Point-and-click games are dime a dozen now, and very few manage to capture the spotlight like the iconic Monkey Island franchise. While many developers are staying away from this genre, imaginarylab is currently working on its second point-and-click adventure after launching Willy Morgan and the Curse of Bone Town. Whirlight: No Time To Trip is a time-travelling point-and-click adventure game featuring two different playable characters who each bring their unique charm to the game. In this preview of the new Steam Next Fest Demo of Whirlight: No Time To Trip, I explore a sci-fi museum and talk to an educational robot.
In my first preview of Whirlight – No Time To Trip, I played as Hector, the scientist, and it gave us a small taste of how his life revolves around science, and he approaches puzzle-solving using science and gadgets. The new demo shifts focus to Margaret, an artist who believes in the power of creativity, contrasting Hector’s scientific mindset. The demo is set in a small museum, where Margaret wakes up after time-travelling from the past.
Sticking true to the classic point-and-click criteria, there is little to no handholding for puzzle-solving, and you must progress by trying out different things to solve puzzles and progress in the game. Gameplay revolves around interacting with objects, examining them for clues, and combining items to solve puzzles. The demo kicks off in a small museum locker room where you find some old antiquities and other useful items. To progress further, I had to find a locker code and open the vault door using a powerful hammer, which is obviously a reference to Thor’s hammer.
Once outside, I was able to explore more of the museum, which featured a holographic whale, an educational robot that was previously a party robot who used to bend metal into different shapes, and a unique bell which, when rung, would sound in another place. This short demo takes less than an hour to complete, granted that you know how to solve these logical puzzles. While most of the puzzles in the demo were fairly straightforward and did not take long to solve, there were a few interesting bits that really caught me off guard.
Once, there is a little glowing insect that can eat plastic and give out dust. You had to collect this dust and use it to attract a cleaner drone to trap it and produce power. This was a really neat puzzle that definitely took me a few tries to solve. Next, the fuel mix for the propeller plane is another standout puzzle that took a little more time than it should have. Overall, I wish the demo were a little longer, at least as big as the first demo, but still, this demo serves as a decent introduction for Margaret, and gives us another look at some of the in-game locations, and shows how diverse these areas are in the full game.
One thing I will point out is that the voice acting in the game is very good. While there is not much dialogue apart from Margaret pointing out different things and the educational robot’s interaction, it is delivered very well, and it is giving an impression that the full game will feature a good voice acting element. The art style is hand-drawn, so it is always a plus point in my opinion. After trying out two demos for Whirlight – No Time To Trip, there is still little correlation between the two characters and how they meet each other, but I guess that we will need to wait for the full game to find out about it.
While smaller than the previous demo, this build offers a focused look at Margaret’s character and introduces more involved puzzle design. The limited setting does hold it back slightly, but it still provides a clear sense of the game’s direction. Based on what I’ve played so far, Whirlight: No Time To Trip is shaping up to be a thoughtful and creative entry in the point-and-click genre, though its full potential will depend on how both characters and timelines come together in the final release. The game was previously targeting a 2025 release, but now appears to be aiming for later in 2026.
Disclaimer: Whirlight – No Time To Trip Steam Next Fest demo preview access was provided by HomeRun PR on behalf of imaginarylab and Vsoo Games for this preview. Read our Review Policy.
