What could possibly be the best way to relax after an exhausting shift? Soaking up in a hot tub? Doubt it. Hitting a bar for some quality time with friends? Think again. Slipping in the virtual shoes of an underpaid and overworked warehouse worker? Certainly! This is the premise for Liminal Logistics, a simulation game developed by PlayValley and published by Outfit7 Neo Limited. Available on Steam, it sees the player making deliveries in a warehouse by picking up boxes and filling them with various items, depending on what is asked. Perhaps this reads as a little simple, and to be fair, it is a small title, but this does not take away from the fact that it can be fun to engage with at times.
While it does have a decent increase in difficulty throughout, Liminal Logistics starts to feel repetitive quickly. There is something deeply monotonous about its core loop, and perhaps that is the point since this game is meant to be satirical. Moving deliveries across a storeroom does not exactly scream excitement, after all.
When the sun rises on your miserable existence, it is time for working hours. A shift only lasts four minutes, during which the main objective is to fill boxes with corresponding items displayed on a terminal. Boxes come in various sizes, and picking the correct one is important. The good news is the game always indicates what type of box is required at a given time, which makes sense since not all of them can contain the same number of items.
Speaking of, items are few and have distinct colouring, making them easy to spot from a distance to plan your route quickly, and plan your route you shall, as storeroom layouts change between each run. They are all handcrafted, making for a very deliberate experience. If the first shifts are nothing to write home about, the later ones become increasingly complex, with some warehouse interiors having frozen over, making it difficult to move with precision. Perhaps, instead, crossing the road and avoiding incoming traffic while making deliveries sounds more appealing.
Contending with what seem like mild annoyances can quickly turn into stressful moments when the stamina bar is taken into account. Actions such as jumping and sprinting drain it, and after a while, the player character can get hungry and thirsty, which will have a direct effect on the stamina bar’s overall length. Think Peak for reference. While it is possible to eat or drink on the job, urinating at work is, of course, strictly forbidden. Why would this be a problem? A full bladder eats a chunk of the stamina bar, meaning it is encouraged to wait until a shift is over to quench your thirst.
All these elements form Liminal Logistics’ core gameplay idea, a game that actively rewards quick decision making and passable platforming skills. Its secret sauce, however, resides in its progression system. Once a shift is over, a certain amount of money is earned depending on how many orders were properly delivered. This hard-earned cash can be spent on upgrades and purchases at different NPCs, the most important one being Union Bob. Donating money to him unlocks other characters who bring their own sets of perks.
After bribing Bob a few times, Dr. Igor will appear. He enables character upgrades such as an increase in stamina, a damage reduction perk, or the ability to display required order items directly on your screen, forgoing the need to constantly look back at the display terminal, which ultimately saves time. Money can also be spent on consumables, which are bought at vending machines.
At the start, only a few products are available for purchase, but by paying the right person – in this case, the provisions officer Natasha – it will be possible to buy unconventional goods; the kind not usually sold through vending machines. Water and sandwiches may cover basic needs, but nothing like a whiff of that sweet “union powder” before a shift, or a glass of Whiskey in the morning to lessen the damage of work-related accidents. These items are important, as they allow for stress-free navigation during the later portion of the game, which can be taxing on stamina.
This leads to interesting decisions in regards to spendings, as it is crucial to strike the right balance between purchasing consumables and upgrades. It is also possible to gamble that money by playing slots, although the payoff is minimal. That is not the only morally dubious activity available, however, as it is possible to rob your own employer at night. By interacting with Dirty Mike at specific moments during a playthrough, it is possible to go on stealth missions and steal products for a ton of cash. These missions require navigating around security lights and drones while throwing a specific amount of items in Mike’s truck.
This could have made for a pleasant change of pace, but from both a gameplay and a narrative standpoint, it feels underdeveloped due to how simple the very act of sneaking is. Crouch and patiently wait for an opportunity to move, and that is it. Having to repeatedly press the associated button is a pain, and it is currently not possible to change it to a toggle instead of a button press, nor is it possible to remap key binds in any capacity for that matter. Getting spotted by security does not have any bearing on your status within the company either. This could have given a bit more spice to the game, since there are essentially no downsides in engaging in illegal activities, which is unfortunate.
This makes for a short and fairly monotonous experience that can be completed in an afternoon, despite the steady increase in difficulty. Certainly not a revolutionary game, but it does scratch a specific itch if completing tasks in a stressful simulation sounds appealing. When so many high-quality independent games compete in a saturated market, though, Liminal Logistics is a hard sell.
