The central rule of While Waiting is simple: each scene progresses even if the player does nothing. Luo designed and implemented interactions for approximately 1/3 of the game’s scenarios, giving players things to discover and do while preserving the option to simply wait.

With more than 100 scenarios to build, the team needed systems that could support many different interactions. Luo worked on the game’s shared technical foundation and developed audio workflows in Wwise to help integrate sound across the game.

In this level, one restroom stall is occupied while the other is blocked off. Players can wait for the occupied stall to open and complete the level without doing anything. Those who insist on finding another way can search the restroom for clues, solve a series of escape room puzzles, and obtain a screwdriver to open the blocked stall. The toilet inside does not work, so they end up waiting anyway.

Luo designed and implemented this optional route. It required several different interfaces and control schemes, as well as an unusually large number of visual assets, which he specified with the artists. The level turns an everyday inconvenience into something playful while keeping waiting as the simplest solution. The video featuring it has received over 1.8 million views on Bilibili.

As executive producer, Luo also worked on marketing and event planning, produced and edited game trailers, and represented Optillusion Games at Summer Game Fest, where While Waiting was an official selection for Day of the Devs, and Tokyo Game Show 2024, where While Waiting was part of Selected Indie 80. The game had reached 60,000 Steam wishlists before release.