If you’ve ever rearranged the dishwasher to ensure the plates are in size order, or been tempted to reorganise your bookshelf by colour, then you will instantly get the appeal of A Little to the Left. It begins with a picture frame that is offensively askew. Get that thing straight. Ting! A bell sounds as order is restored. Then it’s onwards to more screens of mess to be eliminated. There are pencils that clearly need to be put into height order, letters that obviously need symmetrically arranged stamps, cutlery drawers that are crying out to be tidied. It’s neat-freak heaven.
Sometimes it’s not immediately obvious what needs to be done. But a little bit of prodding and poking will usually reveal a pattern to aim for, whether it’s sorting by colour, shape, symmetry or something else. The game’s most gratifying moments usually come after a long period of head scratching. But if you find yourself completely stuck, there’s a charming hint screen where you can use an eraser to reveal a picture of the finished puzzle. Uncovering just a part of the picture is usually enough to put you on the right track.
The game reaches its zenith with drawer-tidying puzzles that achieve fantasy levels of neatness. Imagine a desk drawer where there are compartments for every little nail, battery, cable or matchbox, and every piece fits in place with a level of exactness that would be tragically unobtainable in the real world. Completing these puzzles can elicit an inward moan of satisfaction that borders on unsavoury.
Less satisfying are the puzzles that tend towards the abstract, such as arranging stars in the night sky or swapping the shadows of objects. The game is at its best when it’s rooted in real-world messiness, but there’s also something to be admired in the imagination on show here, the flights of fancy, the quest to tidy not just the kitchen, but the very fabric of the world.
Sometimes, on completion of your beautifully arranged puzzle, a cat’s paw will emerge to swipe your neat piles into oblivion. This furry agent of chaos provides a storyline of sorts, a neat plotline where a small-scale war is being fought between a human seeking order and a cat that just wants to see the world burn. Pet owners everywhere will relate, as will parents of toddlers. It’s a charming touch added to an already charming and beautiful game, with its vibrant pastel scenes and placid music. The impression is of a project made with great care and love.
It can’t last forever though, and after around four hours, you’ll have seen almost everything that A Little to the Left has to offer. The “Daily Play” option provides a new puzzle every day, usually a variation on one seen in the main game, but otherwise there’s little reason to go back once every tool rack has been tidied and every tin has been turned so the label faces front. But if last year’s Unpacking has left you craving more mess to mess with, then A Little to the Left is an obvious next port of call. We’re witnessing the birth of a new genre, the tidy ’em up. Judging by how expertly these games tap into the innate human desire for order, expect many more examples to follow.
• A Little to the Left is out on 8 November, £12.99.
