The Last Worker

The Last Worker is a 2023 adventure game from developers Wolf & Wood and Oiffy, published by Wired Productions across several platforms. It offers a satirical critique of big technology companies, with puzzle mechanics drawn from the work of warehouse employees.

In the game, players take on the role of the sole human employee in an otherwise fully automated fulfillment center. Initially, the gameplay involves solving puzzles to correctly sort packages. After the protagonist is persuaded by revolutionaries to sabotage the facility, stealth elements are introduced, and players must solve additional puzzles while keeping their productivity high. If productivity drops too low, the player is fired. A robot companion named Skew assists the player. As the revolutionaries escalate their demands, the player must decide whether to continue helping them, side with the warehouse’s tech CEO, or pursue a more personal goal.

The game features comic book-style artwork by Mike McMahon. Its voice cast includes Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, Jason Isaacs, and Clare-Hope Ashitey. Wired Productions released The Last Worker on March 30 for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S, with the Nintendo Switch version following on April 20, 2023. The game also supports PlayStation VR2 and Quest 2.

Critical reception was mixed. On Metacritic, the PC and PlayStation 5 versions received mixed scores, while the Xbox Series X/S version earned positive ones. Rock Paper Shotgun found the routine sorting tasks more engaging than the later stealth and sabotage puzzles, and while they praised McMahon’s art, they felt the satire was too heavy-handed. PC Gamer described it as “a breezy, charming caper with a broad anti-corporate theme,” though they noted it over-explained its jokes and lacked the depth of other recent satirical games. The Guardian and Slant Magazine were more critical, arguing the satire was superficial and ignored real-world sweatshop concerns in favor of an unconvincing rebellion story. Nintendo Life called it “likeable and well-packaged with plenty of character, but it doesn’t always deliver,” citing some “fiddly” puzzles. Push Square criticized the PlayStation VR implementation, noting some puzzles worked better without it.