A Review of Windosill - Childlike Wonder

Some games grab you and demands attention. They are either violent or controversial or the next "realism" benchmark, and that's all well and good. Then there are games that tug at you like your inner child wanting to come out and play for a while, and that is something special. Windosill is just one of these games that makes you feel like a kid again.

Windosill comes from indie developer Vectorpark. It can best be described as a very mild point and click puzzle game. The game starts off as a dark screen with some strange things visible in the dark. I'll just you a hint for the first screen... you need to light the screen. The thing that hits you first is the art style of the game, it is almost like a child's pop-up book in digital form. It reminds me of a toy box at times, and a surreal dream at others.

The goal in each stage is to get a cube into the wall to open the door and then get your block car through the door. It's not always easy, but if you think things through enough you can figure it out. However, you can't forget to play with the game as you play the game, and there are many little touches peppered throughout the game. This game does make you explore the limited world of each stage to it's fullest to solve it's puzzle and while I would give examples but the game isn't long (about 30 minutes - 60 minutes if you are playing with a child or just enjoying the game) and I do not want to ruin anything.

However it can be considered a tough game if you don't get the logic right. You will find yourself over thinking quite often, or just not noticing something that is fairly obvious. There are numerous walk-throughs online and they can push you in the right direction but most people won't need much help if at all. However I have seen one person online who didn't even notice that there was more than the first level, which is quite surprising.

Do not expect the game to be great for replay, like all adventure games you can breeze through it in a very short while and then you know all the solutions. However I have played this game a few times and while it doesn't take me long at all to blast through it I still get a sense of wonder from the game as I play, especially when I have some relaxing music playing (the more relaxing the better).

Very rarely does a game capture that sense of childlike wonder that makes anything seem possible as Windosill does. The only gripe is the price. Three dollars isn't much for the entertainment you get, especially if you play it with a friend or with child, but this game is quite artistic and isn't for everyone.

If you are feeling warry of the game or want to know more before you play, the first half of the game is available on the developers website for free, so you are paying $3 for 5 levels essentially, but those 5 levels are very interesting compared to the first 5, and I consider it a worthy purchase in the end.