No, this game isn’t about left-wing politics and socialism! In fact, it’s a COSY GAME about pleasing arrangements.

Think of the packing game Unpacking (2021) and you’re on the right path.

A Little to the Left is the gaming debut of indie duo Max Inferno (Annie Macmillan and Lukas Steinman) from Halifax, Nova Scotia. It offers over 100 puzzles, so there’s plenty to enjoy here, dammit!

Peaceful Arrangements Abound In A Little to the Left

Oh, hello! Yes, it’s available on PC and all consoles. That’s an inclusive start, right? How very left-wing of you.

Away from politics, this one reminds us of feline arrangement shindig Cats Organised Neatly (2020). It’s the some type of arrangement shindig, just with fewer cats.

A Little to the Left commands you to:

• Arrange
• Sort
• Manoeuvre
• Pack
• Align

It’s a game for neat freaks, without doubt! If you demand to have your home in good working order, then A Little to the Left is most definitely for you.

All of this fits into two genres that are very popular in indie games right now. Cosy and ASMR type puzzle sorting games (the Unpacking type stuff). The latter is about fixing stuff up, which you can see again in the likes of Assemble With Care (2019).

These games are just relaxing and peaceful.

You don’t even really need to play them, you can just watch them unfold. As the puzzles are clever, there’s chillout music by composer Justin Karas, and it’s most pleasant to look at.

We do like these sorts of games. They’re not very demanding on your time, offer a therapeutic brief release, and are a fun minor distraction.

There’s just over two hours of gameplay here (depending on how slow you are with the puzzles, dumbass).

Some DLC launched, too, back in early 2023. It goes by the title Cupboards & Drawers and offers more satisfying arranging, including an option to pet the cat (a very important attribute in any video game).

A final note to the game’s score, too, which is an interesting mishmash of noises from Justin Karas. He’s also an illustrator and a painter, but keeps quite a low profile online.

But this is some funky shizzles right here and his music complements the offbeat nature of A Little to the Left most fittingly.

Yes, then, it’s a game about OCD and orderly manipulation of stuff into their correct order. The puzzles can be challenging, but they’re always fun and never demand too much from you.

It’s not an abstract type of ordeal demanding some “out of the box” style thinking, it’s more for casual fun and games than anything else.

If you want a quiet weekend at home, then give it a whirl. We like it. Nothing outstanding, but satisfying enough to tick many boxes.

A Little to the Left on Smartphone, Please!?

The game seems custom made for mobile, but it’s not launched on a device… until now! In early February 2024 (see above) the game launched on PlayStation (for noobs) and Xbox (for losers).

The arrival on Xbox means you can, if you have Game Pass, play the game on smartphone. Huzzah to that, we say! And a glorious way to wrap this review up in orderly fashion.