also get to stock check where you receive a big delivery but have no time limit so you can reorganise the warehouse however you see fit.
This game has no failure state, at least not of the ‘game over’ variety. I suppose you could take the view that the fact that you aren’t able to meet your deadlines and have a disorganised warehouse is the failure state.
In the time I played this game there didn’t seem to be any bugs… except one rather annoying one that only seems to occur rarely. When the bug strikes the monthly delivery never arrives and the timer doesn’t start, meaning you can’t go on to the next month. Thankfully all you need to do is exit and reenter the game and the bug disappears.
For those of you who wish for a bit more of a challenge you could always try the expert mode that gives some extra challenge, such as removing the stock checking or reducing your sorting time in the delivery phase.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time playing Wilmot’s Warehouse, so much so that I’ve actually started a new playthrough and have been thinking of giving the two player mode a go with a friend.
If this appeals to you perhaps try;
Honestly I can’t think of
another game like it.
