Would I still love working from home if I was a worm? Turns out the answer is a resounding yes, and I never would have made this crucial discovery if it hadn’t been for Worming From Home.
What’s Worming From Home? Oh I am so glad you asked. In the midst of September’s glut of new releases and the constant influx of new games coming to Steam, Worming From Home stands as an unassuming addition to this line-up, releasing earlier today on Steam. Developed by two people, the physics-based simulation game tasks players with working from home albeit with a slight twist: you’re a worm.
Yet being a worm doesn’t stop you from having big dreams and the ambition to see them brought to fruition. After getting a call from your boss, during which he tells you that after six years you’re finally in line for a promotion to senior financial analyst, your worm-self must embark on a mission to up your work output and convince him you’re ready for the added responsibility.
Tasks will populate your task board, asking you to do things such as respond to emails from your colleagues or fill out spreadsheets. Some of these will require a bit of environmental exploration, such as a task that asked me to insert my height into an excel sheet, while some might force you to brush up on your math skills and pattern recognition; others might have strict deadlines, requiring you to navigate your environment with purpose and precision. You have to keep finding ways to accomplish your tasks no matter what and keep anyone from thinking you’re incompetent–or discovering that you’re a worm.
And yet, you also have to maintain “worm-life balance.” How do you do this? Well, when not working, you can exercise, read, shop, earn new, wormy cosmetics (hats, mainly), and use inside information to illegally game the stock market. You know. All normal, everyday things.
You can also flirt with your co-workers, though, I don’t know–that seems like a bad move when you’re gunning for a management position, right? But hey, it’s a game. Might as well have fun with it and break out your best wormy pick-up lines.
Most importantly, and unlike many physics-based simulation games, Worming From Home is shockingly pleasant to control. Yes, it’s silly and unruly, but not in a way that inspires aggravation. It’s also consistently funny, with a mascot meant to emulate Microsoft Word’s long lost icon, Clippy, serving as a commentator and voice of guidance throughout your adventure. Though it still has that endearing “low-effort” (though probably not actually low-effort) feel to it, Worming From Home has a shocking amount of polish and feels like far more than a gimmicky game with a wild concept that you might play for five minutes. Though I haven’t finished the game, after 30 minutes it already feels like something really special and well worth the $6 I spent on it.
Being in this business, my calendar and non-worm task board is often filled with events and assignments related to the games everyone is talking about: the hot new AAA open-world adventure game, or the friendslop title that somehow sold a bajillion copies in 12 hours, for example. As much as I love finding new games and breaking out of the zeitgeist, it’s hard to find the time to do so–and perhaps even harder to find these small, unassuming games that lie tucked in the recesses of Steam. Stumbling upon Worming From Home has been an utterly delightful experience, so now I am here, shouting from the mountaintops (aka, typing ferociously from behind my desk) about how fun this game about being a worm is.
