Whirlight – No Time to Trip | Demo Review
“We have this point and click demo for you to try!”
Well, sign me up! Point and click adventures remind me of several things from my childhood/teen years: “Choose your Own Adventure” books (I don’t know why), the Hidden Pictures page on the Highlights magazine, and Myst. A bunch of nostalgia bombs will get me interested to try every single option that gets thrown my way. What a pleasant find. An appetizer of a demo, Whirlight – No Time to Trip from developer imaginarylab has already found a home on my wishlist as I await the full version sometime next year.
Whimsical Science Fiction
We’re introduced to a very Harry-Potter-esque village. It might be the buildings with odd angles, it might be the melody playing as we follow a glowing butterfly through town and down a chimney. Our protagonist wakes up; he is unsure of almost everything except who he is and that he is an inventor. He also has an antagonist named Theo who has stolen his inventions. We must find the solution to his problem, but first we must get out of this room.
What follows is a series of whimsical locations that don’t make a whole lot of sense but are fun in the realm of a video game. You must investigate the items and places on each “level” while combining items to help solve the puzzles. Classic point and click, right? That is the case until you consider…
Music and Sound
The voice acting is a delight in Whirlight – No Time to Trip. Jeffrey Machado (I looked it up so you wouldn’t have to) handles the bulk of the work in the demo as Hector. He’s a perfect balance of genius, thanks to the script, and aloofness. The demo only introduces us to one other minor character, the fisherman. According to the trailer, there is another major character that hasn’t been found, thus far.
The sound effects add to the fun and whimsy. Cartoonish sounds like boing-oing-oings and zings make you want to click on more items. Living creatures come to life through their sounds and voices. The music is fantastic! Repetitive? Yes. But it is amusing in a mischievous sort of way. I mentioned Harry Potter above. You can name any adventure style movie that is aimed at a younger audience and you will find music that is similar to the game. If you were to close your eyes and only listen to the music, and somebody asked you “what do you think you’re doing if this music was being played?” I am willing to bet that “I’m looking for something and it’s fun” would be an answer.
Graphics and Controls
The graphics continue the amusing whimsy. Crisp and solid, the artists and developers took care in making the Whirlight world engaging and consistent in theme. There are so many objects that have no business being on each level, but I was okay with it because it was fun! I wanted to click on everything!
Which brings us to the controls. The controls are simple, without a doubt. Mouse, keyboard, or controller are options. I liked playing with the mouse the best. It was easier to point-and-click instead of waiting for the cursor to travel across the screen while using arrow keys or the analog stick. Otherwise, I didn’t find a remarkable preference. I love the nifty button which reveals the “hotspots” or areas of each screen that can be clicked. Don’t let those tips distract you, though. I started relying on the hotspots too heavily and forgot one of the tenets of point-and-click games: combining objects or using objects to interact with the screen!
If I had one single-solitary gripe about my time with Whirlight so far, it would be the walking. Hector is laid back right down to his “The Dude” flip flops. He does not run, he strolls in a “I’m tired or lazy” kind of way. It fits the character perfectly, but when you click on an item that is on the other side of the screen, Hector walks over to it to investigate. He does not and cannot run. It gets a little tedious but can be remedied through a little planning to click on items progressively across the screen instead of clicking on items that are on opposite sides.
Final Verdict
If that’s the worst thing I can say about the game, then I’m in for a big treat when the full game becomes available. The strange items and odd combinations make Whirlight – No Time to Trip a bit more challenging than I’m used to with point-and-click games. That is fantastic, otherwise the game might start feeling more like an interactive fantasy novel. While no score will be given because it is a demo, I’m still highly recommending you give it a shot. Especially if you are a fan of point-and-click games.
To hear me talk more about Whirlight – No Time to Trip, be sure to listen to our August 1st, 2024 podcast episode.
This review is based on a Steam copy of Whirlight – No Time to Trip provided by Homerun PR for coverage purposes. It is exclusive to Windows PC and releases sometime in 2025. You can try out the demo for yourself now, however.