While Waiting Review- Become a Patient Rebel

My dreams of exaggeration have just become true. While Waiting is a game that makes me win by simply not doing anything. Better than some ambitious AAAA titles that have nothing to do, with a title that rewards you for being patient.. or being a rebel.

We reviewed this game on the Nintendo Switch.

One of the best and latest additions to the idler genre, While Waiting, is now available on Steam and Nintendo Switch and was released on February 5, 2025. Doing what we never thought we’d actually get to do – Nothing, let’s dive into our official Gameffine review for While Waiting.

Story of Everyone

Waiting is more of a visual novel without texts divided into 100 parts, each frame with its own story, choices and endings. For most of the stories, you can simply give up and let the time and story flow. But if waiting is not something that you prefer or you suffer from ADHD like me, the game allows you to be a rebel in comedic ways.

Your main protagonist starts as a soul in heaven, waiting to be born. Wait, waiting? You can try to skip the queue in heaven or simply jump off the bridge that will lead you to be born. There is never a clear indication of what you can do, but perhaps you can find a way to do the incredible. The game allows you to use the movement stick and only one action button. This way, you know that there isn’t any technical movement required, instead, you have to ‘think’ what can be done as an alternative.

And if you make it through the first puzzle, behold the remaining 99 puzzles coming your way. These puzzles are designed like frames of memories, all the way from childhood adventures leading to youthful love and, ultimately, old age.

But just assuming that you’re the zen type. There’s nothing better than to keep your switch next to a windowsill while you cook, study, write or do whatever you best and watch a time of life flow by. Personally, this makes for a very interactive timer.

And that’s that: become a rebel and find ways to not wait for any event and take control in your own hands, or simply accept the shinobi way.

The Craft of Waiting

While Waiting is an extremely straight-to-the-point game. There’s not much to speak but more to observe. The design is very demure and aesthetic about the game. There isn’t much happening except three options – To Play, Select a Level and adjust the sound. Because what else are you going to change anyway? The game itself accepts that it gets boring, so now I cannot hold it accountable for being boring.

Just kidding, I will. While the idea is extremely brilliant, the result and execution are just rather plain. I have to spam the action button across the map to figure out what item is available to use and then figure out what to do via the available stickers. The game of waiting suddenly becomes a limited timer because the rebellious path that I’ve chosen needs more time for me to figure out. But the actual part that disappoints me is the puzzle itself. The puzzles are insanely simple; the hard is to figure out where it is. And that is simply a turn-off.

At times, the game itself breaks the fourth wall by terminating itself. This happened twice, when you tried crashing a computer puzzle and in another memory, when you told the game that you’re simply not enjoying the game, which is not new but an extremely creative approach.

Verdict

While Waiting is a simple idler-puzzle game that is free of all choices. You can wait or choose not to wait to complete a puzzle. There is no commitment. Figuring out things apart from waiting is extremely frustrating at times and makes me want to sleep. But the polish, quality, comedic tales and a fascinating life story do have the hope to keep you hooked.