A Little to the Left review - "Grab some semblance of control in an often uncontrollable life"

• Lovely visuals and soundtrack
• Bite-sized levels and intuitive touch controls
• Some puzzles defy logic

Stashing away a pair of scissors in an exact place that's easy to find, tidying up all the cables on my hopeless desk, and arranging the perfect table placement for when my mother-in-law comes to visit - all these things somehow always escape me especially when I need them to be in order the most.

While it's hard enough to keep some semblance of control over my real-world adult life, it's as easy as a tap here and a nudge there in A Little to the Left, a cosy organising sim that's recently made the jump to mobile. 

Now that the Android version is here, I thought I'd give it a go just to see how I can manage my compulsions in the virtual world - but is it every bit as satisfying as it advertises on the tin, or will it add to adulting frustrations even more?

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Table of contents:

• A Little to the Left visuals
• A Little to the Left gameplay
• A Little to the Left verdict

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A Little to the Left Visuals

What is it about painterly hand-drawn visuals that add a calming vibe to practically anything? A Little to the Left, it seems, knows the exact answer to that, as its lovely art style evokes a sense of Zen on every level.

Even the most mundane household item - be it a wayward pencil or a stack of cans in disarray - can look charming when drawn right, and when you top that off with a meditative background score, all that's missing is a hot cup of tea and you can easily snuggle in bed with this charming puzzler to forget all your worries of the day.

There's no underlying narrative here, no deep rationale behind why you're doing what you're doing. I've always maintained that the story is the most important aspect of any mobile experience regardless of the genre, but in rare cases like this one, not having to internalise some convoluted plot is welcome.

I doubt that any adult would need a reason to want to organise life's messes, nor will anyone need to know why things are as cluttered as they are. A messy house just seems to come with the territory here. It might seem counterproductive to want to organise chaos in something that's supposed to help you relax, but it's actually incredibly therapeutic.

A Little to the Left Gameplay

Essentially, all you really need to do is to make sure that everything is in its place. Arrange items by height, colour, or fancy designs - each level will have its own set of "problems" that you'll need to solve by being tidy.

Puzzles range from chaotic kitchens to topsy-turvy tools, and while some messes seem obvious enough, others will require a little bit of in-depth analysis before you can clear them and move on to the next big mess.

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Naturally, this means that you'll inevitably be deploying plenty of trial-and-error tactics just to get by, as some solutions don't seem logical enough at first glance. Thankfully, there's a handy hint system you can use to help you out. Or, if you want to throw caution to the wind and be done with it, you can simply hit the "Let It Be" button to skip that level with no consequences - a truly liberating experience that I wish were applicable in real life too.

As tempting as it is to breeze through everything by "letting it be", each level still poses a good challenge while keeping it satisfying every time you clear one. A judgemental little star will tell you if you've done a good job, and if you're anything like me, the compulsion to want to complete all those stars should be very, very real.

What's the appeal?

That said, for something that's supposed to be a meditative experience, some puzzles do get frustrating simply because the logic is off. Sometimes, you might think that you'll want to arrange junk on your desk by stacking them on top of each other by size, but the "correct" answer is actually to lay them against each other and spread them out on your desk so that the sizes of each one can form a perfect rectangle. 

Now, that might be nice to look at at first glance, but I doubt anyone would want to fill up every single corner of their desk with random stubs and documents, leaving no room for anything else. Stacking papers on top of each other will always be the first instinct when tidying a desk - or is it just me?

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There's also the slight issue of the controls - while the drag-and-drop mechanic and the swipe-to-move controls are absolutely perfect for mobile, sometimes, you'll need to position something in the exact place it should go. There's a little dinging sound that'll tell you you did it right (not the most accessible option for when you're on mute like I am in public), but to get that little indication, it might take some clunky swiping and tapping before something will click into place.

That alone can also add to the frustration, more than the cheeky cat companion that'll swipe at your hard work every so often just because cats are agents of chaos that no man can control. It's all meant to be consumed in short, bite-sized sessions though, especially since there's a Daily Tidy section that delivers a new puzzle for you to take on every day. This means that you don't have to torture yourself if you're feeling annoyed with a puzzle.

Or, you can always just skip the level and call it a day - there's no shame in that.