The most adorable puzzle game out there | Woodo review

Woodo is a wooden diorama puzzler where every level tells you a chapter of a story. I am going to tell you what I made of it, but I will say up front that it is gorgeous, relaxing and carries a story that says a good deal more than it lets on, even if the childlike tone caught me off guard.

Puzzlers are the genre I play least, but I wanted to try this one because of its look and because it is cozy. Just as I imagined, it hooked me, because there is no pressure and none of that feeling of wasting your time when you cannot find the solution.

• Title: Woodo
• Developer: Tiny Monks Tales
• Publisher: Daedalic Entertainment
• Genre: Puzzle and adventure
• Platforms: Steam, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series S/X and PS5
• Release date: 16 September 2026

How Woodo is put together

Everything revolves around a village that is the game’s world, and it is split into a series of levels. You complete them one by one and, as you go, the whole village builds itself in front of you.

Each level tells you a chapter of the story. If you lose the thread or simply want to read it again, there is a book-shaped button that lets you go back to the text of any chapter. You also get a section with every character explained, a permanent tutorial you can go to at any point and the list of achievements.

The way the main menu is presented already makes you feel inside a cosy story.

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A story for all ages

You follow a girl who goes off to the countryside on holiday despite not wanting to. However, what starts out as a pretty little tale ends up being a reflection on how life in the city has us swallowed up by screens, whether that is the phone all day long or sitting at the computer.

What Woodo wants to get across is that fresh air of the countryside that puts your feet back on the ground. The main character realises where she is, compares it with the life she used to lead and learns to value the small things and reconnect with nature.

There is another idea I liked a lot, and it is the close relationships that survive in a village. A place where everybody knows everybody, the exact opposite of what happens in the city.

In a puzzle game, getting the characters to be memorable is quite an achievement. Woodo nails it, because none of them shows up once and disappears forever. They are all part of the story and they are introduced little by little so you grow fond of them. From the main character, Foxy, to her friend the frog Ben, by way of the grumpy geese, the mischievous chicks, the spider, the little mouse and even a tiny mosquito.

El ending is very philosophical. It really surprised me how a game with such a candid look can make you think about life and leave you with a lovely feeling inside, while also keeping you reflecting for a while.

The art is the strongest thing about the game

El visuals are the best thing about Woodo. That has been clear since the very first moment it was shown to the world. It is its marketing hook, although it also plays a very important part in the mechanics. Almost everything is made of wood, with beautifully achieved textures and exquisite lighting that is what finally sells the illusion.

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The palette mixes pastel and saturated colours in a harmony that works really well. On top of that, there are daytime, sunset and night-time scenes that are equally lovely. Although, to be honest, the night scenes are spectacular, with the lights and the cosy fires standing out against the setting.

The most satisfying part comes when you watch a plain white diorama slowly fill up with colour and texture piece by piece. It is a feeling that stays with you throughout the game and makes you want to finish the whole thing.

The music and the narration

The music is relaxing and very pretty too, with a countryside feel and melodies meant to keep you company while you solve things without stealing your attention. There are also ASMR-style sounds that round the whole thing off nicely.

Here I have to give a special mention to the narration, which provides a voice that holds the whole rhythm together. Without listening to the story the game loses its point.

The good news is that Woodo is narrated by Miriam-Teak Lee, a West End actress and Olivier Award winner.

Woodo’s mechanics and difficulty

The basis is always the same, placing each piece where it belongs while you listen to the story. It is basically a full jigsaw shaped like an illustrated book.

That said, not every puzzle is a big diorama. Between one and the next there are smaller scenes where you place objects one at a time or in smaller batches. In others you have to look at the reflection in the water and place the pieces upside down. That stops the pace from getting tedious, and it is welcome that, even though the mechanic is the same throughout, at least it varies a little.

The first levels are easy, but from the third one on you have to look properly, because some things are very well hidden. There are also pieces that move around the map and puzzles you have to solve first in order to unlock other pieces you will use at specific moments.

You have the option of asking for help or doing it all on your own, always at your own pace, of course. That is key to never getting frustrated.

Los achievements, by the way, are easy to complete. Apart from the one about finding all the bald gnomes, the rest are quite accessible as you go through the adventure. You have them written down in the little book on the start menu too.

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What I was not expecting

The one tiny complaint I would make is that it is so childlike. Not because of the plot, more because of the tone of the narration. Maybe I should have realised before buying it. It threw me off a little at first, but in the end I fell for it anyway because of how endearing it is. Ultimately, if you take it as a game for all ages with a thoughtful message, you end up liking it a lot.

That said, in my opinion, it works better in short sessions. If you try to play the 4 or 5 hours in one go, placing pieces ends up getting fairly repetitive.

Is Woodo worth it?

Woodo is pretty, calm and carries far more depth than it lets on. It is not a game for marathons, but for odd moments when you feel like properly switching off. If puzzlers have never appealed to you, as was my case, this one could be exactly the exception, as long as you like cozy games or adorable stories.

I will finish with a detail I loved, because the credits show the developers with photos of themselves as children, as a tribute to their own childhood. It is without a doubt the perfect ending for what it tells and for the tone of the whole game.

You can take a look at Woodo on Steam if you fancy giving it a go.