Lil Gator Game reminds me a lot of A Short Hike in the same way that Haven Park does, but unlike Haven Park, it's much easier to maintain a free-spirited flow state in a way that the former really captured and the latter somewhat lacked, lending Lil Gator Game a much stronger sense of identity. Translating the climbing stamina mechanics from the isometric perspective of A Short Hike to the 3rd person 3D perspective of Lil Gator Game (basically that of Breath of the Wild) does wonders for how quickly you can just jump and climb about. Factor in t-shirt gliding, "shield" sledding (which allows you to skim on the water like a jetski), and the ability to chain all of this together through constant jumps while sledding to build up speed, and you've got some pretty sick movement potential, even if you don't necessarily need it.
I think that's the strength that this game best exemplifies; there's tons of ways to get going and zip around the two islands for the kicks, but you can absolutely take the odyssey at your own pace and just soak in your surroundings too, since there's no fail-state from falling too far or discomfort from ever getting lost. It's a several hour nostalgia trip with tons of environmental interactivity that's quite literally a living make-believe playground, with tons of random hats, swords, shields, and various toys like a bubble gum balloon or a sticky hand to roleplay Spider Gator to mess around with on a whim. They even give you a texting tool to find the remaining cardboard monsters to go slashy slashy upon and the megaphone to shout out to find your remaining buddies if you're that kind of individual that wants to do everything there is to see. It never tries to take itself too seriously either; the whole gang's here for the dumb adventure tropes and genuinely wants to be your friend. It's such a simple yet realized take upon an indie classic, but absolutely worthwhile dipping into just to remember that sometimes, it's okay to forget about life for a while and pretend to be a kid again.
Oh, and the Ninja Headband accessory actually does make your character move faster thanks to the Naruto run. It's okay though; no one's going to judge you in Lil Gator Game. Now, time to climb some more peaks and ragdoll terminal velocity splat one more time before dinner.
I think that's the strength that this game best exemplifies; there's tons of ways to get going and zip around the two islands for the kicks, but you can absolutely take the odyssey at your own pace and just soak in your surroundings too, since there's no fail-state from falling too far or discomfort from ever getting lost. It's a several hour nostalgia trip with tons of environmental interactivity that's quite literally a living make-believe playground, with tons of random hats, swords, shields, and various toys like a bubble gum balloon or a sticky hand to roleplay Spider Gator to mess around with on a whim. They even give you a texting tool to find the remaining cardboard monsters to go slashy slashy upon and the megaphone to shout out to find your remaining buddies if you're that kind of individual that wants to do everything there is to see. It never tries to take itself too seriously either; the whole gang's here for the dumb adventure tropes and genuinely wants to be your friend. It's such a simple yet realized take upon an indie classic, but absolutely worthwhile dipping into just to remember that sometimes, it's okay to forget about life for a while and pretend to be a kid again.
Oh, and the Ninja Headband accessory actually does make your character move faster thanks to the Naruto run. It's okay though; no one's going to judge you in Lil Gator Game. Now, time to climb some more peaks and ragdoll terminal velocity splat one more time before dinner.
Within five minutes of meeting Avery, i already knew I had just encountered the best character in all of gaming.
As time has passed, I sometimes encounter a problem when I play videogames, and that is: I sometimes forget to have fun. Maybe it's because I stress over something related to the game, other things like work or chores, or I simply just not I'm a good mood and I can't find anyway to disconnect and submerge completely in the game. Now of course this is far from happening all the time, videogames are by far my favorite form of media and that's for good reason, I still enjoy them full heartedly, but I would be lying if I said I sometimes didn't just... couldn't connect with a game, even if it was extremely good, and I was just thinking ''Ok, how long before I reach the end and I'm done?''.
Then this game comes and it's the equivalent of 46 doses of dopamine in vein.
This one is a game that's very hard to talk about in purely objective terms, in great apart 'cause I played it with my girlfriend, which made it even more fun than it already was, but I think I'm not exaggerating when I say this game is probably one of the most heartfelt experiences I've come across in the entire medium. It puts you in the shoes of a lil alligator, which I named ''Gazpacho'' and it was probably the best decision I've made in the entire year, and drops you on an entire island to explore, meet friends, do quests and build a town in the playground, and this gameplay loop that rewards you with little cosmetics and special objects what makes this experience so... happy, just pure happiness. It invites you to be a kid gain, to do crazy or pointless stuff just for the pure pleasure of doing it, like doing tricks on a skateboard or floating around using a balloon, or just simply exploring the island. There's no map, but it doesn't need one, the isle might feel gigantic, but it's not only visually clear and just by looking arounf you know exactly where you are, but it feels like there are things at any corner without it feeling crammed.
The quest themselves are honestly fairly simple, some of them just consist on walking around or doing a fairly simple task, and while this could feel a bit underwhelming, it never overstays its welcome and the dialogue makes every little interaction worth it. I loved every single one of the little goofballs I came across the whole experience, again, me and my girlfriend reading all of the dialogue with silly voices did made it even funnier, but the dialogue itself is hilarious and full of charm, and it got us just bursting out laughing a ton of times, I really mean it, this game is funny as hell, man.
The fun times and hilarious moments made it that when the game took a pause and it had interesting and heartfelt moments even more rewarding, it never got sad or tragic, but it tackled things that I wasn't expecting at all in a masterful way, and it was both cute and precious, and some of them really warmed my heart. Is a game that has a surprising number of things to say, and every step of the journey it just got better and better.
It may not be perfect, its own design philosophy has certain quirks that are not the best, like doing quest without even noticing and as such skipping dialogue and certain moments, but, how can I not love a game that made me feel so much joy? One with which I had just so much fun bumbling around and remembering the sheer entertainment of playing, both videogames, and in real life.
A game that should have lasted three and a half hours took 10 hours for me and my girlfriend to reach the end, and I wouldn't have had it any other way. I took my time, and we had so much fun. I won't forget Gazpacho's silly adventures for a long time... in great part because of Avery seriously how do you make a character that good and funny HOW IS IT EVEN POSSIBLE.
As time has passed, I sometimes encounter a problem when I play videogames, and that is: I sometimes forget to have fun. Maybe it's because I stress over something related to the game, other things like work or chores, or I simply just not I'm a good mood and I can't find anyway to disconnect and submerge completely in the game. Now of course this is far from happening all the time, videogames are by far my favorite form of media and that's for good reason, I still enjoy them full heartedly, but I would be lying if I said I sometimes didn't just... couldn't connect with a game, even if it was extremely good, and I was just thinking ''Ok, how long before I reach the end and I'm done?''.
Then this game comes and it's the equivalent of 46 doses of dopamine in vein.
This one is a game that's very hard to talk about in purely objective terms, in great apart 'cause I played it with my girlfriend, which made it even more fun than it already was, but I think I'm not exaggerating when I say this game is probably one of the most heartfelt experiences I've come across in the entire medium. It puts you in the shoes of a lil alligator, which I named ''Gazpacho'' and it was probably the best decision I've made in the entire year, and drops you on an entire island to explore, meet friends, do quests and build a town in the playground, and this gameplay loop that rewards you with little cosmetics and special objects what makes this experience so... happy, just pure happiness. It invites you to be a kid gain, to do crazy or pointless stuff just for the pure pleasure of doing it, like doing tricks on a skateboard or floating around using a balloon, or just simply exploring the island. There's no map, but it doesn't need one, the isle might feel gigantic, but it's not only visually clear and just by looking arounf you know exactly where you are, but it feels like there are things at any corner without it feeling crammed.
The quest themselves are honestly fairly simple, some of them just consist on walking around or doing a fairly simple task, and while this could feel a bit underwhelming, it never overstays its welcome and the dialogue makes every little interaction worth it. I loved every single one of the little goofballs I came across the whole experience, again, me and my girlfriend reading all of the dialogue with silly voices did made it even funnier, but the dialogue itself is hilarious and full of charm, and it got us just bursting out laughing a ton of times, I really mean it, this game is funny as hell, man.
The fun times and hilarious moments made it that when the game took a pause and it had interesting and heartfelt moments even more rewarding, it never got sad or tragic, but it tackled things that I wasn't expecting at all in a masterful way, and it was both cute and precious, and some of them really warmed my heart. Is a game that has a surprising number of things to say, and every step of the journey it just got better and better.
It may not be perfect, its own design philosophy has certain quirks that are not the best, like doing quest without even noticing and as such skipping dialogue and certain moments, but, how can I not love a game that made me feel so much joy? One with which I had just so much fun bumbling around and remembering the sheer entertainment of playing, both videogames, and in real life.
A game that should have lasted three and a half hours took 10 hours for me and my girlfriend to reach the end, and I wouldn't have had it any other way. I took my time, and we had so much fun. I won't forget Gazpacho's silly adventures for a long time... in great part because of Avery seriously how do you make a character that good and funny HOW IS IT EVEN POSSIBLE.
(6-year-old's review, typed by her dad)
In Little Gator Game you get to fight cardboard monsters and you get a junk and also you get bracelets, and junk is money. The crocodile and big sister are my favorites. (Daddy you typed "bigt" and it was funny) The guy gave me a bracelet and he disappeared without no reason and it was so weird.
In Little Gator Game you get to fight cardboard monsters and you get a junk and also you get bracelets, and junk is money. The crocodile and big sister are my favorites. (Daddy you typed "bigt" and it was funny) The guy gave me a bracelet and he disappeared without no reason and it was so weird.
A Short Hike + Sword = Lil Gator Game
That's basically what this one comes down to. What's interesting to me is that I definitely enjoyed this more than A Short Hike. Why? It all comes down to expectations.
By the time I got around to playing A Short Hike, it was already a bonafide indie darling -- one that, judging from its review scores, could be considered one of the greatest indie games of all time. So when I played it and found that it was just a short, pleasant (albeit well-executed) platformer, I couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed.
Before playing Lil Gator Game, on the other hand, I had zero expectations. And because of this it was a lot easier for me to just accept it for what it is -- a pleasant, short game inspired by A Short Hike, Wind Waker, and Breath of the Wild.
Running around an island and slashing cardboard enemies is mindless, yes, but not every game needs to be Battletoads or Mega Man 2. The writing is a bit too self-aware and the story didn't hit me in the feels like I suspect it hoped to, but the gameplay was engaging enough to keep me invested until the end. Is it a masterpiece? Not by any means. But if you subscribe to Game Pass and three hours to kill, you could do a lot worse than spending them on this game.
That's basically what this one comes down to. What's interesting to me is that I definitely enjoyed this more than A Short Hike. Why? It all comes down to expectations.
By the time I got around to playing A Short Hike, it was already a bonafide indie darling -- one that, judging from its review scores, could be considered one of the greatest indie games of all time. So when I played it and found that it was just a short, pleasant (albeit well-executed) platformer, I couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed.
Before playing Lil Gator Game, on the other hand, I had zero expectations. And because of this it was a lot easier for me to just accept it for what it is -- a pleasant, short game inspired by A Short Hike, Wind Waker, and Breath of the Wild.
Running around an island and slashing cardboard enemies is mindless, yes, but not every game needs to be Battletoads or Mega Man 2. The writing is a bit too self-aware and the story didn't hit me in the feels like I suspect it hoped to, but the gameplay was engaging enough to keep me invested until the end. Is it a masterpiece? Not by any means. But if you subscribe to Game Pass and three hours to kill, you could do a lot worse than spending them on this game.
Lil Gator Game is a charming open world exploration game that puts you in control of a self-named hero (I named him Zucchini). The game starts off showing a flashback of you and your sister playing a fantasy game that you created in the real world, using your imaginations to create fun new scenarios to play through during your play time. A few years pass, his sister goes away to college, and in her absence Zucchini longs to play the game with her again. One weekend she returns to town, but to Zucchini's disappointment she is too busy working on a school project to give him any of her attention. He comes up with a plan to play the game with his friends in hopes of gaining the attention of his sister and getting her to join in on the fun. The story was charming from the get go and one of the game's biggest highlights.
Lil Gator Game's gameplay takes very obvious inspiration from Breath of the Wild, but thankfully it didn't feel like a knock off or cash grab. This gameplay style gives players total control over their movement, allowing them to traverse the game world with ease. You can climb cliffs (with a stamina meter), glide, shield-slide, and attack enemies with a melee and ranged weapons. There are a lot of similarities between the two games, but Lil Gator Game still played different enough to make it feel like something special.
In Lil Gator Game you are given free roam of the game's world, a large national park. This park is populated with NPCs that are looking for assistance with some sort of a simple task, such as finding a hidden item or destroying nearby targets. Upon completion you'll receive a reward, usually a new piece of gear or some currency, and the NPC will become your friend and will head off to the park's main camp (where everyone is going for story reasons). Throughout the park there are cardboard cutout monsters, created by your friends, which when destroyed will reward you with currency. This currency can be used to purchase new gear, such as hats, shields, and new weapons. These monsters can't actually hurt you, and in fact there is no threat of death in Lil Gator Game, which makes for a relaxing, stress-free adventure.
I had a good amount of fun with Lil Gator Game, but it wasn't without its faults. The gameplay loop was really fun for a few hours, but at about the two-and-a-half or three hour mark my interest really started to wain and I found myself wanting the end credits to make their appearance. The game's soundtrack didn't help matters either as the limited track list got repetitive and a bit grating. I actually finished the last bit of the game with no sound as I just didn't want to listen to it anymore. The soundtrack was quite good, just very repetitive.
If you're in the mood for a low stress, cozy, open world game, I think most people will thoroughly enjoy Lil Gator Game.
Lil Gator Game's gameplay takes very obvious inspiration from Breath of the Wild, but thankfully it didn't feel like a knock off or cash grab. This gameplay style gives players total control over their movement, allowing them to traverse the game world with ease. You can climb cliffs (with a stamina meter), glide, shield-slide, and attack enemies with a melee and ranged weapons. There are a lot of similarities between the two games, but Lil Gator Game still played different enough to make it feel like something special.
In Lil Gator Game you are given free roam of the game's world, a large national park. This park is populated with NPCs that are looking for assistance with some sort of a simple task, such as finding a hidden item or destroying nearby targets. Upon completion you'll receive a reward, usually a new piece of gear or some currency, and the NPC will become your friend and will head off to the park's main camp (where everyone is going for story reasons). Throughout the park there are cardboard cutout monsters, created by your friends, which when destroyed will reward you with currency. This currency can be used to purchase new gear, such as hats, shields, and new weapons. These monsters can't actually hurt you, and in fact there is no threat of death in Lil Gator Game, which makes for a relaxing, stress-free adventure.
I had a good amount of fun with Lil Gator Game, but it wasn't without its faults. The gameplay loop was really fun for a few hours, but at about the two-and-a-half or three hour mark my interest really started to wain and I found myself wanting the end credits to make their appearance. The game's soundtrack didn't help matters either as the limited track list got repetitive and a bit grating. I actually finished the last bit of the game with no sound as I just didn't want to listen to it anymore. The soundtrack was quite good, just very repetitive.
If you're in the mood for a low stress, cozy, open world game, I think most people will thoroughly enjoy Lil Gator Game.
i didn't know we had the technology to make games this lil or this gatory. Lots of work must have went in to this, and it shows! The devs made something really special here. If you liked A Short Hike you'll love this game too
Sometimes, you just need a good pick me up, especially to ring in the new year. This is about the best one you could ask for, a joyous game of exploring an island, reliving the adventures of childhood, its just such a warm and embracing game. The open world structure mixed with the short play time and carefree nature really blend well to make a short yet incredibly engaging package. I think there is a lot of lessons to be taken from this one, but most importantly, it is good to be silly.
What an incredibly wholesome game!! If you're ever in the mood of not playing anything demanding, this is THE easygoing and laid-back game it is you're after. Nothing is at stake, just an imaginary* world of paper-cut-out monsters and everyone wanting to be your friend. Fuck, why isn't real life more like this? :((
People make strong connections to Zelda, and yes, that is very much the case to put it lightly. Most other games that draw heavy inspiration from Breath of The Wild try to sweep the influence under the rug. What makes Lil Gator Game on the other hand so likable is that it's so upfront about its heavy inspiration and even goes its way to reference it as much as possible.
This whimsical world of silly animals and their silly quests kept me engaged at all times, well maybe not at all times. What maybe held it back at times were the ever-ending dialogues. To be fair, it only happened on a few occasions. I just wanted to keep exploring and break every pot I could get my hands on. While exploring I wished there'd be some better songs to go along. The music felt a little flat and not very unique. I kept being reminded of the Slime Rancher OST which has of what I remember: a very mid soundtrack. Don't let the nitpicks I mentioned influence your decision to play this game. It's amazing and if it sounds like a you-game, I really recommend it. Lemme just advise you to play the game whenever you're in that one mood and is tired of overexaggerated action titles.
_ _ _ _ _
I think Immana link to every recorded part in every review I do going forward, so here are the recorded parts from this game:
{1}, {2} & {3}
People make strong connections to Zelda, and yes, that is very much the case to put it lightly. Most other games that draw heavy inspiration from Breath of The Wild try to sweep the influence under the rug. What makes Lil Gator Game on the other hand so likable is that it's so upfront about its heavy inspiration and even goes its way to reference it as much as possible.
This whimsical world of silly animals and their silly quests kept me engaged at all times, well maybe not at all times. What maybe held it back at times were the ever-ending dialogues. To be fair, it only happened on a few occasions. I just wanted to keep exploring and break every pot I could get my hands on. While exploring I wished there'd be some better songs to go along. The music felt a little flat and not very unique. I kept being reminded of the Slime Rancher OST which has of what I remember: a very mid soundtrack. Don't let the nitpicks I mentioned influence your decision to play this game. It's amazing and if it sounds like a you-game, I really recommend it. Lemme just advise you to play the game whenever you're in that one mood and is tired of overexaggerated action titles.
_ _ _ _ _
I think Immana link to every recorded part in every review I do going forward, so here are the recorded parts from this game:
{1}, {2} & {3}
Played this with my sons and my youngest got really sad that the Big Sis didn't have time to play, which in turn made us all sad!
This game rocks. The writing is really cute, the combat and movement are really satisfying. They make it super easy to 100% once you’ve rolled credits which I think was a great choice. U get to be a croc
Very cute. Love all the options you have to control the lil gator. Exploring around was really satisfying bouncing around and smacking all the cardboard dudes. Whimsical. 100%'d the game, but still haven't got all the trophies!
A wonderfully cute, funny, sweet little game that for as simple as it is, hit me way more than I thought it would've because of just how immediately precious and kindhearted its cast of characters are. It hits the perfect balance of a large open island to explore and do things in with as much freedom as the player wants, while also keeping it just small enough to not be overwhelming plus the benefit of giving the player extra tools solely for the sake of making 100% completion not only encouraged, but importantly comfortable.
I think the story it wanted to tell was also one that I think I really needed, that people move on and grow up in pursuit of their goals and dreams, but that also everybody needs time to take a break and be with those who are most important to them. It's so simple and yet I can't believe it got me to struggle choking up by the end of this short but sweet journey. It reminds me a lot of A Short Hike both in its theming, visuals, gameplay, and even just the sense of humor (which, if you liked that game, those might as well be selling points) and Lil Gator Game goes the extra mile in making all of it work in a 3D environment, bumping up the scale just a smidge more and trying to tell its story through connections to others rather than just one small singular adventure. One of my favorite games of the year, hands down.
I think the story it wanted to tell was also one that I think I really needed, that people move on and grow up in pursuit of their goals and dreams, but that also everybody needs time to take a break and be with those who are most important to them. It's so simple and yet I can't believe it got me to struggle choking up by the end of this short but sweet journey. It reminds me a lot of A Short Hike both in its theming, visuals, gameplay, and even just the sense of humor (which, if you liked that game, those might as well be selling points) and Lil Gator Game goes the extra mile in making all of it work in a 3D environment, bumping up the scale just a smidge more and trying to tell its story through connections to others rather than just one small singular adventure. One of my favorite games of the year, hands down.
There's something amazing about the childlike innocence this game portrays that makes it just pure, unadulterated (heh) fun. The game is just fun! And it's really funny! It has such cool movement tech as well! The small open world is a literal life-sized playground it's amazing. The game makes you feel like a little kid playing make-believe and making new friends.
Very funny, very cute, very fun movement! The game is so cool how could you complain about this.
Very funny, very cute, very fun movement! The game is so cool how could you complain about this.
gator? i hardly even know her!
̶t̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶g̶a̶m̶e̶ ̶i̶s̶ ̶a̶b̶s̶o̶l̶u̶t̶e̶l̶y̶ ̶w̶o̶n̶d̶e̶r̶f̶u̶l̶.̶ ̶s̶u̶p̶e̶r̶ ̶g̶r̶e̶a̶t̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶p̶l̶a̶y̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶o̶n̶e̶ ̶s̶i̶t̶t̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶h̶a̶v̶e̶ ̶s̶o̶m̶e̶ ̶f̶e̶e̶l̶-̶g̶o̶o̶d̶ ̶f̶e̶e̶l̶s̶!̶
̶t̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶g̶a̶m̶e̶ ̶i̶s̶ ̶a̶b̶s̶o̶l̶u̶t̶e̶l̶y̶ ̶w̶o̶n̶d̶e̶r̶f̶u̶l̶.̶ ̶s̶u̶p̶e̶r̶ ̶g̶r̶e̶a̶t̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶p̶l̶a̶y̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶o̶n̶e̶ ̶s̶i̶t̶t̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶h̶a̶v̶e̶ ̶s̶o̶m̶e̶ ̶f̶e̶e̶l̶-̶g̶o̶o̶d̶ ̶f̶e̶e̶l̶s̶!̶
Lil Gator Game is like a bigger version of A Short Hike, or something like that.
It's an extremely casual game of exploration and interaction with NPCs.
It features mechanics heavily inspired by Zelda games, and the story revolves around the main character's relationship with their older sister. You don't have lives, can't lose, or anything like that. Just walk around, talk to everyone, and help them with their problems. Build a base on the island playground and be happy!
The game has well-implemented mechanics, great sound effects and music, charming characters, a good pace that kept me engaged, customization items, and usable items to get around or find other items.
Overall, it's an amazing game. It addresses all the shortcomings I saw in A Short Hike, and the ending is satisfying. Collecting items is also enjoyable. Simply an incredible game.
It's an extremely casual game of exploration and interaction with NPCs.
It features mechanics heavily inspired by Zelda games, and the story revolves around the main character's relationship with their older sister. You don't have lives, can't lose, or anything like that. Just walk around, talk to everyone, and help them with their problems. Build a base on the island playground and be happy!
The game has well-implemented mechanics, great sound effects and music, charming characters, a good pace that kept me engaged, customization items, and usable items to get around or find other items.
Overall, it's an amazing game. It addresses all the shortcomings I saw in A Short Hike, and the ending is satisfying. Collecting items is also enjoyable. Simply an incredible game.
This game was such a nice place to be for a few hours. A mashup between a 3D Zelda and a 3D Platformer Collection mixed with cozy childhood summer vibes??? Add humor, charm, wacky items, and post-game tools to help you find everything you missed (I was at 96% completion before rolling credits), and you'd be hard-pressed to find an indie game more tailor-fit to my tastes.
Honestly this feels like it might be a 5/5, but I'm super judicious about what I slap that score on. I'll think about it for a bit!
Honestly this feels like it might be a 5/5, but I'm super judicious about what I slap that score on. I'll think about it for a bit!
man, this game is just so fuckin sweet. a very simple but sweet story, and a wonderful sense of being a kid having some adventures. it's genuinely fun to run around in too, like, way more fun than you'd think a game like this would be movement wise. some super fun characters too! i really defy you to play this game and not smile, so cute and pure fun all around. highly recommend.
A Short Hike meets Breath of the Wild resulting in a quirky, wholesome little package that I loved every second of.
Lil Gator Game isn't just another "BOTW-inspired game" it is inspired by Zelda on a meta level that fits and is crucial to the actual story of the game. You are playing a lil gator who literally grows up playing Zelda pretend with his sister, and now you're putting on the biggest pretend Zelda game all over the island - exploring, completing little quests, battling cardboard foes. It's cute, short, and sweet. More games like this please.
My only complaint is that, while exploration is the point of the game, without a map, quest log, or quest markers, it was a little too easy to lose your bearings on the island and have trouble finding your way to the next quest.
+ Delightfully wholesome
+ Touching little story
+ Love letter to Zelda fans
+ Feels surprisingly really good to play
- Occasionally difficult to find where you need to go
Lil Gator Game isn't just another "BOTW-inspired game" it is inspired by Zelda on a meta level that fits and is crucial to the actual story of the game. You are playing a lil gator who literally grows up playing Zelda pretend with his sister, and now you're putting on the biggest pretend Zelda game all over the island - exploring, completing little quests, battling cardboard foes. It's cute, short, and sweet. More games like this please.
My only complaint is that, while exploration is the point of the game, without a map, quest log, or quest markers, it was a little too easy to lose your bearings on the island and have trouble finding your way to the next quest.
+ Delightfully wholesome
+ Touching little story
+ Love letter to Zelda fans
+ Feels surprisingly really good to play
- Occasionally difficult to find where you need to go
It reminded me that life can be magical and not everything needs to be complex. It can be simple and loving, like this game.
//
//
Me lembrou que a vida pode ser mágica e nem tudo precisa ser complexo. Pode ser simples e com carinho, que nem esse jogo.
//
//
Me lembrou que a vida pode ser mágica e nem tudo precisa ser complexo. Pode ser simples e com carinho, que nem esse jogo.
when discussing sable, jacob geller proposed it as the perfect Mid-Sized Breath Of The Wild, a comfortably sprawling point between the massiveness of BOTW proper and the bite-sized single-setting take on many of its aspects in a short hike. lil gator game sits between a short hike and sable on this imaginary scale and as much as i appreciate all these games (especially sable) this may very well be my fave of them all!! its kind of incredibly how expressively each game's runtime informs its overall feel but lil gator game is the absolute perfect Exhaustingly Joyful Afternoon, it somehow doesnt feel like a micro-anything it just feels like a real time day spent in exhilarating childhood antics. even more then breath of the wild or a short hike it reminds me of other works that concern themselves with Imaginative Play: the lessons in empathy across age gaps from spike jonze's where the wild things are, the whisperingly quiet melancholy of what drives reality into fantasy from calvin and hobbes, and the quiet radicalism re: the emotional and spiritual necessity of imaginative play from bluey.
it is very humble and warm, mostly lacking the overt quirkiness that characterizes a lot of the modern flavor of Indie Game Twee (which is something im fond of, if not entirely enamored with) in favor of calmer colors, both literal and emotional. when these types of games fold into an emotional crescendo my response is usually nice enough (i am quite open to these things) but i swear this one even tho its not insistent at all just hit me with tons of Inexplicable Feelings out of nowhere.
i feel like someday i have to take a real hard crack at writing ab Imaginative Play and art about it, prob turn it into something political and spiritual. but at the heart of any such thesis no matter how many big words i lay on top will be a relatively simple texture, an almost mundane ecstasy, and this game perhaps more then any other work ive encountered is essentially nothing but that texture and that ecstasy in its most potent, concentrated form
it's a lot of work to make a game. there are lots of better things our work could be used for then the things we do now. we must re-learn how to imagine things being different
it is very humble and warm, mostly lacking the overt quirkiness that characterizes a lot of the modern flavor of Indie Game Twee (which is something im fond of, if not entirely enamored with) in favor of calmer colors, both literal and emotional. when these types of games fold into an emotional crescendo my response is usually nice enough (i am quite open to these things) but i swear this one even tho its not insistent at all just hit me with tons of Inexplicable Feelings out of nowhere.
i feel like someday i have to take a real hard crack at writing ab Imaginative Play and art about it, prob turn it into something political and spiritual. but at the heart of any such thesis no matter how many big words i lay on top will be a relatively simple texture, an almost mundane ecstasy, and this game perhaps more then any other work ive encountered is essentially nothing but that texture and that ecstasy in its most potent, concentrated form
it's a lot of work to make a game. there are lots of better things our work could be used for then the things we do now. we must re-learn how to imagine things being different
Lovely little game about childhood wonder and that youthful sense of adventure, discovery and creativity. Its a neat ode to breath of the wild with its traversal mechanics and exploration but is also much looser and free flowing. I really grew to like how the game takes it easy and there’s no real way to ‘lose’, you’re able to just wander around at your own pace and have a nice time.
The style is so pretty and colourful, the characters and writing really endearing, silly and hilarious and the heartfelt moments made me quite emotional. Lil Gator Game is such a charming experience that doesn’t feel like it tries too hard but constantly put a smile on my face, the main character is so optimistic and lovely that it absolutely destroyed my heart. Moving around in the game is loads of fun and using all of the different tools that you can play with is great, I also love that enemies are just cardboard cutouts as part of their imaginary game, so silly!!
Beautiful little gem of a game that is the perfect length too, give it a go!
The style is so pretty and colourful, the characters and writing really endearing, silly and hilarious and the heartfelt moments made me quite emotional. Lil Gator Game is such a charming experience that doesn’t feel like it tries too hard but constantly put a smile on my face, the main character is so optimistic and lovely that it absolutely destroyed my heart. Moving around in the game is loads of fun and using all of the different tools that you can play with is great, I also love that enemies are just cardboard cutouts as part of their imaginary game, so silly!!
Beautiful little gem of a game that is the perfect length too, give it a go!
Excellent. Fun and kind. Childish, but aware of its own naïveté. Also not the first alligator-centric game that I adore.
I love this little game way more than I was expecting to. Already being a huge fan of A Short Hike, there's a ton of room for comparison here: animal character goes on small adventure full of climbing and exploration, meeting plenty of goofy characters along the way, realizing the power of community and emotionally maturing by the end of the game. It's been done time and time again in other games with varying degrees of execution. There's something real special to me about this one though.
About a week or so after it was released, my younger brother calls me and tells me "You need to get Lil Gator Game, it's just Zelda if it was good."
Hyperbole aside, Lil Gator Game wears its inspiration right on its forehead, and I found myself having more fun in the five hours or so it took me to finish this game than I did in the god knows how many hours I spent playing Breath of the Wild (which I also loved). It handles the feelings of childhood playtime, pretend, and adventure incredibly well almost instantly. The premise is simple enough, and the dialogue is witty and funny, making only a small handful of meta-jokes about how this is, in fact, a video game. The art direction is well-done and the overall tone (for the most part) strikes a solid balance of playful community-building through a fun group project, and the ever-looming recognition that as time passes we grow older, responsibilities become a complicated balance, and it is important now more than ever that we find a way to accept reality interwoven with playfulness and fantasy simply out of the pure joy of being alive.
I found myself making direct comparisons to Zelda games while playing it, and while I love me a good adventure game, the older I get the more I'm finding myself drawn to games that know how to strike a balance of maintaining a realistic enough tone while also not taking themselves too seriously. It's hard to do. I think Zelda does a pretty good job, but there is not one time where I gave a damn about the champions in Breath of the Wild, or hell, even Zelda herself, over the volcano-scaling desert-surfing adventure I was on. The characters are supplementary to the adventure, but the cutscenes and presentation would try and have you believe otherwise. Then you get games like literally every single Final Fantasy game I have ever played ever that will set this super serious tone of a quest and world-building and then have literally zero self awareness at all when it throws like a baseball mini-game at you or something that gives me whiplash, reminding me that I am, in fact, playing a video game. Granted, I could also argue that this is actually good pacing and makes for memorable sections of a game, but my point is that Earthbound and Dragon Quest don't give me whiplash. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds doesn't give me whiplash.
Meanwhile, Gator Game is over here like "yeah we set up a bunch of cardboard enemies and obstacles for you to play pretend hero and go on made-up quests and we hope you have fun playing pretend in this game that is very much a game that isn't real and you are playing it with a controller on your television" and they drape it over me softly like a warm fuzzy blanket that I fall asleep in for five hours and that is the entire game. It's incredibly self-aware, without being obnoxiously in your face about it like The Hex or Trover Saves the Universe and I wish more games were like it.
None of this actually matters though, because the most important part of Lil Gator Game is that the movement in this game fuckin rocks for no reason at all.
I spent probably a good half an hour just doing shield-slide-into-ragdoll combos off of mountains and skipping across the ocean for no reason other than it feels great to do. The entire game could've been just fine without it, it has the contents of an already very solid game, but they put it in there.
More games need a ragdoll button.
I love this little game way more than I was expecting to. Already being a huge fan of A Short Hike, there's a ton of room for comparison here: animal character goes on small adventure full of climbing and exploration, meeting plenty of goofy characters along the way, realizing the power of community and emotionally maturing by the end of the game. It's been done time and time again in other games with varying degrees of execution. There's something real special to me about this one though.
About a week or so after it was released, my younger brother calls me and tells me "You need to get Lil Gator Game, it's just Zelda if it was good."
Hyperbole aside, Lil Gator Game wears its inspiration right on its forehead, and I found myself having more fun in the five hours or so it took me to finish this game than I did in the god knows how many hours I spent playing Breath of the Wild (which I also loved). It handles the feelings of childhood playtime, pretend, and adventure incredibly well almost instantly. The premise is simple enough, and the dialogue is witty and funny, making only a small handful of meta-jokes about how this is, in fact, a video game. The art direction is well-done and the overall tone (for the most part) strikes a solid balance of playful community-building through a fun group project, and the ever-looming recognition that as time passes we grow older, responsibilities become a complicated balance, and it is important now more than ever that we find a way to accept reality interwoven with playfulness and fantasy simply out of the pure joy of being alive.
I found myself making direct comparisons to Zelda games while playing it, and while I love me a good adventure game, the older I get the more I'm finding myself drawn to games that know how to strike a balance of maintaining a realistic enough tone while also not taking themselves too seriously. It's hard to do. I think Zelda does a pretty good job, but there is not one time where I gave a damn about the champions in Breath of the Wild, or hell, even Zelda herself, over the volcano-scaling desert-surfing adventure I was on. The characters are supplementary to the adventure, but the cutscenes and presentation would try and have you believe otherwise. Then you get games like literally every single Final Fantasy game I have ever played ever that will set this super serious tone of a quest and world-building and then have literally zero self awareness at all when it throws like a baseball mini-game at you or something that gives me whiplash, reminding me that I am, in fact, playing a video game. Granted, I could also argue that this is actually good pacing and makes for memorable sections of a game, but my point is that Earthbound and Dragon Quest don't give me whiplash. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds doesn't give me whiplash.
Meanwhile, Gator Game is over here like "yeah we set up a bunch of cardboard enemies and obstacles for you to play pretend hero and go on made-up quests and we hope you have fun playing pretend in this game that is very much a game that isn't real and you are playing it with a controller on your television" and they drape it over me softly like a warm fuzzy blanket that I fall asleep in for five hours and that is the entire game. It's incredibly self-aware, without being obnoxiously in your face about it like The Hex or Trover Saves the Universe and I wish more games were like it.
None of this actually matters though, because the most important part of Lil Gator Game is that the movement in this game fuckin rocks for no reason at all.
I spent probably a good half an hour just doing shield-slide-into-ragdoll combos off of mountains and skipping across the ocean for no reason other than it feels great to do. The entire game could've been just fine without it, it has the contents of an already very solid game, but they put it in there.
More games need a ragdoll button.
I would not have thought to ask the question "what if A Short Hike were about a child running around pretending to be Link in Breath of the Wild?", but I'm sure glad the developers of Lil Gator Game did. An unbelievably charming small-scale open-world exploration game with BOTW-inspired traversal mechanics (climbing on any surface with an upgradeable stamina meter, a glider, a shield you can surf downhill on), writing that's genuinely endearing in its depiction of childhood and growing up without coming across as overly affected, and an open world that's just the right size and density for it to be fun to explore without much in the way of navigational aids. The only reason I didn't give this a perfect rating is that I occasionally wished for more mechanically involving quest design (they usually don't involve much more than talking to one character or easily collecting/smashing a nearby item) or more bespoke platforming or puzzle challenges to make full use of the traversal toolset, but those are ultimately fairly minor complaints given how delightfully compact an experience the rest of the game is.
There is the apocryphal story that The Legend of Zelda was based on Shigeru Miyamoto playing in the woods as a kid. Well, this game dares to ask: what if YOU were a little kid playing in the woods?
I've been following this game's development for a good while, and while at first blush it felt like it was cribbing a little too much from Breath of The Wild, I think it does a very good job at imitating the base mechanics, and ultimately what is the same and what is different serves the themes very well.
This is a game about growing up, about the importance of confrontation, and the joy found in creating things. It's also a very silly game about a little alligator boy who can unlock the ability to ragdoll on command.
Short and sweet and certainly a favorite of mine from this year. $20 base price might look a little steep but I can assure you it's well worth it.
I've been following this game's development for a good while, and while at first blush it felt like it was cribbing a little too much from Breath of The Wild, I think it does a very good job at imitating the base mechanics, and ultimately what is the same and what is different serves the themes very well.
This is a game about growing up, about the importance of confrontation, and the joy found in creating things. It's also a very silly game about a little alligator boy who can unlock the ability to ragdoll on command.
Short and sweet and certainly a favorite of mine from this year. $20 base price might look a little steep but I can assure you it's well worth it.
This game feels like grandma's food on a rainy day...
The silly humour, the warm dialogs, the vast island. All is just great. Never thought I could have this much fun with a lacoste's rpg <3
The silly humour, the warm dialogs, the vast island. All is just great. Never thought I could have this much fun with a lacoste's rpg <3
One of the cutest and most endearing games I've played in a long time. Much like the TV show Craig of the Creek, Lil Gator Game perfectly encapsulates what it was like to grow up and to play with your friends and siblings, and the fears and anxieties that come with it when you get older and start to drift apart from other people. The biggest downside about the game is that it really is on the short side of things, clocking in at roughly 5 hours, but it's still such a fun experience that I can't subtract from the games score. By the end of the game I wanted to continue to see the adventures of this Lil Gator and their big sis along with their friends. Developer Megawobble knocked it out of the park and I can't wait to see what they do next!
Super wholesome game with neato breath of the wild esque exploration tied together with an adorable story of growing up and embracing the time you got.
Very fluid mechanics, hilarious/cute writing and a catchy soundtrack.
Very fluid mechanics, hilarious/cute writing and a catchy soundtrack.
I'm too old to be playing this game and there's too much talking for the target audience.
Mid
Lil Gator Game reminds me a lot of the show Bluey.
It has this focus on a cast of primarily children who are wrapped up in their various forms of play, using their games to enjoy their time while also using those same games to process their feelings and thoughts about the world around them and what's happening to them.
Without spoiling anything, I will say this is a very cozy and enjoyable open world game like Breath of the Wild or Genshin Impact but much smaller scale and through the imaginative lens of a child that will leave you feeling good by the end. I'd definitely say it's worth playing.
It has this focus on a cast of primarily children who are wrapped up in their various forms of play, using their games to enjoy their time while also using those same games to process their feelings and thoughts about the world around them and what's happening to them.
Without spoiling anything, I will say this is a very cozy and enjoyable open world game like Breath of the Wild or Genshin Impact but much smaller scale and through the imaginative lens of a child that will leave you feeling good by the end. I'd definitely say it's worth playing.